发展商 (fā zhǎn shāng) — (real estate etc) developer (Hong Kong usage)

Definition

A regional term for a 'real estate developer' (the company or person who builds and sells property), mainly used in Hong Kong. In mainland Chinese, 房地产开发商 is more standard.

noun
(real estate etc) developer (Hong Kong usage)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 发展商，。
    Zhè ge fā zhǎn shāng hěn yǒu míng, jiàn le hěn duō gāo lóu.
    This developer is very famous and has built many tall buildings.
  • 发展商。
    Nà ge fā zhǎn shāng de xiàng mù fēi cháng chéng gōng.
    That developer's project was very successful.
  • 发展商。
    fā zhǎn shāng Zhèng zài kāi fā yí gè xīn xiǎo qū.
    The developer is currently developing a new residential area.

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.

发展development
发fādevelop展zhǎnexpand
联合Side by side
商shāngmerchant

"发展" names development, and "商" names a merchant or person, together pointing to a developer.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧝑
𧝑𧝑展zhǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

展 is built from 尸 and 𧝑. The 𧝑 part points to fine red silk clothes and also contains the idea of opening or extending.

Open 展 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 商 →

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