市场

• Pinyin: shì chǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 市 = 亠 (lid) + 巾 (cloth), originally depicting a market cloth; 场 = 土 (earth) + 昜 (sun rising, phonetic)

Meaning

Market; marketplace. Refers to both physical markets where goods are sold and abstract markets in economics and business.

In everyday life, 市场 can mean a physical market or bazaar. In business and economics, it refers to a market in the abstract sense (e.g. 房地产市场 'real estate market'). Very common in news and business contexts.

Examples

1. 这个城市的市场里什么都有卖的。 You can find everything for sale in this city's market.
2. 中国的手机市场竞争很激烈。 China's mobile phone market is very competitive.
3. 妈妈每天早上去市场买菜。 Mom goes to the market to buy vegetables every morning.

Usage Guide

Context: business, everyday, economics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个产品在市场上很受欢迎。(This product is very popular on the market.)
• 附近有一个很大的市场。(There is a big market nearby.)

Don't Say

• 我去市场看电影。(Don't confuse 市场 with 商场 (shopping mall) — 市场 is for markets and trading, not entertainment venues.)

Origin & History

市 means 'city' or 'market' and 场 means 'ground' or 'field'. Together they describe a designated place for commercial trading.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal