代理商 (dài lǐ shāng) — agent, commission merchant | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A business (not an individual) that sells goods or services on behalf of another company in exchange for a commission. Use 家 as the measure word, same as other companies.

noun

agentcommission merchant

Measure word · 家

Examples

代理商。
Zhè jiā dài lǐ shāng fù zé jìn kǒu shāng pǐn de xiāo shòu.
This agent is responsible for the sales of imported goods.
代理商。
Wǒ men gōng sī zhèng zài xún zhǎo hǎi wài dài lǐ shāng.
Our company is looking for overseas agents.
代理商，。
Zuò wéi dài lǐ shāng, tā cóng zhōng zhuàn qǔ yòng jīn.
As an agent, he earns a commission from it.

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.

代理manage as substitute

代dàisubstitute理lǐmanage

偏正Modifier + head

商shāngmerchant

代理 (manage as substitute) plus 商 (merchant) names an agent.

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.

亻弋代

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

弋

弋yì代dài

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

In 代, 亻 shows a person, and 弋 gives the sound.

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

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

里

里lǐ理lǐ

Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

Business & Commerce Professions & Jobs

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