Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

commerce; consult

Chinese: 商业、商量或商人。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “shang” becomes a different word in each tone. 商 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 商店shāng diànstore; shop
  • 商场shāng chǎngshopping mall; shopping center; department store; emporium
  • 商量shāng liangto consult; to talk over; to discuss
  • 商人shāng rénmerchant; businessman
  • 商业shāng yèbusiness; trade; commerce

Example Sentence

这条街上有很多商店。Zhè tiáo jiē shàng yǒu hěn duō shāng diàn.There are many shops on this street.

Zhèthistiáostrip街上jiē shàngon the streetyǒuto havehěnveryduōmany商店shāng diànstore

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

An old graph that came to mean ‘trade, commerce, business; a merchant, trader; to discuss, consult, confer; the quotient (in division); the Shang dynasty’ (商店, 商量, 商人).

A way to remember it

‘Trade / merchant / to discuss’: 商店 (shop), 商量 (discuss).