超级市场 (chāo jí shì chǎng) — supermarket

Definition

noun
supermarket
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 超级市场
    Wǒ měi gè zhōu mò dōu qù chāo jí shì chǎng mǎi cài.
    I go to the supermarket every weekend to buy groceries.
  • 超级市场
    Xué xiào fù jìn yǒu yí gè chāo jí shì chǎng.
    There is a supermarket near the school.
  • 超级市场
    Zuó tiān wǎn shàng wǒ qù chāo jí shì chǎng mǎi le hěn duō dōng xī.
    Yesterday evening I went to the supermarket and bought a lot of things.

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.

超级super
chāosupergrade
偏正Modifier + head
市场market
shìmarketchǎngplace
偏正Modifier + head

超 and 级 give the idea of super, while 市 and 场 give the idea of market.

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
zǒurun
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhàochāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

超 pairs 走, meaning “run,” with 召, which gives the sound.

Open 超 →

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 級; 级 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

The traditional form 級 has 糹 (thread) and 及 as a sound part; its original sense was a sequence related to silk. The simplified 级 is a later shorthand.

Open 级 →

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
bustling
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhīshì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form 市 pairs 兮, meaning bustling, with 之, the sound part.

Open 市 →

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 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
earth
Sound part声符shēngfú
yángchǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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