买
mǎi · HSK 1
to buy
🛒 mǎi sounds like 'my' — what's MY new thing? I just bought it
买 (buy) contrasts with 卖 mài (sell) — 卖 has an extra 十 on top, like adding stock to sell. Mnemonic: mǎi = MY (I bought it for me); mài = MAYbe I'll part with it.
买 — top 乛 (simplified 罒/網 net) + 头 (head, simplified of 貝 shell)
In its traditional form 買, the character shows a net (网) over a cowrie shell (貝), the ancient money — together meaning 'to net/acquire goods with money,' i.e. to buy. The simplified form 买 keeps the same idea with reduced strokes. It pairs with 卖 (sell), which adds 士 on top to show goods going out.