# 賣

| 賣 | U+8CE3, &#36067; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8CE3 |
| ← 賢 [U+8CE2] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 賤 → [U+8CE4] |

## Translingual

| Traditional | 賣 |
| Shinjitai | 売 |
| Simplified | 卖 |

### Han character

賣 (Kangxi radical 154, 貝+8, 15 strokes, cangjie input 土田中金 (GWLC), four-corner 4080$_6$, composition ⿱士買)

#### Derived characters

* 儥 凟 嬻 瀆 䢱 櫝 殰 牘 犢 瓄 䄣 襩 續 讀 豄 𮋿 贖 贕 鑟 韇 韥 黷 皾 𧸝 覿 藚 竇 匵

#### Descendants

* 売 卖

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1209, character 33
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 36825
* Dae Jaweon: page 1675, character 2
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3645, character 7
* Unihan data for U+8CE3

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 賣 :
| Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 買 | *mreːʔ |
| 蕒 | *mreːʔ |
| 嘪 | *mreːʔ |
| 鷶 | *mreːʔ |
| 賣 | *mreːs |
Originally 𧷓, an ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *mreːs): semantic 出 (“go out”) + phonetic 買 (OC *mreːʔ, “buy”).
出, which indicates exoactive semantics (Sagart, 1999), was eventually reduced to the etymologically unrelated 士.
Unrelated to 𧶠, which is used as a phonetic component in a number of characters.

### Etymology 1

Exoactive of 買 (OC *mreːʔ, “to buy”) (Sagart, 1995; Schuessler, 2007; Baxter and Sagart, 2014), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g/m/s-laj ~ *r/s-lej ~ *b-rej (“to buy; to barter”); see there for more.
* This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Isn't the -s suffix in Old Chinese a causative / transitivizing element? In which case, /*mˤrajʔ-s/ "to sell" = /*mˤrajʔ/ "to buy" + /-s/ "to cause to do" → "to make someone buy", which makes sense both semantically and derivationally.”

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): mài (mai$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄇㄞˋ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): mai$^4$
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): мэ (me, III)
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): maai$^6$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): mai$^5$
* Gan (Wiktionary): mai$^5$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): mai
    (Hailu, HRS): mai$^˖$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): mai$^4$
* Jin (Wiktionary): mai$^3$
* Northern Min (KCR): māi
* Eastern Min (BUC): mâ̤ / mâi
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): bōe / bē / bǒe / māi
    (Teochew, Peng'im): bhoi$^7$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$ma
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): mai$^4$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: mài
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄞˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: mài
*** Wade–Giles: mai$^4$
*** Yale: mài
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: may
*** Palladius: май (maj)
*** Sinological IPA : /maɪ̯⁵¹/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: mai$^4$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: mai
*** Sinological IPA : /mai²¹³/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: мэ (me, III)
*** Sinological IPA : /mɛ⁴⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: maai$^6$
*** Yale: maaih
*** Cantonese Pinyin: maai$^6$
*** Guangdong Romanization: mai$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /maːi̯²²/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: mai$^5$
*** Sinological IPA : /ᵐbai³²/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: mai$^5$
*** Sinological IPA : /mai¹¹/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mai
*** Hakka Romanization System: mai
*** Hagfa Pinyim: mai$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /mai̯⁵⁵/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: mai$^˖$
*** Sinological IPA: /mai³³/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: mai$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /maɪ⁵³/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: mai$^3$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /mai⁴⁵/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: māi
*** Sinological IPA : /mai⁵⁵/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: mâ̤ / mâi
*** Sinological IPA : /mɑ²⁴²/, /mɑi²⁴²/
* mâ̤ - vernacular;
* mâi - literary.
* Middle Chinese: meaH
Rime :
| Character | 賣 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) |
| Final (韻) | 佳 (31) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | II |
| Fanqie | 莫懈切 |
| Baxter | meaH |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /mˠɛ$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /mᵚæ$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /mæi$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /maɨj$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /mɛ$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /mai$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /mai$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | mài |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | maai$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*mˤrajʔ-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*mreːs/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 賣 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | mài |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ mea$^H$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*mˁrajʔ-s/ |
| English | sell |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 賣 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 8731 |
| Phonetic component | 買 |
| Rime group | 支 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 賣 |
| Old Chinese | /*mreːs/ |

