中国货 (zhōng guó huò) — Chinese goods, Chinese products

Definition

noun
Chinese goodsChinese products

Examples

  • 中国货。
    Zhè jiā diàn mài de zhōng guó huò zhì liàng hěn hǎo.
    The Chinese goods sold at this store are of good quality.
  • 中国货。
    Xiàn zài hěn duō guó jiā dōu xǐ huan mǎi zhōng guó huò.
    Now many countries like to buy Chinese products.
  • 中国货。
    zhōng guó huò Zài hǎi wài yuè lái yuè shòu huān yíng.
    Chinese goods are becoming more and more popular overseas.

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.

中国China
中zhōngmiddle国guócountry
偏正Modifier + head
货huògoods

中国 names the country, and 货 means goods, so the name points to Chinese products.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →

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