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跳蚤市场 (tiào zǎo shì chǎng) — flea market

Definition

noun
flea market

Examples

  • 跳蚤市场。
    Zhōu mò wǒ dǎ suàn qù tiào zǎo shì chǎng guàng guàng.
    I plan to go to the flea market this weekend.
  • 跳蚤市场。
    Wǒ zài tiào zǎo shì chǎng mǎi le yí gè jiù xiàng jī.
    I bought an old camera at the flea market.
  • 跳蚤市场。
    Zhè ge tiào zǎo shì chǎng lǐ yǒu hěn duō yǒu qù de xiǎo wán yì r.
    This flea market has many interesting little trinkets.

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.

跳蚤flea
跳tiàojump蚤zǎoflea
偏正Modifier + head
市场market
市shìmarket场chǎngplace
偏正Modifier + head

跳蚤 means flea and 市场 means market, so 跳蚤市场 is a flea 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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
兆
兆zhào跳tiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跳 pairs 足 (foot) with 兆, which supplies the sound; the foot part shows the action is done with the feet.

Open 跳 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

蚤 pairs 虫 (insect) with 㕚 (claw), showing an insect that scratches.

Open 蚤 →

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
兮兮xībustling
Sound part声符shēngfú
之
之zhī市shì
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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
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 →
Appears in
Shopping & Errands

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