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百货店 (bǎi huò diàn) — department store; general store

Definition

Literally 'hundred-goods store': a large store selling many kinds of everyday goods, equivalent to a department store. No listed near-synonym to contrast with — just a straightforward retail term.

noun
department storegeneral store
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 百货店。
    Zhè jiā bǎi huò diàn de yī fu zhǒng lèi hěn duō.
    This department store has a wide variety of clothes.
  • 百货店。
    Wǒ jīng cháng qù nà jiā bǎi huò diàn mǎi rì yòng pǐn.
    I often go to that general store to buy daily necessities.
  • 。
    Bǎi huò diàn lǐ shén me dōng xī dōu mài.
    The department store sells everything.

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.

百货general merchandise
百bǎimany货huògoods
偏正Modifier + head
店diànstore

百货 means many kinds of goods, and 店 is a store; together it names a shop selling all goods.

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
一一yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái百bǎi
Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

Open 百 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →

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
广广guǎnghouse built to depend on a cliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn店diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

店 shows 广, a house built to depend on a cliff, and 占, which gives the sound.

Open 店 →
Appears in
Shopping & Errands

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