n.
shop; store
商店
shop; store
A shop or retail store. A place where goods, fruit, and groceries are displayed on shelves for customers.
Common Usage & Traps
- 去商店 — go to a store
- 在商店 — at a store
- 商店里 — inside a store
- 一家商店 — a store, one store
- 开商店 — open or run a store
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我商店买东西我在商店买东西 / 我去商店买东西Chinese needs 在 before the place where the action happens, or 去 if the store is your destination.
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一个商店买东西在一个商店买东西 / 去一家商店买东西You cannot leave the place bare before the verb like English sometimes does. Add 在 or 去.
Do 去商店买东西 and 在商店买东西 mean the same thing?
No. 去 means you go there; 在 means the buying happens there.
去商店买东西 means you go to the store to buy something. 在商店买东西 means you are at the store and buy something there. Both are correct, but the camera angle is different. Use 去 when the trip matters. Use 在 when the action inside the store matters.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Going there to buy | 我去商店买东西。 | 我在商店买东西。 (if you mean the trip) |
| Buying inside the store | 我在商店买东西。 | 我去商店买东西。 (if you are already there) |
| Location word order | 我在商店买东西。 | 我买东西在商店。 |
Should I say 一个商店 or 一家商店?
一家商店 sounds more native for a shop; 一个商店 is understandable but generic.
Chinese shops usually get the measure word 家, like 一家商店 or 一家饭馆. 一个商店 is not broken, but it sounds like a plain package count. Use 一家商店 when you mean a shop as a business or a normal store. If you just mean stores in general, drop the measure phrase and say 商店.
“今天我在一个商店买东西。” (Today I'm shopping at a store.)
“今天我在一个商店买东西。” (Today I'm shopping at a store.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| A shop as business | 一家商店 | 一个商店 (sounds generic) |
| General store in speech | 去商店买东西。 | 去一个商店买东西。 (often extra) |
| Count one shop | 一家商店 | 一个商店 (less idiomatic) |
Can I drop 在 and just say 我商店买东西?
No. Use 在 for the place where the action happens.
If the store is where the action happens, 在 must come before the place. 我商店买东西 sounds broken to native ears. Say 我在商店买东西 if you are inside. Say 我去商店买东西 if the point is going there. Do not copy English word order where store can float without a marker.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Action inside store | 我在商店买东西。 | 我商店买东西。 |
| Going to store | 我去商店买东西。 | 我商店买东西。 |
| Location word order | 我在商店买东西。 | 我买东西在商店。 |
Appears in Stories 6 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This short story follows a simple shopping trip in Beijing. You will learn words for buying a phone in Chinese.
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在北京的一个 商店 ，我买了一个手机。
Join a family on a sweltering Beijing Sunday as a boy learns a funny lesson about playing outside in the summer heat. Perfect for HSK 1 learners.
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我和妈妈去那个 商店 买点喝的东西。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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苹果 商店 外边人很多，一半儿是北京大学的大学生。
Join a shopper on a quick trip to the store. You'll learn simple words for shopping and feelings in this easy-to-follow story.
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这个 商店 有很多东西。
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商店 人很多。
Shopping for fruit is a common daily task in China. Practice saying prices, counting items, and using simple shopping phrases while buying five apples for three yuan.
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今天我在一个 商店 买东西。
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这个 商店 有很多水果。
This is a short dialogue about a shopping trip. A woman buys many things, including food, drinks, furniture, and pet food, while her boyfriend reminds her not to overspend.
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今天我正在一个 商店 买东西。
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这个 商店 有很多东西，有吃的东西也有喝的东西。
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