正牌 (zhèng pái) — authentic brand; genuine product

Definition

A 'genuine, authentic-brand' product — the real thing from the original maker, contrasted with 冒牌货 (counterfeit) and 水货 (smuggled/gray-market goods). Used mostly as a modifier before nouns like 产品 or as a standalone noun.

noun
authentic brandgenuine product
Easily confused

Examples

  • 正牌，。
    Wǒ mǎi shǒu jī zhī mǎi zhèng pái de, bù mǎi shuǐ huò.
    When I buy a phone, I only buy the genuine brand, not smuggled goods.
  • 正牌，。
    Zhè jiā diàn mài de dōu shì zhèng pái chǎn pǐn, zhì liàng yǒu bǎo zhèng.
    Everything sold in this store is genuine product, with guaranteed quality.
  • 正牌。
    zhèng pái Hé mào pái huò de qū bié zài yú zuò gōng hé cái liào.
    The difference between authentic and counterfeit goods lies in craftsmanship and materials.

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.

正zhènggenuine
牌páibrand

正 means genuine and 牌 means brand, together an authentic 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
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

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 →

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