砍价 (kǎn jià) — to bargain, to haggle (over a price)

Definition

砍价 (kǎn jià) means to bargain or haggle a seller down on price. Unlike 讨价还价, which can describe either side of a negotiation, 砍价 is specifically the buyer's side: pushing the price lower.

verb
to bargainto haggle (over a price)

Examples

  • 砍价。
    Wǒ zài shì chǎng gēn xiǎo fàn kǎn jià.
    I bargained with the vendor at the market.
  • ，。
    Tā kǎn le bàn tiān jià, zuì hòu pián yi le wǔ shí kuài.
    She bargained for a long time and finally got fifty yuan off.
  • 砍价。
    Mǎi dōng xī de shí hou jì de kǎn jià.
    Remember to bargain when shopping.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

砍kǎncut
价jiàprice

砍 means to cut and 价 is a price, giving the sense of cutting down a price.

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
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
欠
欠qiàn砍kǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

砍 combines 石 (rock) and 欠, which gives the sound.

Open 砍 →

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
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè价jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

价 pairs 人 (person) with 介, which gives the sound.

Open 价 →

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