Onyomi: ショウ · Kunyomi: あきな.う · Meanings: dealing in, make a deal, merchant, selling
Kanji for dealing in, make a deal, merchant, selling
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商 is made from 立, meaning “to stand,” and 冏, which originally relates to a space or room. The image is of people standing and talking inside a place to discuss matters. From this idea of discussing and dealing with goods or money, 商 came to mean trade, business, or commerce.
People stand together and talk to make deals. That act of doing business is 商.
Imagine people standing in a shop discussing a deal. That business activity is 商.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 商 | しょう | quotient | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 商人 | しょうにん | merchant, trader, tradesman, dealer, shopkeeper | common JLPT-N3 JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 商品 | しょうひん | commodity, article of commerce, goods, stock, merchandise | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 商業 | しょうぎょう | commerce, trade, business | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 商社 | しょうしゃ | trading company | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 商売 | しょうばい | trade, business, commerce | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 商店 | しょうてん | shop, store, firm | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 商法 | しょうほう | business practice, business method, commerce | common Noun |
| 商店街 | しょうてんがい | shopping district, shopping street, downtown | common Noun |
| 商用 | しょうよう | business (engagement) | common Noun |