卖
to sell
mài
What does 卖 mean?
卖 (mài) is the verb 'to sell' — to give something to someone in exchange for money. Standard pattern: subject + 卖 + (price/object) + (给 someone). 'This shop sells fruit' = 这家店卖水果 (zhè jiā diàn mài shuǐguǒ). 'I sold my old phone' = 我卖了我的旧手机.
The most important pair to memorize: 卖 (mài, fourth tone) means 'to sell' while 买 (mǎi, third tone) means 'to buy.' The two characters look almost identical — 卖 is just 买 with an extra 十 on top — and the only audible difference is the tone. Native speakers learn the trick early: 卖 has more strokes because the seller has 'more' (the extra mark) — and the tone falls (going out, like goods leaving the store). Common compound: 卖完 (mài wán, 'sold out')
Character breakdown
to sell (买 'buy' with an extra 十 on top, suggesting goods going out)
Memory hook: 卖 = 买 ('buy') + 十 on top. Seller has more (the extra mark), and the tone falls — like money coming in and goods going out.
Example sentences
这个商店卖水果。
Zhège shāngdiàn mài shuǐguǒ.
This shop sells fruit.
neutral
对不起，今天的菜卖完了。
Duìbuqǐ, jīntiān de cài mài wán le.
Sorry, today's dishes are sold out.
spoken
他想把车卖给朋友。
Tā xiǎng bǎ chē mài gěi péngyou.
He wants to sell the car to a friend.
spoken
你们卖不卖牛奶？
Nǐmen mài bu mài niúnǎi?
Do you sell milk?
spoken
我们晚上叫外卖吧。
Wǒmen wǎnshang jiào wàimài ba.
Let's order takeout tonight.
spoken
Common phrases with 卖
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卖 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
出售 is the formal/written word for 'sell,' used on signs (出售中 'for sale'), in real estate listings, and in business contexts. 卖 is the everyday spoken verb.
销售 means 'sales' as a business activity or job role (销售员 'salesperson,' 销售部 'sales department'). 卖 is the action verb; 销售 is the corporate/commercial term.
Don't confuse 卖 with
买 (mǎi, third tone) is 'to buy' — the opposite of 卖 (mài, fourth tone) 'to sell.' The characters differ by one stroke (卖 has 十 on top) and the tones are opposite directions. This is the most-confused pair in HSK 1-2.
麦 (mài) means 'wheat' and appears in 麦当劳 (McDonald's). Same pronunciation as 卖 but completely different character and meaning.
买卖 (note: second syllable is neutral tone)
FAQ
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