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(mǎi) — to buy in Mandarin

mǎi
to buy

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#287 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

is pronounced mǎi. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

mǎi
third tone (low dipping, ˇ)

In a sentence

Wǒ mǎi shū.

I buy books.

Hear it, then say it right

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Frequently asked questions

What does 买 mean?+

买 (mǎi) means "to buy" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 买?+

买 is pronounced mǎi. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 买 in Mandarin?+

买 is the #287 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where fits

HSK 1 · CEFR A1
See the full HSK 1 vocabulary list

Every HSK 1 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.