付钱 (fù qián), meaning “to pay money,” is a straightforward compound in Chinese:

• 付 (fù): This character’s original form depicted a hand offering something to another person. It conveys the meaning of giving, delivering, or handing over.

• 钱 (qián): This character originally depicted a hoe, representing tools and by extension, currency or money.

Therefore, the original structure of 付钱 literally depicts “handing over money.” This clearly represents the act of paying, where one gives money in exchange for goods or services.

This is a good example of how Chinese characters often combine to create a compound word where the meaning is a direct combination of the individual characters’ meanings.