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起价 (qǐ jià) — base price, starting price (e.g., at an auction or in negotiations)

Definition

起价 is the floor price set before bidding or negotiation begins — the lowest the seller will accept, not the final sale price. Common in auctions, real estate, and product pricing.

noun
base pricestarting price (e.g., at an auction or in negotiations)

Examples

  • 起价100。
    Zhè tào fáng zi de qǐ jià shì 100 wàn.
    The starting price for this house is one million.
  • ，起价。
    Pāi mài huì shàng, qǐ jià dìng dé hěn hé lǐ.
    At the auction, the base price was set very reasonably.
  • 起价。
    Wǒ men xū yào xiān què dìng chǎn pǐn de qǐ jià.
    We need to determine the base price of the product first.

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.

起qǐstart
价jiàprice

起 'start' and 价 'price' combine to mean the starting or base price.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè价jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

价 pairs 人 (person) with 介, which gives the sound.

Open 价 →
Appears in
Money & Currency

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