买 vs 卖

买 vs 卖: Buy vs Sell

Quick Summary

买 (mǎi) means "to buy"; 卖 (mài) means "to sell". Note the extra 十 on top of 卖.

买

mǎi

To buy, to purchase

买 + Object

卖

mài

To sell

卖 + Object

Detailed Breakdown

买

mǎi

To buy, to purchase

Grammar Pattern

买 + Object

Examples

  • 买东西

    mǎi dōngxi

    buy things / go shopping

  • 我想买这个

    wǒ xiǎng mǎi zhège

    I want to buy this

  • 买一送一

    mǎi yī sòng yī

    buy one get one free

View stroke order
卖

mài

To sell

Grammar Pattern

卖 + Object

Examples

  • 卖水果

    mài shuǐguǒ

    sell fruit

  • 这个多少钱？我要卖。

    zhège duōshao qián? wǒ yào mài.

    How much? I want to sell it.

  • 卖完了

    mài wán le

    sold out

View stroke order

Side-by-Side Comparison

Comparison of 买, 卖 - key differences
Aspect买卖
Meaningbuysell
Tone3rd tone (mǎi)4th tone (mài)
Top part乛 only十 + 乛
Money flowmoney goes OUTmoney comes IN

Memory Tips

  • 卖 has 十 (ten) on top - seller wants to get MORE (10x) money
  • 买 is simpler - buyer wants to pay LESS
  • mǎi (3rd tone) = BUY; mài (4th tone) = SELL - 4th tone is more forceful like a seller

Common Mistakes

我想卖这本书 (when meaning to buy)
我想买这本书

买 = buy (you pay), 卖 = sell (you receive payment)

这个商店卖很多东西 (when describing shopping)
这个商店卖很多东西 OR 我在这买很多东西

Store 卖 (sells), customer 买 (buys)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remember 买 vs 卖?

卖 (sell) has 十 on top - the seller wants TEN times more money. 买 (buy) has no 十 - the buyer wants to pay less. Also: mǎi (3rd tone, softer) = buy; mài (4th tone, forceful) = sell.

What is 买卖?

买卖 (mǎimài) means "business" or "trade" - combining both buying and selling into one word.

Related Comparisons

看见望

看 is active looking; 见 is perceiving/meeting; 望 is gazing into the distance or hoping.

己已巳

己 (jǐ) means "self"; 已 (yǐ) means "already"; 巳 (sì) is the 6th Earthly Branch (9-11am).

Practice Writing These Characters

Master stroke order with interactive animations and printable worksheets

Learn 买Learn 卖