販 (fàn) - To peddle & to sell

販Tone 4

fàn ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

恩丰

販 · fàn

To peddle;

to sell;

to trade;

a peddler, vendor, or dealer (often in small-scale commerce).

To peddleto sellto trade

Usage highlights

Pedlar, vendorTo traffic, to sellDrug dealerHuman traffickingArms dealerFishmonger

Synonyms

  • 卖— to sell (more general term)
  • 商— merchant, businessperson (more formal)

Antonyms

  • 买— to buy
  • 购— to purchase

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He peddles goods on the street (贩卖商品).
  • The police arrested the drug dealer (毒贩).
  • This store sells fruit (贩卖水果).
  • He works as a small vendor (小贩).

Collocations

  • Pedlar, vendor(小贩)
  • To traffic, to sell(贩卖)
  • Drug dealer(毒贩)
  • Human trafficking(贩卖人口)
  • Arms dealer(军火贩)
  • Fishmonger(鱼贩)

Idioms

  • To travel around as a peddler(贩夫走卒)
  • Petty traders and traveling merchants(小商小贩)
  • War profiteer(战争贩子)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with itinerant merchants and small-scale traders in traditional Chinese markets.
  • Often carries connotations of small-scale, sometimes informal or disreputable trade.
  • In modern usage, frequently appears in compound words referring to illegal activities (e.g., 毒贩, 贩卖人口).

FAQ