mǎi​duàn

buyout

mǎi buy Simplified

Pictograph of money () coming out of a netted bag (). The simplified character was adapted from the cursive form of the traditional character .

Components

wǎng net
Simplified component
tóu, tou head

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character . Shells were used as currency in ancient China.

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

Meaning (1)

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

duàn sever Simplified

Simplified form of . Depicts cutting off threads () with an axe ()

Components

Simplified component
rice

Shorthand for the component in the traditional character .

Iconic component
jīn axe

Character Evolution

Clerical form
Clerical Jin 266-420 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (0 of 1 verified)

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical images
Academia Sinica

mǎi buy Traditional

Pictograph of money () coming out of a netted bag ().

Components

Iconic component
wǎng net
Change in form
Due to historical stylistic changes, this component is less similar to than it was in ancient scripts.
Iconic component
bèi sea shell

Shells were used as currency in ancient China.


Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (1 of 2 verified)

Meaning (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartmeaXmˤrajʔ buy

說文解字

《說文》:“買,市也。从网、貝。《孟子》曰:‘登壟斷而网市利。’”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

duàn break, sever Traditional

Depicts cutting off threads () with an axe ()

Components

Iconic component
continue
Iconic component
jīn axe

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartdwanXN-tˤo[n]ʔ be cut in two
twanXtˤo[n]ʔ cut in two
twanHtˤo[n]ʔ-s cut off; decide

說文解字

《說文》:“,截也。从斤,从。,古文絕。,古文从,,古文叀字。《周書》曰:‘猗無他技。’亦古文。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica