TongTong
Sign in

冒牌货 (mào pái huò) — counterfeit product; fake; imitation

Definition

A counterfeit product or fake — used for items (bags, watches, brand-name goods) that pretend to be the real thing. Often carries a negative, fraudulent connotation.

noun
counterfeit productfakeimitation
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 冒牌货。
    Zhè ge bāo shì mào pái huò.
    This bag is a fake product.
  • 冒牌货。
    Tā yòng hěn pián yi de jià gé mǎi le yì zhī mào pái huò shǒu biǎo.
    He bought a counterfeit watch at a very cheap price.
  • 冒牌货。
    Hěn nán fēn qīng mào pái huò hé zhēn pǐn.
    It's hard to tell a fake from the genuine product.

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.

冒牌
冒màopretend牌páibrand
动宾Verb + object
货huògoods

冒牌 means a falsely claimed brand, and 货 means goods, naming goods with a fake brand.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeyes
Sound part声符shēngfú
冃
冃mào冒mào
Same sound today

冒 was built from 冃, a hat used for the sound, plus 目, eyes, as the meaning part.

Open 冒 →

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
片片piàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
卑
卑bēi牌pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

牌 puts 片, a flat piece, beside 卑, which gives the sound.

Open 牌 →

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 →
Appears in
Business & CommerceShopping & Errands

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.