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书店 (shū diàn) — bookstore

Definition

A bookstore is a shop that sells books. Unlike 商店 ('store' in general — for anything) and 图书馆 ('library', where you borrow and read books), 书店 is specifically for buying books.

noun
bookstore
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 书店。
    Wǒ zài shū diàn kàn shū.
    I am reading a book at the bookstore.
  • 书店。
    Nà jiā shū diàn yǒu xīn shū.
    That bookstore has new books.
  • 书店。
    Wǒ men qù shū diàn ba.
    Let's go to the bookstore.

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.

书shūbook
店diànshop

书 denotes books, and 店 denotes a shop, giving a shop that sells books.

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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
广广guǎnghouse built to depend on a cliff
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn店diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

店 shows 广, a house built to depend on a cliff, and 占, which gives the sound.

Open 店 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1Shopping & Errands

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