摊位 (tān wèi) — stall, booth, stand (for selling goods)

Definition

noun
stallboothstand (for selling goods)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 摊位。
    Tā zài shì chǎng zū le yí gè tān wèi mài shuǐ guǒ.
    He rented a stall at the market to sell fruit.
  • 摊位,。
    Zhè ge tān wèi de shēng yì tè bié hǎo, měi tiān dōu pái cháng duì.
    This stall's business is especially good; there's a long line every day.
  • 摊位,。
    Yè shì shàng yǒu jǐ bǎi gè tān wèi, mài gè zhǒng xiǎo chī hé shǒu gōng yì pǐn.
    There are hundreds of stalls at the night market, selling all kinds of snacks and handicrafts.

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.

摊tānstall
位wèiposition

The 摊 of a stall describes the 位, giving a selling position.

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 攤; 摊 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
難
難nán攤tān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 攤 uses 手 (hand) and 難 for sound.

Open 摊 →

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rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì位wèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

位 combines 人 (man), related to people, with 立, which gives the sound. It was often simply written as 立.

Open 位 →

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