Meaning
花掉 means to spend or consume something, most commonly money or time. The word combines 花 (to spend) with the resultative complement 掉 (away/off), emphasizing that the resource is completely used up or gone. It conveys a sense of completion or finality in the spending action.
Usage
Native speakers use 花掉 when emphasizing that money or time has been entirely consumed or is no longer available. It's slightly more colloquial than just 花 alone and often appears when discussing budgets, expenses, or time management. The 掉 adds a sense that the resource is now gone or depleted.
Examples
- 01我这个月已经花掉了两千块钱。.I've already spent two thousand yuan this month.
- 02他花掉三个小时才完成这个项目。.He spent three hours to complete this project.
Characters
Common collocations
- 花掉所有的钱to spend all the money
- 花掉很多时间to spend a lot of time
- 把钱花掉to spend the money (using 把 construction)
Antonyms
Origin
花 originally meant 'flower' but developed the meaning 'to spend' through the metaphor of scattering petals. 掉 as a resultative complement indicates completion or removal, so 花掉 literally suggests 'spending away' or completely using up resources.