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零售商 (líng shòu shāng) — retailer

Definition

A business that sells goods directly to consumers, in small quantities, to end users. Contrast with 批发商 (wholesaler), which sells in bulk to retailers rather than to the public.

noun
retailer
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 零售商。
    Zhè jiā líng shòu shāng zhǔ yào mài fú zhuāng hé pèi shì.
    This retailer mainly sells clothing and accessories.
  • 零售商。
    Dà xíng líng shòu shāng tōng cháng yǒu gèng fēng fù de shāng pǐn zhǒng lèi.
    Large retailers usually have a wider variety of products.
  • 零售商，。
    Zuò wéi líng shòu shāng, tā men xū yào liǎo jiě xiāo fèi zhě de xū qiú.
    As retailers, they need to understand consumers' needs.

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.

零售retail
零língpiecemeal售shòusell
偏正Modifier + head
商shāngmerchant

零售 means selling in small quantities, and 商 adds the dealer sense, giving a retailer.

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng零líng
Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

Open 零 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 售 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 商 →
Appears in
Business & Commerce

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