书市 (shū shì) — book fair, book market (temporary or periodic event)

Definition

书市 is an event or temporary market for buying and selling books, often large and periodic. The example shows the common 举办/在∼上/∼里 pattern for events.

noun
book fairbook market (temporary or periodic event)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 书市。
    Měi nián chūn tiān zhè lǐ dōu huì jǔ bàn yí cì dà xíng shū shì.
    A large book fair is held here every spring.
  • 书市。
    Wǒ zài shū shì shàng mǎi dào le jǐ běn jué bǎn shū.
    I found a few out-of-print books at the book fair.
  • 书市，。
    shū shì Lǐ rén hěn duō, dà jiā dōu zài zhǎo zì jǐ xǐ huan de shū.
    The book fair was crowded, with everyone looking for books they liked.

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.

书shūbook
市shìmarket

书 specifies books, and 市 specifies a market, giving a book market or fair.

Characters in this word

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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
兮兮xībustling
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī市shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form 市 pairs 兮, meaning bustling, with 之, the sound part.

Open 市 →

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