<p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/99/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">店</a>(shop; store; commercial establishment) is undoubtedly a business</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/316/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">馆</a>(1. public building for accommodation 2.public building for cultural activities  3.public building for certain services) may or may not be a business</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-10T20:49:00.817Z
2017-02-10T20:49:00.817Z
Tang Ho
<p>Supplement to Tang Ho's answer:
Note:
Sometimes you can't tell the meaning of a word from a single character consisting that word. So the following explanation is applied to a character:</p>

<p>店：originally mean warehouse in ancient time, now expand to "place sell goods or service", for example:  inn, shop, fair.</p>

<p>馆: Divided into two parts: left part is "餐", right part is "官". Guess it originally means an official place to provide meals and rest. 
Now it could be: </p>

<ol>
<li><p>accommodation for guests</p></li>
<li><p>live, reside (verb. Classical Chinese)</p></li>
<li><p>hotel</p></li>
<li><p>house</p></li>
<li><p>collection e.g. 馆藏</p></li>
<li><p>restaurant e.g. 馆子</p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-18T20:49:30.157Z
2017-04-18T20:49:30.157Z
Kevman
<p>I think your comment is right, although in my (admittedly) more colloquial Taiwanese-y Chinese, I would probably call it a 咖啡站 instead of a 咖啡館. However, a 店 is probably a store where you buy supplies related to the product. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-10T19:49:25.997Z
2017-02-10T19:49:25.997Z
phroureo
<p>i don't think there is a a difference. Technically, say 咖啡馆 is more oral, 咖啡店 is more literal. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-10T16:16:46.683Z
Could it be one is literally a store you purchase coffee and related products and one is where you sit and enjoy like a cafe?
Like 茶馆 or 茶店?
Josh Wyss
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-10T16:14:55.273Z
2017-02-10T16:14:55.273Z
user16399
<p>店:
1.商店，卖东西的铺子
杂货～|～铺|～员。</p>

<p>2.旅馆
住～|车马～|旅～。</p>

<p>馆：
1.供宾客、旅客居住的场所
宾～|旅～。</p>

<p>2.一个国家在另一个国家办理外交的人员办公的处所
大使～|领事～。</p>

<p>3.开展文化体育活动的场所
图书～|博物～|体育～|文化～。</p>

<p>4.某些服务行业店铺的名称 
饭～|茶～|理发～|照相～。
The first translation  of 店 sometimes has the same meaning of the last translation  of 馆 and the second translation  of 店 sometimes has the same translation of the first meaning of 馆。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-11T03:53:13.923Z
2017-02-11T03:53:13.923Z
Whhhhhhhhy
<p>There is difference between 店 and 馆. Actually, it is likely be the convention of Chinese expression.</p>

<p>茶馆: a place where you can drink tea.</p>

<p>茶店: a place where you can buy tea, usually called 茶叶店.</p>

<p>咖啡馆=咖啡店，旅馆=旅店，理发馆=理发店</p>

<p>but 饭馆≠饭店，酒馆≠酒店</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NF1z3.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NF1z3.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/9Jk9p.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9Jk9p.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-19T09:50:23.443Z
2017-04-19T09:50:23.443Z
Wol
<p>In class I remember my 老师 said there is a difference between 店 and 馆。
For example: 咖啡店 and 咖啡馆。In this context what is the difference?</p>

<difference>
What is the difference between 店 and 馆?
# What is the difference between 店 and 馆?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-10)

In class I remember my 老师 said there is a difference between 店 and 馆。
For example: 咖啡店 and 咖啡馆。In this context what is the difference?

**Tags:** difference


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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2017-04-19. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

There is difference between 店 and 馆. Actually, it is likely be the convention of Chinese expression.

茶馆: a place where you can drink tea.

茶店: a place where you can buy tea, usually called 茶叶店.

咖啡馆=咖啡店，旅馆=旅店，理发馆=理发店

but 饭馆≠饭店，酒馆≠酒店

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/NF1z3.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/NF1z3.jpg)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/9Jk9p.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/9Jk9p.jpg)


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### Answer by username_1 on 2017-02-10. Score: 2

[店](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/99/)(shop; store; commercial establishment) is undoubtedly a business

[馆](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/316/)(1. public building for accommodation 2.public building for cultural activities 3.public building for certain services) may or may not be a business


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-04-18. Score: 1

Supplement to username_1 Ho's answer:
Note:
Sometimes you can't tell the meaning of a word from a single character consisting that word. So the following explanation is applied to a character:

店：originally mean warehouse in ancient time, now expand to "place sell goods or service", for example: inn, shop, fair.

馆: Divided into two parts: left part is "餐", right part is "官". Guess it originally means an official place to provide meals and rest.
Now it could be:

1. accommodation for guests
2. live, reside (verb. Classical Chinese)
3. hotel
4. house
5. collection e.g. 馆藏
6. restaurant e.g. 馆子


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-02-10. Score: 1

I think your comment is right, although in my (admittedly) more colloquial Taiwanese-y Chinese, I would probably call it a 咖啡站 instead of a 咖啡館. However, a 店 is probably a store where you buy supplies related to the product.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-02-11. Score: 0

店:
1.商店，卖东西的铺子
杂货～|～铺|～员。

2.旅馆
住～|车马～|旅～。

馆：
1.供宾客、旅客居住的场所
宾～|旅～。

2.一个国家在另一个国家办理外交的人员办公的处所
大使～|领事～。

3.开展文化体育活动的场所
图书～|博物～|体育～|文化～。

4.某些服务行业店铺的名称
饭～|茶～|理发～|照相～。
The first translation of 店 sometimes has the same meaning of the last translation of 馆 and the second translation of 店 sometimes has the same translation of the first meaning of 馆。


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-02-10. Score: -2

i don't think there is a a difference. Technically, say 咖啡馆 is more oral, 咖啡店 is more literal.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Could it be one is literally a store you purchase coffee and related products and one is where you sit and enjoy like a cafe? Like 茶馆 or 茶店?  

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