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March 24, 2026
店diàn(dian4)
店 (diàn) refers to a shop or store where goods are sold. It can also refer to an inn or hotel, emphasizing its role as a place of commerce or accommodation. This character is commonly used in various compound words, making it a key term in everyday shopping and hospitality contexts.
Strokes8Radical广Frequency#732DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In China, 店 often reflects the importance of local markets and shops in daily life, where personal service and community interactions are valued. Traditional street markets still thrive, showcasing a blend of historical and modern retail practices.
Memory Tip
Imagine a small shop (店) where a 'dear' (sounds like 'di') friend serves you tea. The character has a roof (宀) that suggests shelter, representing both the protective nature of a store and an inn.
Meanings of 店
diàn(dian4)
1inn
2shop
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 店
店Simplified
8Strokes
广Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#732Frequency Rank
家Measure Word
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL2YCTL3HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 店
Podcast: 店
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AI Study Notes for 店
Quick Contrast
超市 (chāoshì) vs 商店 (shāngdiàn) — use 店 for general shops or stores, while 超市 specifically refers to supermarkets, and 商店 emphasizes smaller or specialized shops.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 店 with other similar characters like 商 (shāng), which specifically means commerce or business. 店 is generally informal, but can be used in both everyday conversation and more formal contexts. Common collocations include '书店' (shūdiàn - bookstore) and '饭店' (fàndiàn - restaurant).
HSK Study Tips
While 店 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects well with HSK 1 and 2 words related to everyday life, such as '买' (mǎi - to buy) and '东西' (dōngxi - things). Focus on its usage in shopping contexts to enhance vocabulary retention.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 店 with the character for 'office' (办公室 - bàngōngshì) due to similar structure. Remember, 店 specifically means shop or store, while 办公室 refers to a workspace.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 店
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Phonosemantic compound. 广 represents the meaning and 占 represents the sound.
1The meaning half广 carries the sense.
2The sound half占 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaybuilding
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 店? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 店?
Decomposition of 店
IDS Structure⿸广占
店Full Character
=
广Guang3
enclosing
占zhan1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 店?
How to say inn in Chinese
“inn” in Chinese is店diàn
店 (diàn) refers to a shop or store where goods are sold. It can also refer to an inn or hotel, emphasizing its role as a place of commerce or accommodation. This character is commonly used in various compound words, making it a key term in everyday shopping and hospitality contexts.
When to use 店
Be careful not to confuse 店 with other similar characters like 商 (shāng), which specifically means commerce or business. 店 is generally informal, but can be used in both everyday conversation and more formal contexts. Common collocations include '书店' (shūdiàn - bookstore) and '饭店' (fàndiàn - restaurant).
店 or something close to it
超市 (chāoshì) vs 商店 (shāngdiàn) — use 店 for general shops or stores, while 超市 specifically refers to supermarkets, and 商店 emphasizes smaller or specialized shops.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 店 with the character for 'office' (办公室 - bàngōngshì) due to similar structure. Remember, 店 specifically means shop or store, while 办公室 refers to a workspace.
Write 店
店
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Practice writing 店 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 店
店 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
