Definition
柜台 (guì tái) refers to any sales counter or front desk where customers are served, whether in a shop, hotel, or bank. The sibling 前台 (qián tái) specifically means the reception desk of a hotel/office, while 专柜 (zhuān guì) is a dedicated counter for a particular brand or product (e.g., a cosmetics counter). Unlike either, 柜台 can also be used attributively to mean 'over-the-counter' (OTC) for medicines.
noun
sales counterfront deskbar (a long table or surface for serving customers)(attributive) over-the-counter (of medicines, used in compounds like 柜台药)
Examples
- 柜台，。Tā zài guì tái fù le qián, ná zhe dōngxi zǒu le.She paid at the counter and left with the items.
- ，柜台。Nín hǎo, rùzhù shǒuxù qǐng dào guì tái bànlǐ.Hello, please go to the front desk to check in.
- 柜台，。Zhè zhǒng gǎnmào yào shì guì tái yào, bù xūyào yīshēng chǔfāng.This cold medicine is an over-the-counter drug; no prescription is needed.
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