#### Definitions

賣
* to sell
    賣完／卖完 ― màiwán ― to sell out
    這本書不賣。／这本书不卖。 ― Zhè běn shū bù mài. ― This book is not for sale.
       Tāmen zài jíshì mài shūcài hé jīdàn. [Pinyin]
       They sell vegetables and eggs in the marketplace.
    越賣越貴／越卖越贵 [Cantonese] ― jyut$^6$ maai$^6$ jyut$^6$ gwai$^3$ [Jyutping] ― the more it sells, the more expensive it grows
* to betray; to sell out
    出賣／出卖 ― chūmài ― to betray
    賣國／卖国 ― màiguó ― to betray one's country
    賣友求榮／卖友求荣 ― màiyǒuqiúróng ― to betray someone to obtain promotion
       Zhège wángbadàn jūrán bǎ wǒ gěi mài le! [Pinyin]
       The bastard unexpectedly sold me out!
    From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE
    Zhōu yǐ Cháng Hóng wèi mài Zhōu yě, nǎi zhū Cháng Hóng ér shā zhī. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Chǔjiù miù yuē: “Xiǎorén zāi Chéng Yīng! Xī Xiàgōng zhī nàn bùnéng sǐ, yǔ wǒ móu nì Zhào Shì gū'ér, jīn yòu mài wǒ. Zòng bùnéng lì, ér rěn mài zhī hū!” [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    From: 1933, Cao Yu, 《雷雨》 [Thunderstorm]
    Zhè sān ge méiyǒu gǔtou de dōngxi! Tāmen bǎ kuàng shàng de gōngrén mài le. Hēng, nǐmen zhèxiē bùyàoliǎn de dǒngshìcháng, nǐmen de qián zhècì yòu líng le. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
* to spare no effort; to do one's best
* to show off
    賣弄／卖弄 ― màinòng ― to show off
    賣功／卖功 ― màigōng ― to show off one's merit
* (Cantonese, of the media) to publish (a piece of news)
       kam$^4$ jat$^6$ bou$^3$ zi$^2$ mou$^5$ maai$^6$ nei$^1$ daan$^1$ san$^1$ man$^{4-2}$ ge$^2$? [Jyutping]
       Why didn't newspaper publish this piece of news yesterday?

##### Synonyms

* (to sell):
* 出售 (chūshòu)
* 出賣 / 出卖 (chūmài)
* 售 (shòu)
* 售出 (shòuchū)
* 售賣 / 售卖 (shòumài)
* 經銷 / 经销 (jīngxiāo) (to sell on consignment)
* 賣出 / 卖出 (màichū)
* 銷 / 销 (xiāo)
* 銷售 / 销售 (xiāoshòu)
* 鬻 (Classical Chinese)

##### Antonyms

* 買／买 (mǎi)

