Chinese verb · action · first needed at beginner level (A1)
卖
mài
to sell
Fourth tone mài (to sell), unlike third-tone (mǎi, to buy). (màiwán le) means “sold out”, and (zěnme mài?) asks the price of something sold by weight or piece.
Speed:
Basic
基本
What a shop or person sells. Negative: (bú mài).
| affirmative | 这家店卖水果。Zhè jiā diàn mài shuǐguǒ. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我们不卖烟。Wǒmen bú mài yān. | |
| question | 你们卖咖啡吗？Nǐmen mài kāfēi ma? |
Completed
了
Something has been sold. 把…卖了 is the usual way to say you sold a specific thing.
| affirmative | 他把车卖了。Tā bǎ chē mài le. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 他没卖车。Tā méi mài chē. | |
| question | 你把房子卖了吗？Nǐ bǎ fángzi mài le ma? |
Experience
过
Something done at least once before. Negative: + verb + 过.
| affirmative | 我以前卖过衣服。Wǒ yǐqián màiguo yīfu. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我没在网上卖过东西。Wǒ méi zài wǎngshang màiguo dōngxi. | |
| question | 你在网上卖过东西吗？Nǐ zài wǎngshang màiguo dōngxi ma? |
Future and intention
要 / 会
: planning to sell. : you've decided not to.
| affirmative | 我要卖我的旧车。Wǒ yào mài wǒ de jiù chē. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 我不卖了。Wǒ bú mài le. | |
| question | 你要卖房子吗？Nǐ yào mài fángzi ma? |
Result
结果补语
: sold out. (mài bu wán): too much to sell.
| affirmative | 苹果卖完了。Píngguǒ màiwán le. | |
|---|---|---|
| negative | 苹果还没卖完。Píngguǒ hái méi màiwán. | |
| question | 苹果卖完了吗？Píngguǒ màiwán le ma? | |
| can't | 这么多苹果，今天卖不完。Zhème duō píngguǒ, jīntiān mài bu wán. |
Examples
- 这个怎么卖？Zhège zěnme mài?How much is this?
- 票已经卖完了。Piào yǐjīng màiwán le.The tickets are already sold out.
- 他在网上卖衣服。Tā zài wǎngshang mài yīfu.He sells clothes online.