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消费者 (xiāo fèi zhě) — consumer

Definition

消费者 specifically means a 'consumer' — a person who buys and uses products. It is more narrow than 用户, which covers any user of a product, service, or system (including software users).

noun
consumer
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 消费者。
    Xiàn dài xiāo fèi zhě gèng kàn zhòng chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng.
    Modern consumers care more about product quality.
  • 消费者。
    Shāng jiā yīng gāi liǎo jiě xiāo fèi zhě de xū qiú.
    Businesses should understand consumer needs.
  • 消费者。
    Zhè xiē xiāo fèi zhě xuǎn zé le pián yi de shāng pǐn.
    These consumers chose cheap goods.

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.

消费consume
消xiāoconsume费fèispend
联合Coordinate
者zhěperson

消费 means to consume or spend, and 者 names a person, giving consumer.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →

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 費; 费 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
弗
弗fú費fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 費 has 貝, a cowry shell, and 弗, which gives a sound; the simplified 费 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 费 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Business & Commerce

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