How to Write 卖 (mài) — Meaning “to sell”

Imagine you have ten (十) items that you bought (买) but now need to sell them, so you put a price tag on each. The top 十 looks like a price sign, and the bottom 买 reminds you that you originally bought those items. This mental picture helps link the character to its meaning: to sell.

Start by writing the top 十: first a horizontal stroke, then a vertical stroke. Then write the bottom 买: begin with a horizontal hook (横钩), followed by a dot, a left-falling stroke (撇), and a final dot. A common mistake is making the top 十 too wide; keep it compact so the whole character stays balanced.

卖 has a clear bottom part 买 (to buy), while 华 (huá) has a bottom 十 and a top 化 (change) — so 华 looks like a person with a cross. 倝 (gàn) is very rare and has a different structure with no 买; it appears in ancient texts. Remember: if you see 买 at the bottom, it's 卖; if you see 化 above 十, it's 华.

卖 is the standard word for 'to sell' and appears in common compounds like 外卖 (takeout food delivery) and 买卖 (business or trade). In China, 外卖 is especially popular with food delivery apps, and you'll often see 卖完 (sold out) on store signs. It is the direct opposite of 买 (to buy), so mastering both characters is important for shopping and daily conversations.

Common words containing 卖 include: 外卖 (wài mài) — takeout / food delivery; 买卖 (mǎi mài) — business or trade; 卖完 (mài wán) — sold out.