"Shòu piào" literally means "to sell tickets" — 售 (shòu) means "to sell," and 票 (piào) means "ticket." Together, they form a verb that refers to the act of selling admission or transportation tickets, typically at venues like train stations, cinemas, theaters, or tourist attractions. It emphasizes the commercial transaction aspect rather than just handing out tickets.

This word is commonly used in formal or service-oriented contexts: you’ll see it on signs (e.g., 售票处 — 'ticket office'), in announcements ('售票时间已结束' — 'Ticket sales have ended'), or when describing staff duties ('她负责售票' — 'She handles ticket sales'). While it can appear as a noun in compound nouns (e.g., 售票员 — 'ticket seller'), its core function is verbal. It’s not used for informal or personal ticket exchanges (e.g., giving a friend your spare concert ticket), which would use other expressions like 转让 or 送.