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buy

HSK 10 N4
mǎi
バイ
か.う
Pictograph of money (貝) coming out of a netted bag (网).
Components
Traditional (買)
Iconic component
wǎng kangxi
net, web
Iconic component
shellfish
Shells were used as currency in ancient China.
Simplified (买)
kangxi+ top =
buy
Iconic component
wǎng kangxi
net, web
Simplified component
tóu top
head
Shorthand for the 貝 component in the traditional character 買. Shells were used as currency in ancient China.
Notes
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze
Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Regular
Modern
Chinese
/ [mǎi]
to buy; to purchase
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
かい
Kai surname
たかがい
Takagai surname