ChiramiN4 kanji · 12 strokes
買 means buy
買
罒 net · 貝 shells, the old money
買Real origin
A net catching shells (貝), the old money: to buy.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meaning
- buy
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 12
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) かう kau
かう (kau) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
From Chinese (onyomi) バイ bai
バイ (bai) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
買う かう · kau
to buy, to purchase
Built from
- 貝 shell, money
- 目 eye
- 八 eight, split apart
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
目 Used in 136 kanji
See all 14 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 買 mean?
Right: 買 means buy.Not quite: 買 means buy.In 買う, which reading does 買 use?
Right. 買う is read かう (kau): 買 takes か, its Japanese reading, with う after it.Not quite. 買う is read かう (kau): 買 takes か, its Japanese reading, with う after it.