小卖 (xiǎo mài) — small shop, convenience store, kiosk (selling snacks and daily necessities)

Definition

Usually appears as 小卖部 (xiǎomàibù), the small kiosk or convenience stand inside schools, offices, or residential compounds selling snacks and daily items.

noun
small shopconvenience storekiosk (selling snacks and daily necessities)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 小卖，。
    Xué xiào mén kǒu yǒu yì jiā xiǎo mài, fàng xué hòu xué shēng cháng qù mǎi líng shí.
    There is a small shop at the school gate; students often go to buy snacks after class.
  • 小卖，。
    Zhè ge xiǎo qū lǐ de xiǎo mài suī rán bú dà, dàn dōng xī hěn quán.
    Although the small shop in this neighborhood is not big, it has a wide variety of goods.
  • 小卖，。
    Tā tuì xiū hòu zài jiē jiǎo kāi le ge xiǎo mài, shēng yì hái bú cuò.
    After retiring, he opened a small shop on the street corner, and business is doing well.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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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