薪水

xīnshuǐ
noun HSK 6 #3,254

Meanings

  1. 1 salary; wages; pay

Characters

Firewood and water - basic necessities, hence one's wages to cover them.

Examples

HSK 3
Tā duì mùqián de xīnshuǐ bùtài mǎnyì.
He's not very satisfied with his current salary.
HSK 3
Xīnshuǐ gāo bù dàibiǎo gōngzuò jiù hǎo.
High salary doesn't mean the job is good.
HSK 6
Zhè jiā gōngsī de xīnshuǐ zài hángyè lǐ suàn zhōngděng.
This company's salary is average in the industry.

Tips

usage
薪水 (general salary), 工资 (wages, most common), 薪资 (salary/compensation, formal), 年薪 (annual salary). 工资 is the most commonly used in daily life.
history
Originally 'firewood and water money' - the basic allowance to cover necessities. Now it just means salary.

Stroke Order

xīn
shuǐ