====== mǎimài: 买卖 - Business, Trade, Transaction ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** maimai, 买卖, business in Chinese, Chinese word for trade, buy and sell, Chinese transaction, 做买卖, how to say business in Chinese, maimai vs shengyi, Chinese commerce
  * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese word **买卖 (mǎimài)**, which literally means "buy-sell." This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners on how to use `mǎimài` to talk about business, trade, and transactions in China. Discover its cultural significance, practical examples from daily life, and how it differs from similar terms like `生意 (shēngyi)`, helping you master a core concept of Chinese commerce.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** mǎimài
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun, Verb
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 4
  * **Concise Definition:** The act of buying and selling; a commercial transaction; a business deal.
  * **In a Nutshell:** `买卖 (mǎimài)` is the most direct and fundamental word for commerce in Chinese. It's formed by combining the verbs "to buy" (`买 mǎi`) and "to sell" (`卖 mài`), perfectly capturing the entire cycle of a transaction. It can refer to a single deal, the general act of doing business, or even a person's livelihood, especially for small-scale entrepreneurs or merchants.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **买 (mǎi):** To buy, to purchase. This character can be pictographically imagined as a net (网) used to acquire or "catch" goods.
  * **卖 (mài):** To sell. This character looks very similar to `买` but has a "plus" sign (十) on top. You can think of this as a person (士, an ancient radical for scholar/gentleman) standing up to offer goods for sale. The different tone is crucial for distinguishing "buy" from "sell."
Putting them together, **买卖 (mǎimài)** "buy-sell," logically and transparently means "trade" or "business." It represents the complete, two-way flow of a commercial exchange.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **The Heart of Commerce:** In Chinese culture, commerce is not an abstract concept but a deeply ingrained, practical activity. `买卖` reflects this perfectly. It's a term that feels grounded and tangible, used by everyone from a street food vendor to a corporate executive discussing a deal. It evokes the hustle and bustle of a market, the negotiation between two parties, and the final exchange of goods for money.
  * **Contrast with "Business":** In English, "business" can be very broad. We say "the business of government" or "mind your own business." In Chinese, `买卖` is almost exclusively used for commercial activities. You would not use it to mean "an affair" or "a matter of concern." This highlights a cultural view of `买卖` as a specific, transactional sphere of life, distinct from personal or state affairs.
  * **Transactional Mindset:** While not always negative, the term can sometimes be used to describe a relationship that is purely transactional and lacks emotional depth. A common phrase is `婚姻不是买卖 (hūnyīn búshì mǎimài)`, meaning "Marriage is not a business transaction," warning against marrying for purely material reasons.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
`买卖` is incredibly versatile and is used in both formal and informal contexts.
  * **As a Noun (a deal, a transaction):** It's often used with a measure word like `笔 (bǐ)` or `桩 (zhuāng)` to talk about a specific deal.
    *   `一笔买卖 (yì bǐ mǎimài)` - a deal/transaction
    *   `亏本买卖 (kuīběn mǎimài)` - a deal that loses money
  * **As a Verb (to do business):** It's most commonly paired with `做 (zuò)`, meaning "to do."
    *   `做买卖 (zuò mǎimài)` - to engage in business, to be a merchant.
  * **Connotation:** The term is generally neutral. However, its connotation can shift based on context. `一锤子买卖 (yì chuízi mǎimài)`, literally "a one-hammer deal," refers to a one-off transaction where the seller has no intention of building a long-term customer relationship, which is often seen negatively.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 他在网上**做买卖**，每个月能赚不少钱。
    * Pinyin: Tā zài wǎngshàng **zuò mǎimài**, měi ge yuè néng zhuàn bùshǎo qián.
    * English: He does business online and can earn a lot of money every month.
    * Analysis: This shows the most common usage, `做买卖 (zuò mǎimài)`, to mean "to do business" as a general activity or profession.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 这笔**买卖**我们谈了很久，终于成功了。
    * Pinyin: Zhè bǐ **mǎimài** wǒmen tán le hěn jiǔ, zhōngyú chénggōng le.
    * English: We negotiated this deal for a long time and finally succeeded.
    * Analysis: Here, `买卖` is a noun referring to a specific deal, used with the measure word `笔 (bǐ)`.
  * **Example 3:**
    * 为了快点把货卖出去，他做了个亏本**买卖**。
    * Pinyin: Wèile kuàidiǎn bǎ huò mài chūqù, tā zuò le ge kuīběn **mǎimài**.
    * English: In order to sell the goods quickly, he made a losing deal.
    * Analysis: `亏本买卖 (kuīběn mǎimài)` is a set phrase meaning a transaction where you lose money.
  * **Example 4:**
    * 他们的服务很差，完全是**一锤子买卖**。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen de fúwù hěn chà, wánquán shì **yì chuízi mǎimài**.
    * English: Their service is terrible; it's completely a one-off deal.
