tiền

/tiə̂n/
nounBeginner
💰Finance
formal

Money; currency; cash

Tôi cần tiền để mua đồ ăn.

I need money to buy food.

Tiền là một phần quan trọng trong cuộc sống.

Money is an important part of life.

💡

In financial contexts, 'tiền' refers to monetary units like đồng (VND) in Vietnam.

💰Finance
formal

Funds; capital; assets

Công ty cần tiền để đầu tư vào dự án mới.

The company needs capital to invest in the new project.

💡

Used in business and investment contexts to refer to financial resources.

informal

Time (in some idiomatic expressions)

Tiền là vàng.

Time is money.

💡

In this context, 'tiền' is used metaphorically to emphasize the value of time.

Collocations

tiền mặtcashtiền gửideposittiền lươngsalary

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

tiền là gốc, nghĩa là rễproverb
Money is the root, morality is the foundation

💡Pro Tip

Classifiers with 'tiền'

Always use classifiers like 'đồng' (coin), 'ngàn' (thousand), or 'triệu' (million) with 'tiền'.

Gold Rule

Formal vs. Informal Usage

In formal contexts, 'tiền' refers strictly to currency, while in informal contexts, it can metaphorically mean 'time'.

📖Word Origin

From Middle Chinese 錢 (dzienH), meaning 'coin' or 'money'.

📝Usage Notes

'Tiền' is a common noun and is always used with a classifier (e.g., 'một đồng tiền', 'nhiều tiền').

Word Breakdown

tiên
ancient Chinese coin
root
+
tiền
modern Vietnamese for 'money'
modern form
Từ Điển Việt Anh