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.
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