挂牌 (guà pái) — to open for business (of a professional practice, e.g. doctor/lawyer); (of a company) to be listed / go public on a stock exchange

Definition

A separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to hang out a sign' — used for a professional opening their own practice (doctor, lawyer) or a company listing on a stock exchange. Splits as 挂牌 → 挂…牌 / 挂了牌.

verb
to open for business (of a professional practice, e.g. doctor/lawyer)(of a company) to be listed / go public on a stock exchange

Examples

  • 挂牌。
    Nà jiā lǜ shī shì wù suǒ míng nián guà pái.
    That law firm will set up shop next year.
  • 。
    Gōng sī qù nián zài nà sī dá kè guà le pái.
    The company listed on NASDAQ last year.
  • 。
    Zhè tào fáng guà le yì nián de pái hái méi mài chū qù.
    This house has been listed for a year and still hasn't sold.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

挂guàhang
牌páisign/board

'挂' hang and '牌' sign combine to mean hanging out a sign to open business.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掛; 挂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺘Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卦
卦guà掛guà
Same sound today

In the traditional form 掛, the hand part ⺘ and the sound part 卦 show hooking or hanging something with the hand; this form was originally a popular form of 挂.

Open 挂 →

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
片片piàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
卑
卑bēi牌pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

牌 puts 片, a flat piece, beside 卑, which gives the sound.

Open 牌 →

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