拼音
- mài (fourth tone, falling)
to sell; to be on sale; to give one’s all to something
字形拆解
Ideographic description
⿱十买The sequence reads left to right and describes how the parts are arranged.
- 十shape partno entry yetWhat is left of 出 "to put out", which stood above 買 in the traditional 賣.
- 买meaning partTo buy. What is sold is what was bought and is now put out again.
Mnemonic
The Shuowen reads 賣 as 出 over 買: what was bought, put out again. Simplification kept 买 and shaved 出 down to the two strokes on top, so 卖 is 买 with a hat. Say it with a falling fourth tone and keep the third tone for buying — 我买, 他卖. 卖完了 means sold out.
A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.