廉价

• Pinyin: lián jià
• Hanzi breakdown: 廉 = 广 + 兼 (frugal/restrained — shelter with moderation); 价 = 亻 + 介 (price — person mediating exchange)

Meaning

Cheap; low-priced; inexpensive. Refers to goods or services sold at a low price, often implying questionable quality or low perceived value.

Can be neutral (廉价航空 — budget airline) or negative (廉价感 — an air of cheapness). Contrasted with 昂贵 (expensive) and 高端 (high-end/premium). Frequently used in consumer product discussions, marketing, and social commentary. 廉价劳动力 (cheap labour) is a political economy term.

Examples

1. 廉价航空公司的兴起，使越来越多的普通消费者得以负担出行费用。 The rise of budget airlines has made travel affordable for more and more ordinary consumers.
2. 他购买了廉价的建筑材料，结果房屋质量存在严重隐患，最终酿成事故。 He bought cheap building materials, and as a result the house had serious safety risks and eventually an accident occurred.
3. 品牌形象一旦与廉价挂钩，就很难再通过营销手段重建其高端市场定位。 Once a brand’s image gets tied to being cheap, it’s hard to rebuild a high-end market position through marketing.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, consumer goods, economics, marketing

Tone: neutral/negative

Do Say

• 这家电商平台以廉价商品起家，通过规模效应逐渐发展成为行业领军企业。(This e-commerce platform started with cheap goods and gradually grew into an industry leader through economies of scale.)
• 过度追求廉价劳动力的生产模式，正面临来自工人权益保护方面的巨大压力。(The production model that excessively pursues cheap labour is facing enormous pressure from efforts to protect workers' rights.)

Don't Say

• 将'廉价'与'便宜'完全互换 — 便宜是中性的'价格低'，廉价则常带有'质量低劣'的负面含义，语境选词需谨慎

Origin & History

廉 (frugal/honest/low-priced) + 价 (price) — a price reflecting frugality or simplicity

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal