How to Write 购 (gòu) — Meaning “To purchase / To buy”

Imagine you use money (贝) to 'hook' (勾) something you want to buy. This visual of a hook grabbing a product with coins helps link the sound and meaning together.

Pay attention to the balance between left and right parts: the left 贝 is narrower, while the right 勾 is slightly wider. A common mistake is making 勾 look like 句 (jù, sentence) — remember that 勾 has a subtle upward hook at the end of the horizontal fold stroke. Write the left side first (4 strokes), then the right side (4 strokes).

购 (gòu, to buy) has 贝 on the left and 勾 on the right, while 贞 (zhēn, chaste) has 卜 on top of 贝, and 负 (fù, negative or carry) has 刀 (knife) on top of 贝. To tell them apart, focus on the top or right part: 购 has a hook shape, 贞 has a divination symbol, and 负 has a knife-like radical.

购 is a formal verb for 'to purchase' and appears in common words like 购物 (shopping) and 购买 (to buy). It is often used in commercial settings, such as in stores, online platforms, and during major shopping events like 双十一 (Singles' Day). While 买 (mǎi) is more casual in speech, 购 is preferred in written or formal contexts like advertisements and official documents.

Common words containing 购 include: 购物 (gòu wù) — Shopping / To shop; 购买 (gòu mǎi) — To purchase / To buy; 导购 (dǎo gòu) — Shopping guide; sales assistant..