Meaning
信用 refers to the quality of being trusted or believed in, especially regarding financial or moral reliability. As a noun, it means 'credit' or 'trustworthiness'; as a verb, it means 'to trust' or 'to place confidence in someone or something'. It's commonly used in financial contexts (credit cards, credit scores) as well as in discussing personal reputation and reliability.
Usage
In modern Chinese, 信用 is most frequently encountered in financial and business contexts, such as 信用卡 (credit card) or 信用记录 (credit history). When used as a verb meaning 'to trust', it's somewhat formal and less common in casual conversation than 相信. The concept is highly valued in Chinese culture, where maintaining one's 信用 is considered essential for business and personal relationships.
Examples
- 01他很讲信用，答应的事一定会做到。, .He's very trustworthy; he definitely does what he promises.
- 02申请贷款需要良好的信用记录。.Applying for a loan requires a good credit history.
Characters
Common collocations
- 信用卡credit card
- 信用记录credit record/history
- 信用评级credit rating
- 讲信用to keep one's word, to be trustworthy
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 信 (trust, faith) with 用 (to use, to employ), literally meaning 'to use trust' or 'trust that can be used', hence 'credit' or 'trustworthiness'.