贩卖

• Pinyin: fàn mài
• Hanzi breakdown: 贩 = 贝 + 反 (wealth/shell + reversal — buying goods to resell at profit); 卖 = 士 + 买 (scholar above buy — to offer for sale)

Meaning

To peddle; to traffic; to sell. To trade in goods, often with a connotation of illicit or exploitative commerce.

In legal and news contexts, 贩卖 almost always implies something criminal or ethically problematic: 贩卖毒品 (drug trafficking), 贩卖人口 (human trafficking). In literary or ironic contexts it may mean to hawk ideas or emotions. Stronger and more negative than 出售 or 销售.

Examples

1. 警方经过三个月的周密侦查，成功捣毁了一个长期在网络平台上贩卖仿冒名牌商品的犯罪团伙，涉案金额逾千万元。 After three months of careful investigation, police successfully busted a criminal ring that had long been peddling counterfeit luxury-brand goods on online platforms, involving more than ten million yuan.
2. 国际刑警组织发布的报告显示，跨国贩卖人口的案件数量近年来持续增长，受害者以来自贫困地区的女性和未成年人为主。 A report released by Interpol shows that cases of cross-border human trafficking have continued to rise in recent years, with victims mainly women and minors from impoverished areas.
3. 某些自媒体靠贩卖焦虑维持流量，对公众心理造成伤害。 Some self-media accounts keep their traffic up by selling anxiety, which harms the public’s mental well-being.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, commerce, social-issues, media

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 贩卖毒品属于严重刑事犯罪，依法最高可判处死刑，任何以利益为驱动铤而走险的行为都将付出极其沉重的法律代价。(Trafficking in drugs constitutes a serious criminal offence; the maximum penalty under law is death, and anyone driven by profit to take such risks will pay an extremely heavy legal price.)
• 平台算法助长了贩卖情绪和制造对立的内容。(Platform algorithms have encouraged content that sells emotions and manufactures opposition.)

Don't Say

• 贩卖 for legitimate retail business — use 销售、出售 or 经营 instead; 贩卖 carries a strong criminal or exploitative connotation that would be inappropriate for a normal shop or business

Origin & History

贩 (to buy and resell for profit) + 卖 (to sell) — to trade goods commercially, especially in bulk or through exploitative channels

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal