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专利 (zhuān lì) — patent (exclusive right granted for an invention)

Definition

专利 (zhuānlì) is the noun for a 'patent' — a legal right granted to an inventor. 专卖 is a verb meaning 'to exclusively sell' (a product), not the right itself.

noun
patent (exclusive right granted for an invention)
Measure word · 项

Examples

  • 专利。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zuì jìn shēn qǐng le yí xiàng xīn zhuān lì.
    This company recently applied for a new patent.
  • 专利。
    zhuān lì De bǎo hù qī tōng cháng shì èr shí nián.
    The protection period for a patent is usually twenty years.
  • 专利。
    Tā yōng yǒu de zhuān lì yǐ jīng zhuǎn ràng gěi lìng yì jiā gōng sī le.
    The patent he owned has been transferred to another company.

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.

专zhuānexclusive
利lìbenefit

专 means exclusive and 利 means benefit, so together they name an exclusive benefit or right.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

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

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Law & Justice

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