买 mǎi
“to buy; to purchase”
verbHSK 1 · 2021 list level 1Traditional 買
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
买 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 116: 买 mǎi — Level 1; official annotation 1 (动). PDF page 82
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 买
买 means "to buy" — getting something by paying money for it. It is a normal verb, so it takes an object directly: 买 + thing. The past is often shown with 了 after the verb (买了).
例句Example sentences
- 我想买一个苹果。wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí gè píng guǒ.I want to buy an apple.
- 他昨天买了两本书。tā zuó tiān mǎi le liǎng běn shū.He bought two books yesterday.
- 妈妈去买菜了。mā ma qù mǎi cài le.Mom went to buy groceries.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我买去商店。
✓我去商店买。
买 is 'to buy' and takes the thing bought as its object; the place you go to is not its object.
易混词Easily confused
买vs卖
买 (mǎi) is 'buy' and 卖 (mài) is 'sell' — they sound similar but are opposites, so don't mix them up.