v.
To exchange goods or services for money. To sell out (betray), show off, or put in effort (卖力). Ten (十) items on top of "buy" (买) — offer them for sale.
卖
Common Usage & Traps
- 卖东西 — to sell things
- 卖水果 — to sell fruit
- 卖书 — to sell books
- 卖衣服 — to sell clothes
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卖一个东西卖东西Adding 一个 sounds like you are selling exactly one item. 卖东西 is the natural generic phrase for selling stuff.
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我卖书在商店我在商店卖书Chinese puts the place before the verb in a simple sentence. 我卖书在商店 sounds like you forgot where the store goes.
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卖东西我我卖东西The person doing the action comes first. 卖东西我 sounds like Yoda talk.
买 vs 卖: How to remember which one is buy and which is sell?
卖 (mài) has a 十 (price tag) on top because you put a price tag on goods to sell them.
买 (mǎi) has no price tag because you take goods in. 卖 gives away, 买 takes home. Mix them up and you become the seller when you meant buyer.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Price tag | 卖 has 十 on top | 买 has no 十 |
| Direction | 卖 gives away | 买 takes home |
| You want to sell | 卖 (mài) | 买 (mǎi) |
| You want to buy | 买 (mǎi) | 卖 (mài) |
Can you just say 卖 to a shop owner and point at what you want?
No. 卖 means sell, so shouting it to a shop owner makes you the seller.
The shop owner sells and you buy. If you point and say 卖, you sound like you are offering your own stuff. To ask a price, say 这个怎么卖, which means how much for this. That uses 卖 because you ask how the seller sells it.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Asking price | 这个怎么卖？ | 卖！(pointing) |
| Who sells | Shop owner 卖 | You 卖 to shop owner |
| Who buys | You 买 | You 卖 when you want to buy |
| Full request | 我要买这个 | 我要卖这个 (unless you really sell) |
Why does 卖东西 mean sell things but 买东西 mean buy things?
Because 卖 is the seller's verb and 买 is the buyer's verb; 东西 just means stuff.
东西 does not tell you the direction of the deal. The verb tells you who gets the goods. A shop 卖东西, and you 买东西. If you say 我卖东西, you sound like you are running a stall.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Shop action | 商店卖东西 | 商店买东西 (unless buying stock) |
| Your action | 我买东西 | 我卖东西 (unless selling) |
| Shopping phrase | 我去买东西 | 我去卖东西 |
| What moves | 东西 leaves the shop | 东西 comes home with you |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
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昨天 卖 了我的车。
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
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卖 了六只小狗，四百零九元钱。
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