货源 (huò yuán) — source or supply of goods (for a business or vendor)

Definition

noun
source or supply of goods (for a business or vendor)

Examples

  • 货源,。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de huò yuán fēi cháng wěn dìng, bú yòng dān xīn quē huò.
    This company's supply of goods is very stable, so there's no need to worry about shortages.
  • 货源,。
    Tā men zhèng zài xún zhǎo xīn de huò yuán, yǐ jiàng dī chéng běn.
    They are looking for new sources of goods to reduce costs.
  • 货源,。
    Yóu yú huò yuán chōng zú, zhè jiā diàn de jià gé bǐ qí tā diàn dī.
    Due to an abundant supply of goods, this store's prices are lower than other 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.

货huògoods
源yuánsource

货源 puts 货, goods, with 源, a source, to mean where supplies come from.

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 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.

Open 货 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
原
原yuán源yuán
Same sound today

源 combines 水 (water) and 原 (origin): 水 points to water, and 原 gives the sound.

Open 源 →

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