How to Write 贾 (gǔ/jiǎ) — Meaning “Merchant; businessman”

Imagine a Western businessman (西) sitting on a pile of seashells (贝) counting his money. The seashells represent wealth, and the West reminds you of trade routes, helping you recall that 贾 means merchant or businessman.

Start with the radical 贝 (4 strokes: vertical, horizontal fold, left, right dot), then write 西 (6 strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal fold, vertical, horizontal, horizontal). Make sure the top 贝 is centered above 西 and is slightly wider; common mistakes include making 贝 too small or misplacing the dot inside 贝.

贾 (gǔ) has 贝 on top and 西 below, meaning merchant; 责 (zé) has 贝 on top but 一 (one) below, meaning responsibility; 贤 (xián) has 贝 on top and 又 (again) below with an extra stroke, meaning worthy. Focus on the lower part: 西 for trade, 一 for duty, 又 for virtue.

贾 is common as a surname (姓贾, xìng Jiǎ), and in the term 商贾 (shāng gǔ) meaning merchants or traders. Culturally, 商贾 often refers to traveling traders in ancient China, and the character itself appears in historical texts about commerce, though it is less frequent in everyday modern speech.

Common words containing 贾 include: 姓贾 (xìng jiǎ) — Surname Jia; 商贾 (shāng gǔ) — Merchant; trader..