#### Compounds

* 一賣 / 一卖
* 倚老賣老 / 倚老卖老 (yǐlǎomàilǎo)
* 倒賣 / 倒卖 (dǎomài)
* 倚門賣俏 / 倚门卖俏
* 倚門賣笑 / 倚门卖笑
* 做買賣 / 做买卖 (zuò mǎimài)
* 公賣 / 公卖
* 公賣利益 / 公卖利益
* 公賣局 / 公卖局
* 典賣 / 典卖
* 典身賣命 / 典身卖命
* 出賣 / 出卖 (chūmài)
* 分香賣履 / 分香卖履
* 叫賣 / 叫卖 (jiàomài)
* 單賣 / 单卖
* 均買均賣 / 均买均卖
* 外賣 / 外卖 (wàimài)
* 大俗賣 / 大俗卖
* 大拍賣 / 大拍卖
* 好買賣 / 好买卖
* 官賣 / 官卖
* 寄賣 / 寄卖
* 專賣 / 专卖 (zhuānmài)
* 專賣店 / 专卖店 (zhuānmàidiàn)
* 專賣憑證 / 专卖凭证
* 專賣權 / 专卖权
* 小本買賣 / 小本买卖
* 小買賣 / 小买卖
* 小賣 / 小卖 (xiǎomài)
* 小賣部 / 小卖部 (xiǎomàibù)
* 居賣 / 居卖
* 展賣 / 展卖 (zhǎnmài)
* 常賣 / 常卖
* 得錢賣放 / 得钱卖放
* 成都賣卜 / 成都卖卜
* 抓乖賣俏 / 抓乖卖俏
* 投機買賣 / 投机买卖
* 折賣 / 折卖
* 把賣 / 把卖
* 拉買賣 / 拉买卖
* 拍賣 / 拍卖 (pāimài)
* 拐賣 / 拐卖 (guǎimài)
* 拆賣 / 拆卖 (chāimài)
* 指山賣磨 / 指山卖磨
* 揀啊揀，揀著一個賣龍眼 / 揀啊揀，揀著一个賣龍眼 / 拣啊拣，拣着一个卖龙眼 (kéng--ah kéng, kéng-tio̍h chi̍t ê bē lêng-géng) (Hokkien)
* 搭賣 / 搭卖
* 撒嬌賣俏 / 撒娇卖俏
* 撲賣 / 扑卖
* 擺賣 / 摆卖
* 斥賣 / 斥卖 (chìmài)
* 楊志賣刀 / 杨志卖刀
* 標賣 / 标卖 (biāomài)
* 炒賣 / 炒卖
* 熱賣 / 热卖
* 燒賣 / 烧卖 (shāomài)
* 特別賣力 / 特别卖力
* 特賣 / 特卖 (tèmài)
* 特賣活動 / 特卖活动
* 現買現賣 / 现买现卖
* 現賣 / 现卖
* 略賣 / 略卖
* 發賣 / 发卖 (fāmài)
* 盜賣 / 盗卖 (dàomài)
* 直賣店 / 直卖店
* 砸鍋賣鐵 / 砸锅卖铁 (záguōmàitiě)
* 私房買賣 / 私房买卖
* 糶風賣雨 / 粜风卖雨
* 義賣 / 义卖 (yìmài)
* 老王賣瓜 / 老王卖瓜
* 背主賣友 / 背主卖友
* 臨敵賣陣 / 临敌卖阵
* 自賣自誇 / 自卖自夸
* 苦買賣 / 苦买卖
* 行奸賣俏
* 衒賣 / 衒卖
* 裝瘋賣傻 / 装疯卖傻 (zhuāngfēngmàishǎ)
* 討好賣乖 / 讨好卖乖
* 誇才賣智 / 夸才卖智
* 變賣 / 变卖 (biànmài)
* 販賣 / 贩卖 (fànmài)
* 販賣人口 / 贩卖人口
* 販賣機 / 贩卖机 (fànmàijī)
* 販賣部 / 贩卖部
* 買休賣休 / 买休卖休
* 買牛賣劍 / 买牛卖剑
* 買空賣空 / 买空卖空
* 買賣 / 买卖 (mǎimài)
* 買賣三兒 / 买卖三儿
* 買賣人 / 买卖人 (mǎimàirén)
* 買賣人口 / 买卖人口
* 買賣場 / 买卖场
* 買賣業 / 买卖业
* 買賣經 / 买卖经
* 賣不出去 / 卖不出去
* 賣不動 / 卖不动
* 賣串兒 / 卖串儿
* 賣主 / 卖主 (màizhǔ)
* 賣主求榮 / 卖主求荣
* 賣乖 / 卖乖 (màiguāi)
* 賣交 / 卖交
* 賣人情 / 卖人情
* 賣俏 / 卖俏
* 賣俏營奸 / 卖俏营奸
* 賣俏行姦 / 卖俏行奸
* 賣俏迎奸
* 賣倒 / 卖倒
* 賣個破綻 / 卖个破绽
* 賣價 / 卖价 (màijià)
* 賣兒鬻女 / 卖儿鬻女 (mài'éryùnǚ)
* 賣公營私 / 卖公营私
* 賣刀買牛 / 卖刀买牛
* 賣刀買犢 / 卖刀买犊
* 賣劍買牛 / 卖剑买牛
* 賣力 / 卖力 (màilì)
* 賣力氣 / 卖力气 (mài lìqi)
* 賣功 / 卖功 (màigōng)
