百货商店 (bǎi huò shāng diàn) — department store | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

department store

Measure word · 家

Examples

百货商店。
Zhè jiā bǎi huò shāng diàn de dōng xī hěn quán.
This department store has a very complete selection of goods.
百货商店。
Zhōu mò wǒ men qù bǎi huò shāng diàn guàng jiē ba.
Let's go shopping at the department store this weekend.
百货商店。
Tā zài yì jiā bǎi huò shāng diàn zuò xiāo shòu jīng lǐ.
He works as a sales manager at a department store.

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.

百货general merchandise

百bǎivarious货huògoods

偏正Modifier + head

商店shop

商shāngbusiness店diànstore

偏正Modifier + head

百货 (general merchandise) modifies 商店 (shop), naming a shop that sells general merchandise.

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.

一白百

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

白

白bái百bǎi

Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

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 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

化貝貨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèishell, money

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

化huà貨huò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

广占店

Meaning part形符xíngfú

广广guǎnghouse built to depend on a cliff

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn店diàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

店 shows 广, a house built to depend on a cliff, and 占, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Shopping & Errands

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