買
buy
Readings
On'yomi
- バイ
Kun'yomi
- か.う
Meaning
買 centers on the act of purchasing: exchanging money for goods. Its single core meaning is straightforward and concrete.
Most common words using 買
23 of 216- 買うかうN5
to buy; to purchase
- 買いかい
buying; shopping
- 買い物かいものN5
shopping; purchased goods
- 買収ばいしゅうN1
acquisition (esp. corporate); buy-out; takeover; purchase
- 売買ばいばいN2
trade; buying and selling; trafficking (e.g. of humans, arms, drugs); dealing
- 買取かいとり
purchase; buying; buying out
- 購買こうばいN1
procurement; purchase; buying
- 買い上げかいあげ
buying; purchasing; procurement
- お買い得おかいどくN2
bargain; good buy; budget
- 買い手かいてN1
buyer
- 買い出しかいだし
going out to shop; going shopping
- 買い占めかいしめ
buying up of goods; cornering (market)
- 買い付けかいつけ
buying (in large quantities); (wholesale) purchase; buying in
- 買い戻しかいもどし
repurchase; redemption
- 買い入れかいいれ
buying; purchasing; laying in
- 買い得かいどく
bargain; good buy
- 買い占めるかいしめるN1
to buy up
- 買い控えかいびかえ
restrained buying
- 青田買いあおたがい
speculatively buying a rice harvest, while the fields are still green
- 購買力こうばいりょく
buying power; purchasing power
- 買い入れるかいいれる
to purchase; to buy in
- 仲買なかがいN1
brokerage; broker
- ドル買いドルかい
dollar purchase
Study
Etymology
買 combines ⺫ (a net-like component) with 貝 (shell, an ancient currency), suggesting the idea of gathering shells to make a purchase.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a net ⺫ draped over a pile of shells 貝, the old form of money. You gather shells in the net to go buy something.
Reading mnemonic
For バイ, imagine you are at a market and you want to buy a bicycle: buy -> バイ. The sound of 'buy' is almost exactly the on'yomi, and you are buying with shells.