Example sentences

xiǎngmǎishénme

What do you want to buy?

mǎilehěnduō

He bought a lot.

The story behind the character

The traditional 買 is a net on top and a 贝 (cowrie shell, the ancient currency) below. Scoop shells out with a net, and you've traded. Xu Shen wrote 买, 市也: "to trade." Every time you spend money, you're writing a net for scooping coins.

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