売 — Sell, Sales

Meaning

The kanji 売 (うり/ばい) primarily means "sell," "sales," or "to market." It's a fundamental character in daily Japanese life, found everywhere from local shops selling goods to large-scale business transactions and marketing campaigns. Mastering this kanji is essential for anyone involved in commerce or simply navigating daily interactions in Japan.

Its origin is quite interesting, offering insight into how kanji meanings developed. The kanji 売 is generally considered a semantic-phonetic compound, though its exact ancient form and interpretation have varied over time. Some scholars suggest the upper part (士 with an extended top stroke) might represent an object being put out or exchanged. The lower part (士, a variant of which can also be seen as an ancient form of "tool" or "container") hints at the act of transaction. Another common interpretation views the upper component as an inverted form of 出 (to exit/go out), suggesting that an item "exits" one's possession when it is sold. Visually, the kanji can evoke the idea of goods displayed on a stand or under a roof, ready for sale. This signifies the transfer of an item from a seller to a buyer. With 7 strokes, this kanji is taught in Japanese elementary school in the second grade (Grade 2), making it an early and frequently encountered character.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

On'yomi readings, derived from Chinese pronunciations, are typically used when the kanji forms part of a compound word, often with other kanji.

• バイ (BAI)

The On'yomi reading 'バイ' (BAI) is the main Chinese-derived pronunciation for 売. You'll find it almost exclusively in compound words, where it combines with other kanji to create more complex meanings related to selling, trading, and commerce. This reading often emphasizes the formal or business aspect of sales.

• 販売はんばい (hanbai) — sales, selling, marketing. This is a common term referring to the general act of selling products or services, for example, 自動車販売じどうしゃはんばい (jidōsha hanbai), car sales.
• 売買ばいばい (baibai) — buying and selling, trade. This compound explicitly covers both sides of a transaction, such as 土地売買とちばいばい (tochi baibai), land transactions.
• 発売はつばい (hatsubai) — release (of a product), launch. This term describes when a new product, like a new game or phone, is made available for public sale.

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

Kun'yomi readings are native Japanese pronunciations associated with the kanji. You'll often see them when the kanji stands alone as a verb or an adjective, typically with accompanying hiragana (okurigana).

• う.る (u.ru)

The Kun'yomi reading 'う.る' (uru) corresponds to the transitive verb "to sell." When used alone, it indicates the action of selling something. The 'る' part is the okurigana, the hiragana suffix that conjugates the verb.

• 売るうる (uru) — to sell. This is the basic dictionary form of the verb.

• 品物しなものを売るうる (shinamono o uru) — to sell goods.

• 本ほんを売るうる (hon o uru) — to sell books.

• う.れる (u.reru)

The Kun'yomi reading 'う.れる' (ureru) corresponds to the intransitive verb "to be sold" or "to sell well." It implies that an item sells easily or finds buyers quickly, often indicating its popularity or good market performance. The 'れる' part is the okurigana.

• 売れるうれる (ureru) — to be sold, to sell well.
• よく売れるよくうれる (yoku ureru) — to sell well.
• 人気にんきがあってあって売れるうれる (ninki ga atte ureru) — to sell because it's popular.

Common Words & Compounds

Here's a selection of common words and compounds using the kanji 売, grouped by theme to help with understanding and retention. These words are frequently encountered in daily life and business contexts.

• General Sales & Business:

• 販売はんばい (hanbai) — sales, selling, marketing. (e.g., 自動車販売じどうしゃはんばい - car sales)

• 売買ばいばい (baibai) — buying and selling, trade. (e.g., 株式売買かぶしきばいばい - stock trading)

• 発売はつばい (hatsubai) — release (of a product), launch. (e.g., 新製品発売しんせいひんはつばい - new product launch)

• 売店ばいてん (baiten) — stand, shop, stall. (e.g., 駅えきの売店ばいてん - station kiosk)

• 売却ばいきゃく (baikyaku) — sale (of property, assets). (e.g., 土地売却とちばいきゃく - land sale)

• Sales Performance & Revenue:

• 売上うりあげ (uriage) — sales, proceeds, revenue. (e.g., 月間売上げっかんうりあげ - monthly sales)

• 売上高うりあげだか (uriagedaka) — amount of sales, sales revenue. (more formal than 売上うりあげ, e.g., 年間売上高ねんかんうりあげだか - annual sales revenue)

• 売れ行きうれゆき (ureyuki) — sales, demand (how well something sells). (e.g., 商品しょうひんの売れ行きうれゆき - sales of a product)

• Actions & Conditions Related to Selling:

• 売り出すうりだす (uridasu) — to put on sale, to market, to launch. (e.g., 新刊しんかんを売り出すうりだす - to launch a new publication)

• 売り切れるうりきれる (urikireu) — to be sold out. (e.g., チケットちけっとが売り切れるうりきれる - tickets are sold out)

• 特売とくばい (tokubai) — special sale. (e.g., 週末特売しゅうまつとくばい - weekend special sale)

• 自動販売機じどうはんばいき (jidō hanbaiki) — vending machine. (a long but common compound)

Example Sentences

Related Kanji

• 弟 — Younger Brother, Junior (Kanji N4)
• 以 — By Means Of, With, From (Kanji N4)
• 黒 — Black, Dark (Kanji N4)
• 洗 — Wash (Kanji N4)
• 短 — Short, brief, defect (Kanji N4)
• 田 — Rice Field (Kanji N4)

Memory Tip

To remember the kanji 売 (sell), imagine a "samurai" (士) standing under a "roof" or "lid" (the top component, which resembles a simplified 𠮷 or even 出 with an extra top stroke). This samurai might be holding out goods for sale, or perhaps tending a stall with goods beneath a protective cover. Another mnemonic connects the top part to 'exit' (出) and the bottom to 'earth' or a 'stand' (士, in some interpretations). So, goods 'exit' from a stand when they're sold. Visualizing goods leaving a shop or being presented by a vendor can help you remember its meaning.