‘Ròu diàn’ literally combines ‘ròu’ (meat) and ‘diàn’ (shop or store), meaning a shop that specializes in selling fresh meat—typically pork, beef, lamb, or poultry. It’s a common retail establishment in Chinese-speaking communities, often found in traditional markets or neighborhood commercial streets. Unlike Western supermarkets where meat is one section among many, a ròu diàn is dedicated exclusively to meat preparation and sale, frequently with butchers on-site cutting and packaging orders.

The word carries no special formality—it’s neutral in register and used in both spoken and written contexts. While ‘ròu pù’ (肉铺) is an older, slightly more colloquial synonym, ‘ròu diàn’ is the standard modern term taught in textbooks and used in signage. It may also appear in compound phrases like ‘ròu diàn zhǔrén’ (butcher shop owner) or ‘ròu diàn lǐ de shēngròu’ (fresh meat at the butcher shop).