直销 (zhí xiāo) — to sell directly, to engage in direct selling without intermediaries

Definition

直销 (zhíxiāo) is 'direct selling' — a business model where the manufacturer sells to the customer with no middleman, often via catalogs, websites, or in-person reps. It functions as both a verb and a noun (直销模式 'direct-sales model').

verb
to sell directly, to engage in direct selling without intermediaries

Examples

  • 直销。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zhí xiāo diàn zǐ chǎn pǐn.
    This company sells electronic products directly.
  • 直销。
    Tā men tōng guò zhí xiāo mó shì lái jiàng dī chéng běn.
    They use a direct selling model to reduce costs.
  • 直销，。
    Zhè zhǒng chǎn pǐn zhǐ néng zhí xiāo, bù néng zài shāng diàn mǎi dào.
    This product can only be sold directly; you can't buy it in stores.

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.

直zhídirect
销xiāosell

直 and 销 combine to mean selling directly without intermediaries.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The earliest form of 直 pairs 目, an eye, with an unclear stroke 丨.

Open 直 →

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
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào銷xiāo
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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.