市场经济 (shì chǎng jīng jì) — market economy

Definition

phrase
market economy

Examples

  • 市场经济。
    Zhōng guó cóng jì huà jīng jì zhuǎn xiàng shì chǎng jīng jì.
    China transitioned from a planned economy to a market economy.
  • 市场经济。
    shì chǎng jīng jì De hé xīn shì jià gé yóu shì chǎng jué dìng.
    The core of a market economy is that prices are determined by the market.
  • 市场经济。
    Hěn duō guó jiā dōu cǎi yòng le shì chǎng jīng jì mó shì.
    Many countries have adopted the market economy model.

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.

市场market
市shìmarket/trade场chǎngplace
偏正Modifier + head
经济economy
经jīngmanage济jìhelp
联合Coordinate

市场经济 layers 市场 (a place for trade) onto 经济 (the activity of managing resources), meaning an economy organized around markets.

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
兮兮xībustling
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī市shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form 市 pairs 兮, meaning bustling, with 之, the sound part.

Open 市 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 濟; 济 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí濟jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濟 pairs 水 (water) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 济 is a later shorthand.

Open 济 →

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