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山寨 (shān zhài) — (noun) mountain stronghold; fortified hill village (often associated with bandits); (noun, figurative) counterfeit goods; knockoff product; (adjective) counterfeit; imitation; done in an unlicensed or grassroots manner

Definition

Literally 'mountain stronghold' (the noun sense), but the modern figurative use — 'counterfeit, knockoff' (a 山寨手机) — is what you'll meet most. Lighter and more colloquial than 假冒/伪造/造假, which all stress deliberate fraud.

noun
mountain strongholdfortified hill village (often associated with bandits)(noun, figurative) counterfeit goodsknockoff product
adjective
counterfeitimitationdone in an unlicensed or grassroots manner
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 山寨，。
    Zhè shì yí zuò gǔ dài shān zhài, céng jīng yǒu tǔ fěi jū zhù.
    This is an ancient mountain stronghold where bandits once lived.
  • 山寨，山寨。
    Zhè ge shì chǎng mài de dōu shì shān zhài, bù shān zhài shì zhèng pǐn.
    This market sells only knockoffs, not genuine products.
  • 山寨，。
    Tā mǎi le yí gè shān zhài shǒu jī, yòng le sān gè yuè jiù huài le.
    He bought a counterfeit phone, and it broke after three months.

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.

山shānmountain
寨zhàistockade

'山' places the '寨' on a hill, naming a fortified mountain village.

Characters in this word

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

山 shows three mountain peaks side by side.

Open 山 →

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡨄
𡨄𡨄寨zhài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

寨 pairs 木 (wood) with 𡨄, which gives the sound; the wood part shows the meaning is related to wood.

Open 寨 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Business & CommerceCountryside & Rural

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