货

• Pinyin: huò
• Hanzi breakdown: 货 = 化 (change, phonetic) + 贝 (shell/money) — valuable things for exchange or trade

Meaning

Goods; merchandise; cargo; commodity. Items for sale or trade.

A broad term for commercial products. Common collocations include 货物 (goods/cargo), 百货 (general merchandise), 发货 (dispatch goods), 收货 (receive goods), 到货 (goods arrive), and 假货 (counterfeit goods). Used extensively in commerce, logistics, and online shopping.

Examples

1. 这批货已经发出去了。 This batch of goods has already been dispatched.
2. 网上买东西要小心假货。 Be careful of counterfeit goods when shopping online.
3. 仓库里还有很多货没有卖出去。 There is still a lot of merchandise in the warehouse that hasn't been sold.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, shopping, logistics

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 这批货什么时候到？(When will this batch of goods arrive?)
• 这家店的货很齐全。(This shop has a complete range of goods.)

Don't Say

• 我是一个好货 (Don't use 货 to describe people in polite contexts — calling someone 货 is very rude and derogatory)

Origin & History

Composed of 化 (huà, to change, phonetic) + 贝 (bèi, shell/money) — items of value that can be exchanged, representing tradeable goods.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal