钱能通神

錢能通神

qiánnéngtōngshén

idiom

Meanings

1 money is all-powerful
2 money can move even the gods
3 with enough money, anything is possible

Characters

can / be able to

to reach / get through to

Examples

他靠贿赂打通了关系，真是钱能通神。

Tā kào huìlù dǎtōng le guānxì, zhēn shì qián néng tōng shén.

He greased his way through every connection — truly, money makes the world go round.

古人说钱能通神，今天看依然如此。

Gǔrén shuō qián néng tōng shén, jīntiān kàn yīrán rúcǐ.

The ancients said money can move the gods, and that still holds true today.

Tips

history

The phrase comes from Tang dynasty 张固's 《幽闲鼓吹》: a corrupt official said 'qián shí kě yǐ tōng shén' (money can truly reach the gods) when bribed to drop a case. It has carried a cynical, critical tone ever since.

register

Used to criticize bribery and corruption — almost always disapproving. Don't say it as a neutral observation about how useful money is.

Stroke Order

钱 qián

能 néng

通 tōng

神 shén