Answer: C
In the Chinese language, “千金(qiānjīn)” is short for “一千两黄金(yìqiān liǎnɡ huánɡjīn)” referring to “one thousand units of gold,” which is a large amount of money. So, Chinese people usually use “千金(qiānjīn)” to make a general reference to a lot of money.
Examples:
Zhè kuài yù jiàzhí qiānjīn.
这 块 玉 价值 千金。
This piece of jade is worth a lot.
Judy: Tīnɡshuō nǐ yǒu yìfú Tánɡ Bóhǔ de huà.
Judy：听说 你 有 一幅 唐 伯虎 的 画。
Judy: I heard that you have a piece of artwork by Tang Bohu.
Wánɡ Mínɡ: Shìde, tā de huà zhēn shì qiānjīn nán mǎi a!
王 明： 是的，他 的 画 真 是 千金 难 买 啊！
Wang Ming: Yes, his picture is priceless!
Additionally, “千金(qiānjīn)” not only refers to money, but can also refer to people. In the Chinese language, “千金 (qiānjīn)” is a courteous expression for referring to another person’s daughter. The following is a story about the origins of this word.
A long time ago, the state of Han was weak and small, so it often became the victim of the great powers. However, the state of Han was rich in beautiful women, so the people of Han were forced to sell their beautiful girls to make up for the lack of national power. The most beautiful girl was sold for the price of “三千金 (sān qiānjīn) three thousand units of gold.” Afterwards, “千金 (qiānjīn)” was used to refer to beautiful, unmarried girls. It ultimately became a courteous expression used to refer to another person’s beloved daughter.
Examples:
Wánɡ Lì: Gōnɡxǐ nín xǐ dé qiānjīn!
王 丽： 恭喜 您 喜 得 千金！
Wang Li: Congratulations on the birth of your baby girl!
Cindy: Xièxie!
Cindy：谢谢！
Cindy: Thank you!
Mike: Zhàopiàn lǐ de nàgè nǚháir shì shéi?
Mike：照片 里 的 那个 女孩儿 是 谁？
Mike: Who is the girl in the picture?
Liú Wěi: Tā shì lǎobǎn de qiānjīn.
刘 伟： 她 是 老板 的 千金。
Liu Wei: He is the boss’s loving girl.
In our test, the sentence expresses that Mr. Liu and his wife had a baby girl, so the correct answer is C.
<<Back to “‘千金(qiānjīn)’-Priceless or Princess?”