Meaning of 买
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to buy
- to purchase
How to use 买
买 (mǎi) is the everyday verb for buying anything, from snacks to houses, and it usually takes an object directly. It pairs often with result words like 买到 (got it) or 买不起 (can't afford). 我想买一杯咖啡。 (Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì bēi kāfēi.) I want to buy a cup of coffee.
Think of the top of 买 (mǎi) as a hand reaching out and the bottom 头-like part as the goods you carry home. You reach out, pay, and take something with you: to buy.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 买 (mǎi, third tone, to buy) with 卖 (mài, fourth tone, to sell). The shapes differ only by the extra 十 on top of 卖, so check both the tone and that top piece.
买 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
买 mǎi · to buy · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 买.
| 购买 | gòumǎi | to purchase; to buy |
| 买卖 | mǎimai | to buy and sell |
| 收买 | shōumǎi | to purchase; to buy; to bribe; to buy off |
| 买不起 | mǎi bu qǐ | cannot afford; can't afford buying |
| 买下 | mǎixià | to purchase (sth expensive, e.g. a house); to acquire (a company, a copyright etc) |
| 买家 | mǎijiā | buyer; purchaser |
| 买单 | mǎidān | to pay the bill; to pick up the tab |
| 买票 | mǎipiào | to buy tickets; (Tw) to buy votes (in an election) |
| 买好 | mǎihǎo | to ingratiate oneself |
| 买主 | mǎizhǔ | customer |
| 买通 | mǎitōng | to bribe |
| 买菜 | mǎicài | to buy groceries |
Questions about 买
What does 买 mean?
买 (mǎi) means "to buy; to purchase" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 买?
买 is made of 1 character: 买 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 买 an HSK word?
Yes. 买 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 买 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 买 is written 買.
What is the difference between 买 and 购买?
买 (mǎi) is the normal spoken word for buying. 购买 (gòumǎi) means the same but sounds formal and appears in news, contracts, and signs.
Why is 买卖 pronounced mǎimai and what does it mean?
In 买卖 the second syllable is usually said in a light neutral tone, giving mǎimai. It means buying and selling, and in everyday speech it often means a business or a deal, as in 做买卖 (zuò mǎimai), to do business.