省

shěng
HSK 4
#665 most
frequent character
to save, to economize, to do without
verb
noun
Measure words:个 gè

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

省 first meant 'to inspect plants closely'. It was once 生 shēng, a sprouting plant, with 目 eye. 生 also supplied the sound, but the shape later changed to 少. The xǐng reading kept the original senses; shěng borrowed the sound for 'save resources' and later 'province'.

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Example Sentences

我想省一点钱。
wǒxiǎng shěng yīdiǎn qián 。
I want to save some money.
我们可以省时间去完成这个项目。
wǒmen kěyǐ shěng shíjiān qù wánchéng zhègè xiàngmù 。
We can save time to complete this project.
这个省的风景非常美丽。
zhègè shěng de fēngjǐng fēicháng měilì 。
The scenery in this province is very beautiful.

Same Characters, Different Readings

省xǐng
(bound form) to scrutinize

Words with similar meanings

节省jiéshěng
to economize
节省 (jiéshěng) is more specific in meaning, focusing on the idea of being frugal or thrifty.
省略shěnglüè
to omit
省略 (shěnglüè) emphasizes the notion of leaving out something intentionally.

Words Starting With 省

省略shěng lüè
to leave out; an omission
省会shěng huì
provincial capital

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Public Lists with 省

Economics & Trade
Trade, import/export, inflation, markets, economic policies.
Finance & Money
Currency, banks, deposits, withdrawals, credit cards, loans.
HSK 4
All words for the HSK 4 test