畅销书 (chàng xiāo shū) — bestseller (a book that sells in large quantities)

Definition

noun
bestseller (a book that sells in large quantities)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 畅销书
    Zhè běn chàng xiāo shū zài wǎng zhàn shàng pái míng dì yī.
    This bestseller ranks first on the website.
  • 畅销书
    Tā xiě le yì běn chàng xiāo shū, zhuàn le hěn duō qián.
    She wrote a bestseller and made a lot of money.
  • 畅销书
    Měi nián dōu yǒu hěn duō chàng xiāo shū chū bǎn.
    Every year many bestsellers are published.

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.

畅销sell smoothly
chàngsmoothlyxiāosell
偏正Modifier + head

畅销 (sell smoothly) and 书 (book) together mean a book that sells in large numbers.

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 暢; 畅 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 暢 combines 申 and 昜, with 昜 giving the sound; the simplified 畅 is a later shorthand.

Open 畅 →

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 銷; 销 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
xiàoxiāo
Same sound today

The traditional form 銷 pairs 金 (metal) with 肖 as a sound part; simplified 销 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not historical components.

Open 销 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
writing brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhěshū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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