shopping; to shop
HSK level
购物 is written with 16 strokes (购: 8, 物: 8). The animation replays automatically.
购物 (gòuwù) means 'to shop' or 'shopping' — the activity of buying goods.
It is a verb-object compound (literally 'purchase-things') that functions as a single intransitive verb: 我去购物 'I'm going shopping.' Because it already contains its own object 物 ('things'), you cannot add another object after it — you do not say '购物衣服'; to buy a specific item you use 买 (mǎi) instead: 买衣服. Two differences from English: first, 购物 is slightly formal and written, favored in advertising, mall signage, and app names (购物车 'shopping cart'), whereas everyday spoken Chinese prefers 买东西 (mǎi dōngxi, 'buy things').
Second, unlike English 'shop,' which can name a store, 购物 only means the act of shopping, never a shop (that is 商店). Register is neutral to slightly written.
Note: Slightly more formal/written than the casual 买东西. 购物 appears on signs, ads, and apps; 买东西 is what you say to a friend.
Character by character
Memory hook: 购 (purchase) + 物 (things) = purchasing things, i.e. shopping.
周末我喜欢去购物。
Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan qù gòuwù.
I like to go shopping on weekends.
neutral
现在很多人喜欢网上购物。
Xiànzài hěn duō rén xǐhuan wǎngshàng gòuwù.
Many people like online shopping now.
neutral
我们去购物中心逛逛吧。
Wǒmen qù gòuwù zhōngxīn guàngguang ba.
Let's go stroll around the shopping mall.
spoken
请把商品放进购物车。
Qǐng bǎ shāngpǐn fàngjìn gòuwù chē.
Please add the item to the shopping cart.
written
买东西 is the casual spoken way to say 'go shopping / buy things.' 购物 is more formal and written, common in ads and app interfaces. With a friend say 买东西; on a sign or in an essay use 购物.
Acquire it by listening
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