    * Analysis: This idiom, `一锤子买卖`, has a negative connotation, implying the seller doesn't care about repeat customers or reputation.
  * **Example 5:**
    * 记住，感情和婚姻不是**买卖**。
    * Pinyin: Jìzhù, gǎnqíng hé hūnyīn búshì **mǎimài**.
    * English: Remember, feelings and marriage are not a business transaction.
    * Analysis: This is a classic example of `买卖` used metaphorically to criticize a relationship that is purely transactional.
  * **Example 6:**
    * 老王退休后，开了个小店，做起了小**买卖**。
    * Pinyin: Lǎo Wáng tuìxiū hòu, kāi le ge xiǎo diàn, zuò qǐ le xiǎo **mǎimài**.
    * English: After retiring, Old Wang opened a small shop and started a small business.
    * Analysis: `小买卖 (xiǎo mǎimài)` specifically refers to a small-scale business, like a family-run shop or stall.
  * **Example 7:**
    * 我们是讲信用的商家，不做欺骗顾客的**买卖**。
    * Pinyin: Wǒmen shì jiǎng xìnyòng de shāngjiā, bú zuò qīpiàn gùkè de **mǎimài**.
    * English: We are a reputable business; we don't do deals that deceive customers.
    * Analysis: This sentence emphasizes the ethical dimension of `买卖`, showing it can be qualified as good or bad.
  * **Example 8:**
    * 这件古董的**买卖**风险很大。
    * Pinyin: Zhè jiàn gǔdǒng de **mǎimài** fēngxiǎn hěn dà.
    * English: The trade of this antique is very risky.
    * Analysis: Here, `买卖` is used as a noun to refer to the act of trading a specific item.
  * **Example 9:**
    * **买卖**不成仁义在。
    * Pinyin: **Mǎimài** bù chéng rényì zài.
    * English: Even if the deal falls through, goodwill remains.
    * Analysis: This is a very common and important proverb in Chinese business culture. It stresses the importance of maintaining a good relationship even if a particular transaction does not succeed.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 公平**买卖**，童叟无欺。
    * Pinyin: Gōngpíng **mǎimài**, tóng sǒu wú qī.
    * English: A fair deal, deceiving neither the young nor the old.
    * Analysis: This is a traditional slogan you might see in older shops, promising honest prices and fair business practices for all customers.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **`买卖 (mǎimài)` vs. `生意 (shēngyi)`:** This is the most common point of confusion.
    *   `买卖` focuses on the **act of transaction** or a specific **deal**.
    *   `生意` refers to **business as an ongoing activity or state**. You would say `生意很好 (shēngyi hěn hǎo)` for "business is good," not `买卖很好`. `生意` also refers to one's company or livelihood in a broader sense.
    *   **Incorrect:** ~~他的买卖很大。~~ (His transaction is big.)
    *   **Correct:** 他的**生意**很大。(His business is big.)
    *   **Correct:** 这笔**买卖**很大。(This deal is big.)
  * **`买卖` vs. `商业 (shāngyè)` and `贸易 (màoyì)`:**
    *   `商业 (shāngyè)` is "Commerce" as an academic subject, an industry, or an abstract concept (e.g., `商业区` - commercial district). It's more formal and abstract than `买卖`.
    *   `贸易 (màoyì)` is "Trade," especially formal, large-scale, or international trade (e.g., `国际贸易` - international trade).
    *   Think of it this way: Two people haggling in a market are doing `买卖`. The rules governing their country's imports and exports are part of `贸易`. The entire system is `商业`.
  * **Common Mistake:** Avoid using `买卖` to mean "business" in the sense of "affair" or "concern."
    *   **Incorrect:** ~~这不关你的买卖。~~
    *   **Correct:** 这不关你的**事**。(Zhè bù guān nǐ de shì.) - This is none of your business.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[生意]] (shēngyi) - Business; specifically refers to the state of a business (good/bad) or one's livelihood.
  * [[交易]] (jiāoyì) - Transaction, deal. More formal and neutral than `买卖`, often used in finance or contracts.
  * [[商业]] (shāngyè) - Commerce; the abstract concept, field, or industry of business.
  * [[贸易]] (màoyì) - Trade; typically used for large-scale or international trade.
  * [[商家]] (shāngjiā) - Merchant, business, seller; the person or entity conducting the `买卖`.
  * [[顾客]] (gùkè) - Customer, client; the other party in a `买卖`.
  * [[讨价还价]] (tǎo jià huán jià) - To haggle or bargain; a common practice in many types of `买卖`.
  * [[一锤子买卖]] (yì chuízi mǎimài) - An idiom for a one-off deal with no regard for future relationship.
  * [[货]] (huò) - Goods, merchandise; the physical items involved in a `买卖`.
  * [[老板]] (lǎobǎn) - Boss, owner; the person in charge of the `买卖`.