买卖

The Chinese word 买卖 (mǎimài) for "trade" or "business" is composed of two characters: 买 (mǎi), meaning "to buy," and 卖 (mài), meaning "to sell." The combination of these two characters suggests the reciprocal nature of trade, involving both buying and selling.The character 买 (mǎi) is derived from the ancient Chinese character 貝 (bèi), which represented a cowry shell. Cowry shells were used as a form of currency in ancient China, and the character 貝 came to be associated with the idea of buying and selling. The character 卖 (mài) is derived from the ancient Chinese character 貝 (bèi) and the character 手 (shǒu), meaning "hand." The combination of these two characters suggests the act of exchanging goods or services for money.Together, the characters 买 (mǎi) and 卖 (mài) form the word 买卖 (mǎimài), which encompasses the concepts of buying and selling and represents the broader idea of trade or business.