Meaning
to sell
Chinese: 出售、卖出。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “mai” becomes a different word in each tone. 卖 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 外卖wài mài(of a restaurant) to provide a takeout or home delivery meal; takeout (business); takeout (meal)
- 买卖mǎi màito buy and sell
- 出卖chū màito offer for sale; to sell; to sell out; to betray
- 贩卖fàn màito sell; to peddle; to traffic
- 拍卖pāi màito auction; auction sale; to sell at a reduced price
Example Sentence
这家店专门卖文具。Zhè jiā diàn zhuān mén mài wén jù.This shop specializes in selling stationery.
这Zhèthis家jiāhome店diàninn专zhuānfocused on one thing门ménway to do sth卖màito sell文具wén jùstationery。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
买 (to buy) with an extra top element: to put goods out for others to buy. It means ‘to sell’. Simplified from 賣.
A way to remember it
Goods put out on top of 买 — to sell.
Easy to confuse with
- 买‘To buy’: the opposite — without the top element.