贩枪 (fàn qiāng) — to traffic in firearms; to illegally sell guns

Definition

贩枪 is a fixed verb-object phrase meaning 'to traffic in firearms' — an organized, illegal activity, not casual selling. The 贩- verb pairs with weapons/contraband (e.g. 贩毒), while 卖枪 is the plain 'to sell guns'.

verb
to traffic in firearmsto illegally sell guns

Examples

  • 贩枪。
    Jǐng chá dài bǔ le yí gè fàn qiāng de tuán huǒ.
    The police arrested a gang that trafficked in firearms.
  • 贩枪。
    Tā yīn wèi fàn qiāng bèi pàn chǔ le shí nián yǒu qī tú xíng.
    He was sentenced to ten years in prison for trafficking firearms.
  • 贩枪。
    Zhè ge dì qū fàn qiāng de xiàn xiàng yuè lái yuè yán zhòng.
    The phenomenon of illegal gun sales in this region is becoming more and more serious.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

贩fàntraffic
枪qiānggun

贩 'traffic' with 枪 'guns' gives to traffic in firearms.

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 販; 贩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
反
反fǎn販fàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 販 combines 貝, a cowry shell, with 反 as a sound part; the simplified 贩 is a shorthand and its right side is not a historical component.

Open 贩 →

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 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 枪 →

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