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专柜 (zhuān guì) — specialty counter, dedicated sales counter

Definition

A 专柜 is a counter dedicated to one brand or product line (e.g. a cosmetics counter, jewelry counter). 柜台 is the general term for any sales counter or front desk.

noun
specialty counterdedicated sales counter
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 专柜。
    Tā zài huà zhuāng pǐn zhuān guì gōng zuò.
    She works at the cosmetics counter.
  • 专柜。
    Zhè ge zhuān guì zhī mài jìn kǒu qiǎo kè lì.
    This counter only sells imported chocolate.
  • 专柜？
    Qǐng wèn zhū bǎo zhuān guì zài nǎ lǐ?
    Excuse me, where is the jewelry counter?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

专zhuāndedicated
柜guìcounter

“专” means dedicated, and “柜” is a counter, so “专柜” is a counter set aside for certain goods.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
巨
巨jù柜
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

柜 combines 木 (tree) with 巨, which gives the sound.

Open 柜 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Shopping & Errands

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