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外卖 (wài mài) — (verb) to provide takeout (of a restaurant); (noun) takeout meal, delivery food

Definition

外卖 covers both the food itself ('takeout / delivery meal') and the restaurant's service ('offers delivery'). It's the everyday word for food ordered in — the action of ordering is 叫外卖 or 点外卖.

verb
to provide takeout (of a restaurant)
noun
takeout mealdelivery food
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 外卖。
    Wǒ měi tiān zhōng wǔ dōu jiào wài mài.
    I order takeout every noon.
  • 外卖。
    Zhè jiā xiǎo diàn kě yǐ wài mài.
    This small restaurant can provide takeout.
  • 外卖。
    Nǐ jiào de wài mài dào le.
    The takeout you ordered has arrived.

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.

外wàioutside
卖màisell

外 means outside, and 卖 means to sell, giving food sold for eating away.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卜卜bǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
月
月yuè外wài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

Open 外 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 賣; 卖 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 賣 came from an older shape that joined 出 (go out) with 買 (buy), which gives the sound. The simplified 卖 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 卖 →
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