Chinese word

摊

Pronunciation

Pinyintān

Meaning

  • nounstall

Example

夜市上有很多摊在卖小吃。yè shì shàng yǒu hěn duō tān zài mài xiǎo chī

There are many stalls selling snacks at the night market.

Illustration for 摊 (stall)

More examples

下雨时，路边的摊会收起来。xià yǔ shí lù biān de tān huì shōu qǐ lái

When it rains, the roadside stalls are packed up.

Core concept

A makeshift point where goods are spread out for passing customers, standing for the small business and sometimes its seller.

Common phrases

  • 路边摊lù biān tān

    roadside stall

  • 水果摊shuí guǒ tān

    fruit stall

  • 小吃摊xiǎo chī tān

    snack stall

Similar words

摊子tān zi: An informal roadside or night-market selling setup made from a simple table or open space.
小摊xiǎo tān: A small open-air stall selling a limited amount of goods.
摊位tān wèi: A stall or assigned spot for displaying goods at a market or event.
店铺diàn pù: A shop or store in a building where goods are sold.

Definition in Chinese

表示在街头或集市上临时设立、用作售货的简易摊位。biǎo shì zài jiē tóu huò jí shì shàng lín shí shè lì yòng zuò shòu huò de jiǎn yì tān wèi

Word origin

摊 (tān, "to spread out") comes from the idea of opening goods out for display, which developed into the name for a simple place of sale.

Usage tips

  • It commonly appears with verbs for opening and closing a business for the day, a useful clue that the word names an operating setup rather than a product.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word