货 (huò) — goods, merchandise; commodity
Definition
货 is a noun for physical goods or merchandise, often used in commercial contexts like shipping, stocking, and pricing. 货 is a bound-ish root — in modern Chinese it usually appears in compounds (货物, 货运) rather than alone.
noun
goodsmerchandisecommodity
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
Examples
- 货。Zhè jiā diàn de huò hěn pián yi.The goods in this shop are very cheap.
- 货？Zhè xiē huò de jià gé zěn me yàng?How are the prices of these goods?
- 。Wǒ men míng tiān qù jìn huò.We are going to stock up on goods tomorrow.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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