商店
shāngdiàn/ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ti̯ɛn⁵¹/
The Chinese word for "store" is 商店 (shāngdiàn).
商店 is a general term that can refer to any type of retail establishment, from a small shop to a larger store.
Meaning: shop (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 商店 is the standard term for a store, 铺子 is a more colloquial and often smaller-scale way to refer to a shop or stall. For specific types of stores, you can use 书店 for a bookstore or 鞋店 for a shoe store.
Is it said differently in some regions?
店子 is a colloquial and informal way to refer to a store, commonly used in Northern China, particularly in Beijing.
How do you pronounce it?
shāngdiàn (/ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ti̯ɛn⁵¹/)
Did you know?
- The character 商 in 商店 originally referred to the 'Shang' dynasty. It later evolved to describe people who traded goods, eventually becoming the general term for 'commerce'.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the placement of a store's sign above the door is governed by 'Feng Shui' to attract wealth and avoid bad energy.
- In modern China, the word 店 is used for both a 'store' and a 'hotel'. Depending on the context, 店 could be a place to buy clothes or a place to sleep for the night.
Examples in context
- 让我去商店吧。Let me go to the store.This sentence is useful for expressing the intent to go to the store using 商店.Tatoeba #423152 by GlossaMatik, translation #423148 by CM
- 你和我去商店嗎？Are you coming to the store with me?This sentence is useful for asking someone to accompany you to the store using 商店.Tatoeba #13525766 by LeviHighway, translation #660451 by CK
- 这里以前有个商店。There used to be a store right here.This sentence is useful for describing the past existence of a store using 商店.Tatoeba #5983642 by verdastelo9604, translation #28358 by CK
- 我去商店买些东西。I'm going to the store to buy some things.
- 这家店铺的位置很好。This shop has a great location.
- 我知道一家好的小店子，你想去看看吗？I know a good little store, would you like to go check it out?
- 你好，请问有这个商品吗？Hello, do you have this item?
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are planning their weekend shopping trip.
- 伟 Wei这家商店很大。Zhè jiā shāngdiàn hěn dà.This store is very large.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen里面有很多东西。Lǐmiàn yǒu hěnduō dōngxī.There are many things inside.
- 伟 Wei我们进商店看看吧。Wǒmen jìn shāngdiàn kàn kàn ba.Let's go into the store and take a look.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，走吧。Hǎo de, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 商店, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
