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冒牌 (mào pái) — (verb-object) to counterfeit a trademark, to imitate a brand; to be fake; (noun) fake brand, counterfeit product

Definition

冒牌 (màopái) is a verb-object compound meaning to copy someone else's brand or to be a fake product. It emphasizes counterfeiting a trademark, not just any imitation.

verb
(verb-object) to counterfeit a trademarkto imitate a brandto be fake
noun
fake brandcounterfeit product

Examples

  • 冒牌。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhuān mén shēng chǎn mào pái chǎn pǐn.
    This company specializes in producing counterfeit products.
  • ，。
    Tā mào le bié rén de pái, bèi fá kuǎn le.
    He counterfeited someone else's brand and got fined.
  • 冒牌。
    Zhè xiē quán shì mào pái.
    These are all fakes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

冒màocounterfeit
牌páibrand

冒 means to counterfeit, and 牌 means brand; together they describe faking a brand or 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 →
Appears in
Marketing & Sales

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