还价 (huán jià) — to bargain, to make a counteroffer (in haggling)

Definition

还价 (huán jià) means to offer a lower price back to a seller — a counteroffer in haggling, distinct from just asking 便宜点. The seller must accept, reject, or counter again.

verb

to bargainto make a counteroffer (in haggling)

Examples

还价，。
Qù gēn tā huán jià ba, shuō bú dìng néng pián yi diǎn.
Go bargain with him — maybe you can get it cheaper.
，。
Tā gēn wǒ hái le yí gè jià, wǒ méi tóng yì.
He made a counteroffer to me, but I didn't agree.
还价，。
Zhè ge lǎo bǎn bú ràng huán jià, zhǐ néng àn biāo jià mǎi.
This shopkeeper won't allow bargaining — you can only buy at the marked price.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

还háireturn

价jiàprice

还 returns what is offered and 价 is the price, giving the idea of bargaining.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

睘

睘qióng還hái

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →

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

人介价

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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