上规模 (shàng guī mó) — to reach a certain scale (in business or production)

Definition

Business/production jargon meaning a venture has grown large enough to operate efficiently at scale. Implies reaching a threshold where unit costs drop — more concrete than just 大.

idiom
to reach a certain scale (in business or production)

Examples

  • 上规模。
    Zhè jiā qǐ yè yǐ jīng shàng guī mó le.
    This company has reached a certain scale.
  • 上规模。
    Xiàng mù xū yào yí dìng de tóu zī cái néng shàng guī mó.
    The project needs a certain amount of investment to achieve scale.
  • 上规模。
    Tā men de shēng chǎn hái méi yǒu shàng guī mó.
    Their production has not yet reached scale.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

上shàngreach
规模scale
规guīstandard模mómodel
联合Side by side

「上」 (reach) and 「规模」 (scale) combine: to attain a certain scale.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 規; 规 is its simplified writing.

  • 夫夫fūhusband
  • 見見jiànsee

The simplified 规 is a shorthand; the traditional form 規 shows a cross-shaped compass in its early drawing, and its later form uses 夫 and 見.

Open 规 →

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
莫
莫mò模mó
Same sound today

The left part 木 is tree; the right part 莫 gives the sound.

Open 模 →

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