投机者 (tóu jī zhě) — speculator

Definition

A speculator — a person who buys and sells (stocks, property, commodities) aiming for quick profit rather than long-term value. Carries a negative tone: these people are seen as opportunistic, not as investors.

noun
speculator
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 投机者。
    Nà ge tóu jī zhě mǎi le hěn duō gǔ piào.
    That speculator bought a lot of stocks.
  • 投机者。
    tóu jī zhě Zǒng zài xún zhǎo kuài sù zhuàn qián de jī huì.
    Speculators are always looking for opportunities to make quick money.
  • 投机者。
    Zhè xiē tóu jī zhě bìng bù guān xīn gōng sī de cháng qī fā zhǎn.
    These speculators do not care about the long-term development of the company.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

投机speculate
投tóuthrow/seize机jīopportunity
动宾Verb + object
者zhěperson

投机 means to seize an opportunity or speculate, and 者 refers to a person, so the word names someone who speculates.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
殳
殳shū投tóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, and the right part 殳 gives the sound of the character.

Open 投 →

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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

The form 者 originally drew a sugarcane with full stems, small points around it, and an open smiling mouth at the bottom.

Open 者 →

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