销售

• Pinyin: xiāo shòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 销 = 钅(metal) + 肖 (resemblance, phonetic) — to melt/sell; 售 = 隹 (bird) + 口 (mouth) — to sell/trade

Meaning

To sell; sales. Refers to the act or process of selling goods or services, or to the sales function within a business.

Used as both a verb (to sell) and a noun (sales figures, the sales department). A key term in business and commerce. Common in phrases like 销售额 (sales revenue), 销售部门 (sales department), and 销售人员 (salesperson). More formal than 卖 (to sell), which is used in everyday speech.

Examples

1. 这家公司的年销售额已经超过了十亿元。 This company's annual sales revenue has already exceeded one billion yuan.
2. 他在一家科技公司的销售部门工作。 He works in the sales department of a technology company.
3. 新产品上市后销售情况非常好。 Sales were very strong after the new product launched.

Usage Guide

Context: business, commerce

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这款手机的销售量在全国位居前列。(The sales volume of this mobile phone model is among the top in the country.)
• 公司计划扩大在海外市场的销售。(The company plans to expand sales in overseas markets.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中用销售代替卖。(Avoid replacing everyday 卖 with 销售 in casual speech — 卖 sounds more natural when talking informally about selling; 销售 is better suited to business or formal contexts.)

Origin & History

Compound of 销 (to melt/sell off) and 售 (to sell/trade), together forming a formal term for selling goods or services.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal