品

• Pinyin: pǐn
• Hanzi breakdown: 品 = three 口 (mouths), products/items (things to be discussed/evaluated)

Meaning

Product; article; item. A suffix indicating a type of product or article.

As a suffix, creates compound nouns for various types of products: 工艺品 (handicraft), 食品 (food products), 产品 (products), 作品 (works), 商品 (commodities), 药品 (medicine), 化妆品 (cosmetics). Very productive word-formation element.

Examples

1. 这家店卖各种手工艺品。 This store sells various handicrafts.
2. 食品安全是人们最关心的问题之一。 Food safety is one of the issues people care about most.
3. 她收藏了很多艺术品。 She has collected many artworks.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, categorization, industry

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这是本地的特色产品。(This is a local specialty product.)
• 化妆品要选适合自己肤质的。(Choose cosmetics that suit your skin type.)

Don't Say

• 给我一品水。(品 is a suffix, not a measure word — say 一瓶水)

Origin & History

Three mouths (口) — original meaning to evaluate, extended to things being evaluated/categorized (products).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal