The Chinese word 市场 (shìchǎng), meaning "market", is formed by combining two meaningful characters. The first character, 市 (shì), originally depicted a town or settlement with a central trading area, conveying the idea of a place of commerce. The second character, 场 (chǎng), signifies an open, level ground or a venue for gathering. When fused, these components visually and conceptually create the idea of a "trading ground" or a "commerce venue", directly illustrating a physical or conceptual space where buying and selling activities occur.