批发商 (pī fā shāng) — wholesaler; wholesale dealer

Definition

noun

wholesalerwholesale dealer

Measure word · 个

批发商。
Zhè jiā pī fā shāng tí gōng gè zhǒng diàn zǐ chǎn pǐn.
This wholesaler supplies all kinds of electronic products.
批发商，。
Wǒ men zhí jiē cóng pī fā shāng jìn huò, jià gé gèng dī.
We buy directly from the wholesaler, so the price is lower.
批发商，。
Tā shì yì míng chéng gōng de pī fā shāng, zài yè jiè hěn yǒu míng.
He is a successful wholesaler, well known in the industry.

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.

批发wholesale selling

偏正Modifier + head

批发 is wholesale selling, and 商 is a merchant, so together they name a wholesaler.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

比

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

批 puts 手 (hand) beside 比, which gives the sound.

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.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in