价格

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 价格 (jiàgé) for "price" is composed of two characters: 价 (jià) and 格 (gé). The character 价 originally meant "value" or "worth", and it is composed of two parts: 贝 (bèi), which represents a cowrie shell, and 加 (jiā), which means "to add". In ancient China, cowrie shells were used as currency, so the character 价 came to represent the value of goods. The character 格 originally meant "a standard" or "a rule", and it is composed of two parts: 木 (mù), which represents wood, and 各 (gè), which means "each". In ancient China, wooden sticks were used as measuring instruments, so the character 格 came to represent a standard or a rule. When the two characters 价 and 格 are combined, they form the word 价格, which means "price". The word 价格 is used to refer to the monetary value of goods or services.