自由市场 (zì yóu shì chǎng) — (economic) free market, open market; (physical) open-air market, informal market for goods

Definition

Literally 'free + market' — covers both the economic idea (a market free of government control) and the everyday open-air street market where you buy fresh food. Context decides which sense is meant.

noun
(economic) free marketopen market(physical) open-air marketinformal market for goods

Examples

  • 自由市场。
    Hěn duō jīng jì xué jiā rèn wéi zì yóu shì chǎng néng cù jìn jīng jì fā zhǎn.
    Many economists believe that a free market can promote economic development.
  • 自由市场，。
    Zhōu mò wǒ men cháng qù fù jìn de zì yóu shì chǎng mǎi cài, hěn xīn xiān.
    On weekends we often go to the nearby open market to buy vegetables; they're very fresh.
  • ，自由市场。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài zhì dìng zhèng cè, wán shàn zì yóu shì chǎng de yùn xíng jī zhì.
    The government is drafting policies to improve the operating mechanism of the free market.

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.

自由free
自zìself由yóufollow
偏正Modifier + head
市场market
市shìmarket场chǎngplace
偏正Modifier + head

自由 “free” + 市场 “market” names a market where trading is free.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

It began as a drawing of new shoots or leaves growing upward from a plant-like base.

Open 由 →

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
兮兮xībustling
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī市shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form 市 pairs 兮, meaning bustling, with 之, the sound part.

Open 市 →

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 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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