商店
shop; store
shāngdiàn
What does 商店 mean?
商店 (shāngdiàn) is the general Chinese word for a 'shop' or 'store' — a small or medium retail business where things are sold. The compound combines 商 ('commerce') and 店 ('shop / inn'), giving a neutral, all-purpose label. In daily life, native speakers more often name the specific kind of store: 书店 (bookstore), 便利店 (convenience store), 商场 (shopping mall), 超市 (supermarket).
商店 itself is the unmarked term used in textbooks and signs. The measure word is 家 (jiā) — also used for restaurants, hotels, and companies. The verb 'go shopping' is 买东西 (mǎi dōngxi), literally 'buy things,' not 去商店.
Character breakdown
commerce; business; merchant
shop; store; inn
Memory hook: 商 (commerce) + 店 (shop) = a place of commerce, a shop.
Measure word for 商店
Example sentences
我去商店买东西。
Wǒ qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi.
I'm going to the store to buy some things.
spoken
商店几点开门？
Shāngdiàn jǐ diǎn kāi mén?
What time does the shop open?
spoken
这家商店很大。
Zhè jiā shāngdiàn hěn dà.
This store is very big.
neutral
商店里有很多人。
Shāngdiàn lǐ yǒu hěn duō rén.
There are a lot of people in the shop.
spoken
Common phrases with 商店
Synonyms
店 alone is the suffix used after a specific business type: 书店 bookstore, 饭店 restaurant, 花店 flower shop. 商店 is the standalone general word.
超市 is specifically a 'supermarket' — self-service, groceries, larger format. 商店 is a generic shop. Don't call a Walmart a 商店.
商场 is a larger shopping mall or department store with many vendors. 商店