百货 (bǎi huò) — general merchandise; department store goods | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

general merchandisedepartment store goods

Examples

。
Zhè jiā bǎi huò shāng diàn de yī fu hěn guì.
The clothes in this department store are very expensive.
。
Tā zài zhè jiā bǎi huò gōng sī gōng zuò.
He works at this department store company.
百货。
Zhè jiā chāo shì mài gè zhǒng bǎi huò.
This supermarket sells all kinds of general merchandise.

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 (many) modifies 货 (goods), giving general merchandise.

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.

一白百

Meaning part形符xíngfú

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.

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.

化貝貨

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Shopping & Errands

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