购买

• Pinyin: gòu mǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 购 = 贝 (shell/money) + 勾 (hook) — reaching to purchase; 买 = simplified from 買 — to buy

Meaning

To purchase; to buy. A somewhat formal term for acquiring goods or services by paying money.

More formal than 买, commonly used in written Chinese, commercial contexts, and official communications. Collocations include 购买力 (purchasing power), 购买商品 (purchase goods), and 在线购买 (buy online). Often used in instructions and notices.

Examples

1. 你可以在网上购买火车票。 You can purchase train tickets online.
2. 他打算购买一套新房子。 He plans to buy a new apartment.
3. 请在柜台购买门票后入场。 Please purchase admission tickets at the counter before entering.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, everyday

Tone: transactional

Do Say

• 顾客可以在这里购买各种商品。(Customers can purchase various goods here.)
• 购买前请仔细阅读说明书。(Please read the instructions carefully before purchasing.)

Don't Say

• 我去购买一瓶水 (Overly formal for a small everyday purchase — just say 我去买一瓶水; use 购买 for significant or formal transactions)

Origin & History

购 (to buy, with 贝 money radical + 勾 hook — reaching for goods with money) + 买 (to buy, simplified from 買). A formal compound doubling the meaning of buying.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal