mài: 卖 - to Sell

• Keywords: 卖, mài, sell in Chinese, what does mai mean, Chinese verb to sell, selling, buying and selling in Chinese, mai vs mai, Chinese commerce, HSK 1 vocabulary
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 卖 (mài), which means “to sell”. This page breaks down its meaning, from simple transactions like selling fruit to its use in important cultural concepts like “betrayal” (出卖 chūmài) and modern slang like “acting cute” (卖萌 màiméng). Understand its crucial difference from its sound-alike counterpart, 买 (mǎi, to buy), and see how it's used in everyday conversation, business, and online in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): mài
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: 1
• Concise Definition: To exchange goods, services, or abstract things for money or reward; to sell.
• In a Nutshell: 卖 (mài) is the fundamental action of a seller. It's what a shopkeeper does, what a company does with its products, and what you do when you get rid of something on a second-hand app. It's the direct opposite of a word you'll learn at the same time: 买 (mǎi), which means “to buy.” The only difference is the tone, making it a critical distinction for beginners to master.

• 卖 (mài): This character is a combination of two meaningful parts.
  • The top part `士` originally came from `出` (chū), which means “to go out.”
  • The bottom part is `买` (mǎi), which means “to buy.”
• Combined Meaning: You can think of 卖 (mài) as the action where goods go out (`出`) as part of a buying (`买`) transaction. Essentially, it's the other side of the “buying” coin. When someone buys something, someone else must be selling it.

• The Sound of Commerce: In China, the act of selling is often vibrant and audible. Walk through any traditional market, and you'll hear the lively cries of vendors, a practice known as 叫卖 (jiàomài). They rhythmically shout out their prices and the quality of their goods to attract customers. This is a stark contrast to the often quiet, fixed-price environment of a Western supermarket.
• From Literal to Figurative Selling: While 卖 (mài) is used for everyday commerce, its meaning extends deep into the cultural psyche. The concept of 出卖 (chūmài), literally “to sell out,” means to betray a person, a secret, or one's country. This carries a very heavy and serious connotation, similar to being a “traitor” or “selling someone down the river” in English.
• Modern “Selling”: In the internet age, a popular slang term has emerged: 卖萌 (màiméng), which literally means “to sell cuteness.” It describes someone (or a pet) intentionally acting cute or affecting a naive, adorable persona to win affection or favor, especially online or in photos. This reflects a playful, modern evolution of the character's meaning.

卖 (mài) is an extremely common verb used in many situations, from basic to abstract.

This is the most common usage, referring to the literal act of selling something.

• “This shop sells…”
• “How much is this?” (Literally: “How do you sell this?”)
• “I sold my old phone.”

The concept of “selling” is applied to abstract things like effort, secrets, or even one's appearance.

• 卖力 (màilì): To “sell strength” - meaning to work very hard and energetically.
• 卖关子 (mài guānzi): To “sell a pass/climax” - meaning to deliberately keep someone in suspense, often when telling a story.
• 卖弄 (màinong): To “sell” or show off one's skills or knowledge in a boastful way.
• 出卖 (chūmài): To “sell out” - meaning to betray.
• 卖萌 (màiméng): To “sell cuteness” - meaning to act cute on purpose.

• Example 1:
  • 这个商店卖水果和蔬菜。
  • Pinyin: Zhège shāngdiàn mài shuǐguǒ hé shūcài.
  • English: This store sells fruits and vegetables.
  • Analysis: A simple, direct sentence describing what a business sells. This is the most basic usage of 卖.
• Example 2:
  • 请问，这个怎么卖？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, zhège zěnme mài?
  • English: Excuse me, how do you sell this? (Meaning: How much is it?)
  • Analysis: This is a very common and polite way to ask for the price of an item, especially in a market where prices might be negotiable.
• Example 3:
  • 他把他的旧电脑卖了。
  • Pinyin: Tā bǎ tā de jiù diànnǎo mài le.
  • English: He sold his old computer.
  • Analysis: The use of `把 (bǎ)` restructures the sentence to emphasize what happened to the object (the old computer). The `了 (le)` indicates the action is complete.
• Example 4:
  • 对不起，音乐会的票已经卖完了。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, yīnyuèhuì de piào yǐjīng mài wán le.
  • English: Sorry, the concert tickets are already sold out.
  • Analysis: The verb complement `完 (wán)` means “finished” or “completely.” So, 卖完 (mài wán) literally means “finished selling.”
• Example 5:
  • 我们公司的新产品卖得很好。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī de xīn chǎnpǐn mài de hěn hǎo.
  • English: Our company's new product sells very well.
  • Analysis: This structure (`Verb + 得 + Adverb`) is used to describe how an action is performed. Here, it describes the quality of the selling.
• Example 6:
  • 为了项目能按时完成，大家都很卖力。
  • Pinyin: Wèile xiàngmù néng ànshí wánchéng, dàjiā dōu hěn màilì.
  • English: In order to finish the project on time, everyone is working very hard.
  • Analysis: Here, we see the compound word 卖力 (màilì), meaning to “sell your strength” or give it your all.
• Example 7:
  • 快告诉我发生了什么，别卖关子了！
  • Pinyin: Kuài gàosù wǒ fāshēngle shénme, bié mài guānzi le!
  • English: Hurry up and tell me what happened, stop keeping me in suspense!
  • Analysis: This idiomatic phrase, 卖关子 (mài guānzi), is used when someone is drawing out a story and you want them to get to the point.
• Example 8:
  • 他为了升职，不惜出卖自己的同事。
  • Pinyin: Tā wèile shēngzhí, bùxī chūmài zìjǐ de tóngshì.
  • English: In order to get a promotion, he didn't hesitate to betray his own colleague.
  • Analysis: 出卖 (chūmài) shows the serious, negative connotation of “selling someone out.” It implies a deep breach of trust for personal gain.
• Example 9:
  • 你看，那只小猫正对着我们卖萌呢。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kàn, nà zhī xiǎo māo zhèng duìzhe wǒmen màiméng ne.
  • English: Look, that little kitten is acting cute for us.
  • Analysis: This is a perfect example of the modern slang term 卖萌 (màiméng), used to describe an intentional display of cuteness.
• Example 10:
  • 他总喜欢在别人面前卖弄自己那点儿小聪明。
  • Pinyin: Tā zǒng xǐhuān zài biérén miànqián màinong zìjǐ nà diǎnr xiǎo cōngmíng.
  • English: He always likes to show off his petty cleverness in front of others.
  • Analysis: 卖弄 (màinong) has a negative connotation of boastfully showing off, as if “selling” one's own abilities to others for admiration.

• The #1 Mistake: Confusing 卖 (mài) and 买 (mǎi)
  • This is the most common and critical mistake for beginners. The only difference is the tone.
  • 卖 (mài) = 4th tone (falling) = to sell. Think of slamming a gavel down: “Sold!”
  • 买 (mǎi) = 3rd tone (falling-rising) = to buy. Think of the intonation of a question: “I can buy it?”
  • Incorrect: `我想卖一个新手机。` (Wǒ xiǎng mài yí ge xīn shǒujī.) This means “I want to sell a new phone.”
  • Correct (if you want to buy): `我想买一个新手机。` (Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí ge xīn shǒujī.) This means “I want to buy a new phone.”
  • Mixing these up will lead to complete misunderstanding in a commercial setting.
• “False Friend”: Selling an Idea
  • In English, you can “sell your boss on an idea.” You cannot use 卖 (mài) this way in Chinese. It would sound like you are literally trying to exchange the idea for money.
  • Incorrect: `我需要卖我的老板这个想法。` (Wǒ xūyào mài wǒ de lǎobǎn zhège xiǎngfǎ.)
  • Correct: `我需要说服我的老板接受这个想法。` (Wǒ xūyào shuōfú wǒ de lǎobǎn jiēshòu zhège xiǎngfǎ.) - I need to persuade my boss to accept this idea.

• 买 (mǎi) - The direct antonym of 卖. It means “to buy.”
• 出售 (chūshòu) - A more formal, written term for “to sell.” You often see it on signs or in contracts, meaning “For Sale.”
• 销售 (xiāoshòu) - Refers to selling in a commercial or business context; “sales.” Can be a verb (to sell) or a noun (sales volume).
• 出卖 (chūmài) - A specific, negative version of 卖, meaning to betray or “sell out” a person, secret, or ideal.
• 买卖 (mǎimài) - Literally “buy-sell.” This noun means “business” or “commerce.”
• 卖力 (màilì) - An adjective/adverb meaning to work very hard and energetically, to “sell one's strength.”
• 卖萌 (màiméng) - A modern slang verb meaning to intentionally act cute, to “sell cuteness.”
• 小贩 (xiǎofàn) - A noun for a street vendor, peddler, or hawker; someone who 卖s things on the street.