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回扣 (huí kòu) — kickback; illegal rebate (often to a purchasing agent); sales commission; a portion of a sale returned to the salesperson or facilitator

Definition

Money returned to a buyer, agent, or salesperson as a hidden commission. The same word covers both legitimate sales commissions and illegal kickbacks — context tells you which.

noun
kickbackillegal rebate (often to a purchasing agent)sales commissiona portion of a sale returned to the salesperson or facilitator

Examples

  • 回扣。
    Nà ge xiāo shòu yuán tōng guò gěi huí kòu ná dào le zhè bǐ dà dìng dān.
    That salesperson secured this big deal by giving kickbacks.
  • 回扣。
    Gōng sī guī dìng yán jìn shōu shòu rèn hé xíng shì de huí kòu.
    The company strictly prohibits accepting any form of kickbacks.
  • 回扣。
    Tā zuò zhōng jiān rén zhuàn le bù shǎo huí kòu.
    He made quite a bit of commission as an intermediary.

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.

回huíreturned
扣kòudeduction

回 indicates something returned, and 扣 is a deduction, so the word means a returned rebate or kickback.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
口
口kǒu扣kòu
Same sound today

扣 puts 手 (hand) beside 口 (mouth); 口 gives the sound, while 手 shows it is about a hand action.

Open 扣 →
Appears in
Business & CommerceMarketing & Sales

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