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退货 (tuì huò) — to return merchandise (to a store or seller)

Definition

退 (return) + 货 (goods). A separable verb meaning to return purchased goods to a seller, usually for a refund or exchange. Insert other short words between 退 and 货 (e.g., 退回货物, 退了一次货).

verb
to return merchandise (to a store or seller)

Examples

  • ，。
    Wǒ zuó tiān tuì le yí cì huò, yīn wèi yī fu tài xiǎo le.
    I returned the merchandise once yesterday because the clothes were too small.
  • ，退货。
    Rú guǒ shāng pǐn yǒu zhì liàng wèn tí, nǐ kě yǐ suí shí tuì huò.
    If the product has a quality issue, you can return it at any time.
  • 退货。
    Zhè ge shāng diàn de tuì huò zhèng cè hěn fāng biàn.
    This store's return policy is very convenient.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

退tuìreturn
货huògoods

退 names returning, and 货 names goods, so together they mean to return merchandise.

Characters in this word

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

  • 皀皀jífood vessel
  • 夊夊suīdownward foot

退 originally showed 皀, a food vessel, with 夊, a downward foot, for leaving the table after eating. In modern 退, the vessel part 皀 changed into an unrelated shape.

Open 退 →

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 →
Appears in
Shopping & Errands

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