賣Tone 4

mài ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

賣 · mài

To sell;

to trade;

to dispose of goods for money;

to betray for personal gain.

To sellto tradeto dispose of goods for money

Usage highlights

To sell goodsVendorTo auctionTo sell outTo peddleTo betray

Synonyms

售— To sell (more formal)
销— To market or distribute
鬻— To sell (literary, archaic)

Antonyms

买— To buy
购— To purchase

Usage & contexts

Examples

He sells vegetables at the market (卖菜).
The store is having a clearance sale (大甩卖).
She sold her old books online (卖书).
He would never sell out his friends (出卖朋友).

Collocations

To sell goods(卖货)
Vendor(卖主)
To auction(拍卖)
To sell out(卖完)
To peddle(叫卖)
To betray(出卖)

Idioms

Selling spears and shields — self-contradictory(自相矛盾)
Selling the dog-meat under the label of a sheep's head — misrepresentation(挂羊头卖狗肉)
Buying accolades and selling reputation — seeking fame(买誉卖名)
Selling one's official position and bartering for a noble rank — corruption(卖官鬻爵)

Cultural background

Historically associated with merchants and trade in traditional Chinese society, often viewed with some suspicion by Confucian scholars.
The character appears in many idioms warning against deception, betrayal, and unethical business practices.
In modern usage, retains negative connotations when used in contexts of betrayal (出卖) or showing off (卖弄).

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