* 賣勁 / 卖劲
* 賣動 / 卖动
* 賣務場 / 卖务场
* 賣卜 / 卖卜
* 賣卜測字 / 卖卜测字
* 賣卦 / 卖卦
* 賣友 / 卖友
* 賣友求榮 / 卖友求荣 (màiyǒuqiúróng)
* 賣口 / 卖口
* 賣名 / 卖名 (màimíng)
* 賣呆 / 卖呆
* 賣呆兒 / 卖呆儿
* 賣命 / 卖命 (màimìng)
* 賣唱 / 卖唱 (màichàng)
* 賣嘴 / 卖嘴 (màizuǐ)
* 賣嘴料舌 / 卖嘴料舌
* 賣嚷嚷兒 / 卖嚷嚷儿
* 賣國 / 卖国 (màiguó)
* 賣國求利 / 卖国求利
* 賣國求榮 / 卖国求荣 (màiguóqiúróng)
* 賣國賊 / 卖国贼 (màiguózéi)
* 賣場 / 卖场 (màichǎng)
* 賣報 / 卖报
* 賣大戶 / 卖大户
* 賣大號 / 卖大号
* 賣契 / 卖契
* 賣好 / 卖好
* 賣奸
* 賣妖嬈 / 卖妖娆
* 賣妻鬻子 / 卖妻鬻子
* 賣姦 / 卖奸
* 賣婆 / 卖婆
* 賣婚 / 卖婚
* 賣字 / 卖字
* 賣字號 / 卖字号
* 賣官 / 卖官 (màiguān)
* 賣官鬻爵 / 卖官鬻爵 (màiguān yù jué)
* 賣官鬻獄 / 卖官鬻狱
* 賣客 / 卖客
* 賣富 / 卖富
* 賣富差貧 / 卖富差贫
* 賣履 / 卖履
* 賣工夫 / 卖工夫
* 賣底 / 卖底
* 賣座 / 卖座 (màizuò)
* 賣庸 / 卖庸
* 賣弄 / 卖弄
* 賣弄玄虛 / 卖弄玄虚 (màinòngxuánxū)
* 賣恩 / 卖恩
* 賣惡 / 卖恶
* 賣手 / 卖手 (màishǒu)
* 賣撲 / 卖扑
* 賣放 / 卖放
* 賣文 / 卖文
* 賣文為活 / 卖文为活
* 賣斷 / 卖断
* 賣方 / 卖方 (màifāng)
* 賣春 / 卖春 (màichūn)
* 賣本事 / 卖本事
* 賣杖搖鈴 / 卖杖摇铃
* 賣李鑽核 / 卖李钻核
* 賣查梨 / 卖查梨
* 賣死勁 / 卖死劲
* 賣法 / 卖法
* 賣淫 / 卖淫 (màiyín)
* 賣爵贅子 / 卖爵赘子
* 賣爵鬻子 / 卖爵鬻子
* 賣狂 / 卖狂
* 賣狗懸羊 / 卖狗悬羊
* 賣狗皮膏藥 / 卖狗皮膏药
* 賣獃 / 卖呆
* 賣痴獃 / 卖痴呆
* 賣相 / 卖相 (màixiàng)
* 賣眼 / 卖眼
* 賣票 / 卖票
* 賣科 / 卖科
* 賣空 / 卖空 (màikōng)
* 賣空買空 / 卖空买空
* 賣笑 / 卖笑
* 賣笑追歡 / 卖笑追欢
* 賣絕 / 卖绝
* 賣老 / 卖老
* 賣胳臂 / 卖胳臂
* 賣腰的 / 卖腰的
* 賣膏藥的 / 卖膏药的
* 賣臉 / 卖脸
* 賣舌 / 卖舌
* 賣良姜 / 卖良姜
* 賣花 / 卖花
* 賣花錢 / 卖花钱
* 賣萌 / 卖萌 (màiméng)
* 賣蔥 / 卖葱
* 賣藝 / 卖艺 (màiyì)
* 賣解 / 卖解
* 賣豬仔 / 卖猪仔 (mài zhūzǎi)
* 賣買 / 卖买 (màimǎi)
* 賤買貴賣 / 贱买贵卖
* 賤賣 / 贱卖 (jiànmài)
* 賣超 / 卖超
* 賣身 / 卖身 (màishēn)
* 賣身契 / 卖身契 (màishēnqì)
* 賣身投靠 / 卖身投靠
* 賣身葬父 / 卖身葬父
* 賣重 / 卖重
* 賣野人頭 / 卖野人头
* 賣錢 / 卖钱
* 賣長舌 / 卖长舌
* 賣關子 / 卖关子 (mài guānzi)
* 賣關節 / 卖关节
* 賣陣 / 卖阵
* 賣陣之計 / 卖阵之计
* 賣面子 / 卖面子
* 賣頭賣腳 / 卖头卖脚
* 賣風流 / 卖风流
* 賣鱉雞 / 卖鳖鸡
* 賣點 / 卖点 (màidiǎn)
* 贏姦賣俏 / 赢奸卖俏
* 跑馬賣解 / 跑马卖解
* 躉賣 / 趸卖 (dǔnmài)
* 轉賣 / 转卖 (zhuǎnmài)
* 迎姦賣俏 / 迎奸卖俏
* 過賣 / 过卖
* 過路買賣 / 过路买卖
* 酈寄賣友 / 郦寄卖友
* 難買難賣 / 难买难卖
* 零賣 / 零卖
* 非熊賣屠 / 非熊卖屠
* 非賣品 / 非卖品 (fēimàipǐn)
* 韓康賣藥 / 韩康卖药
* 顧賣 / 顾卖
* 鬻兒賣女 / 鬻儿卖女
* 鬻官賣爵 / 鬻官卖爵

