折价 (zhé jià) — to mark down in price, to discount; to convert into money, to evaluate in monetary terms

Definition

A verb-object compound meaning to cut the price of something, typically when reselling, trading in, or settling a deal. Sense 2 ('evaluate in money') applies when an asset or item-in-kind is converted to a cash figure.

verb
to mark down in priceto discountto convert into moneyto evaluate in monetary terms

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè jiā diàn bǎ shāng pǐn zhé le jià.
    This store marked down the goods.
  • 折价。
    Zhè tào fáng zi zhé jià chū shòu.
    This house is sold at a discount.
  • 折价。
    Tā men jué dìng bǎ jiù jiā jù zhé jià mài diào.
    They decided to sell the old furniture at a reduced price.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

折zhéfold/discount
价jiàprice

折 can mean to fold or discount, and 价 is price, so the word means to reduce or value something by price.

Characters in this word

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

  • 屮𣏄𣏄a tree {{zh-m|*木}} cut in half
  • 斤斤jīnaxe

The shape originally showed an axe (斤) cutting a tree in half; in 折 the left part is now written as a hand.

Open 折 →

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
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè价jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

价 pairs 人 (person) with 介, which gives the sound.

Open 价 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.