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小卖部 (xiǎo mài bù) — (place word) small shop, snack bar, or retail counter inside a school, workplace, theater, etc.

Definition

小卖部 is a small shop or counter inside a larger place — a school, office building, or theater — selling snacks, drinks, and everyday items. It is the counter/concession, not a standalone street shop.

noun
(place word) small shop, snack bar, or retail counter inside a school, workplace, theater, etc.
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 小卖部。
    Wǒ men xué xiào de xiǎo mài bù xià kè de shí hou hěn rè nao.
    The small shop at our school gets very lively during break time.
  • 小卖部。
    Qù xiǎo mài bù mǎi yì píng shuǐ bā.
    Let's go to the small shop and buy a bottle of water.
  • 小卖部。
    Jù yuàn lǐ de xiǎo mài bù mài bào mǐ huā hé yǐn liào.
    The snack counter in the theater sells popcorn and drinks.

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.

小卖small-scale selling
小xiǎosmall卖màisell
偏正Modifier + head
部bùdepartment

Small-scale 卖 names the 部 that serves snacks or goods.

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 →

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
邑邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu部bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →
Appears in
Buildings & StructuresShopping & Errands

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