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HSK 2 Chinese Word Pair

Mai vs Mai: Buy or Sell? Same Sound, Different Tone

买 vs 卖

Mǎi vs Mài

5:20 min video · 12 sentences · 4 key words

Transcript with pinyin and English

Click a line to hear it, or loop it to shadow it.

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买 (mǎi) means buy and 卖 (mài) means sell. Six market and daily-life scenes show how the tone flips the meaning, plus the tip that 卖 has 十 on top of 买 and a quick look at result complements like 买到 and 卖完.

How to practise

Before each example plays, pick the word that fits and say your answer out loud.
Read the difference card, then repeat every example in the 跟读 · Your turn pause.
At the end, check the common mistake so you never make it again.

The difference: 买 vs 卖

买 Mǎi buy (mǎi, third tone). You pay money and get something.
卖 Mài sell (mài, fourth tone). You give goods and get money.

Common mistake: 我想卖一个手机，请问多少钱？ ✗ · 我想买一个手机，请问多少钱？ ✓ (Asking the price as a customer needs 买, not 卖.)

Which one fits? 选一选

Say the missing word out loud first, then open the answer.

我想＿＿手机，不想买手机。
买 / 卖 · He wants to give the phone away for money
Show the answer
我想卖手机，不想买手机。
Wǒ xiǎng mài shǒujī, bù xiǎng mǎi shǒujī.
I want to sell my phone, not buy one.
王姐说：“你要＿＿手机吗？”
买 / 卖 · She thinks he wants to pay money
Show the answer
王姐说：“你要买手机吗？”
Wáng Jiě shuō: “Nǐ yào mǎi shǒujī ma?”
Wang Jie says, "Do you want to buy a phone?"
王姐在市场＿＿水果。
买 / 卖 · Her job at the stall
Show the answer
王姐在市场卖水果。
Wáng Jiě zài shìchǎng mài shuǐguǒ.
Wang Jie sells fruit at the market.
小李想＿＿一些水果。
买 / 卖 · He is the customer
Show the answer
小李想买一些水果。
Xiǎo Lǐ xiǎng mǎi yìxiē shuǐguǒ.
Xiao Li wants to buy some fruit.
鸡蛋我＿＿到了，很便宜。
买 / 卖 · He succeeded in getting them as a customer
Show the answer
鸡蛋我买到了，很便宜。
Jīdàn wǒ mǎi dào le, hěn piányi.
I got the eggs (bought them successfully), and they were cheap.
她的鸡蛋早上就＿＿完了。
买 / 卖 · The vendor has nothing left
Show the answer
她的鸡蛋早上就卖完了。
Tā de jīdàn zǎoshang jiù mài wánle.
Her eggs were sold out by morning.
＿＿字上边比买字多一个十。
买 / 卖 · The one with extra strokes on top, selling
Show the answer
卖字上边比买字多一个十。
Mài zì shàngbian bǐ mǎi zì duō yí gè shí.
The character 卖 has a 十 on top, where 买 has none.
有钱才能＿＿东西。
买 / 卖 · Spending money as a shopper
Show the answer
有钱才能买东西。
Yǒu qián cáinéng mǎi dōngxi.
Only with money can you buy things.
我的脚很疼，要＿＿新鞋。
买 / 卖 · He needs to get shoes for himself
Show the answer
我的脚很疼，要买新鞋。
Wǒ de jiǎo hěn téng, yào mǎi xīn xié.
My foot really hurts, I need to buy new shoes.
这家店的鞋大小都有，＿＿得很好。
买 / 卖 · Shop's goods do well in business
Show the answer
这家店的鞋大小都有，卖得很好。
Zhè jiā diàn de xié dàxiǎo dōu yǒu, mài de hěn hǎo.
This shop has every size of shoe and sells very well.
平常我不喝酒，今天想＿＿一瓶。
买 / 卖 · He is the one paying
Show the answer
平常我不喝酒，今天想买一瓶。
Píngcháng wǒ bù hē jiǔ, jīntiān xiǎng mǎi yì píng.
Usually I don't drink, but today I want to buy a bottle.
王姐笑着说：“我只＿＿酒，不买酒。”
买 / 卖 · She is the shopkeeper in this joke
Show the answer
王姐笑着说：“我只卖酒，不买酒。”
Wáng Jiě xiàozhe shuō: “Wǒ zhǐ mài jiǔ, bù mǎi jiǔ.”
Wang Jie says with a laugh, "I only sell wine, I don't buy it."

Key words 生词

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Level
买	mǎi	buy (mǎi, third tone)	HSK 1
卖	mài	sell (mài, fourth tone)	HSK 2
大小	dàxiǎo	size	HSK 2
平常	píngcháng	usually	HSK 2

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