#### Descendants

* → Proto-Hmong-Mien: *mɛjH (“to sell”)

### Etymology 2

* For pronunciation and definitions of 賣 – see 𧶠 (“to hawk; to peddle in the street; to sell; etc.”). (This character is a variant form of 𧶠).

### References

* “賣”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A03968
* “賣”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

## Japanese

| Shinjitai | 売 |
| Kyūjitai | 賣 |

### Kanji

(Jinmeiyō kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 売)
* to sell

#### Readings

* Go-on: め (me)
* Kan-on: ばい (bai)
* Tō-on: まい (mai)
* Kun: うる (uru, 賣る)、うれる (ureru, 賣れる)

## Korean
### Hanja

Wikisource 賣 (eumhun 팔 매 (pal mae))
* hanja form of 매 (“to sell”)

#### Compounds

* 경매 (競賣, gyeongmae, “auction”)
* 매국 (賣國, maeguk)
* 매국노 (賣國奴, maegungno)
* 매도 (賣渡, maedo)
* 매매 (賣買, maemae)
* 매표소 (賣票所, maepyoso, “ticket office”)
* 판매 (販賣, panmae, “sale”)
* 판매기 (販賣機, panmaegi, “vending machine”)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

賣: Hán Việt readings: mại
賣: Nôm readings: mải, mợi
* chữ Hán form of mại (“to sell”).

### References

* ↑ Trần (1999).
* 1 2 Hồ (1976).