拍卖

• Pinyin: pāi mài
• Hanzi breakdown: 拍 = 扌 (hand radical) + 白 (phonetic) — to strike; 卖 = 十 + 买 (buy) — the act of selling (more than buying)

Meaning

To auction; to sell by auction; an auction sale.

Used for formal auction events — art auctions (艺术品拍卖), property auctions (房产拍卖), and online auctions (网络拍卖). Key institution in luxury goods, antiques, and asset disposal. 拍卖行 (auction house), 起拍价 (starting bid), 成交价 (hammer price) are common related terms.

Examples

1. 这批珍贵的清代官窑瓷器在香港拍卖会上以创纪录的价格成交，引发了艺术品市场的广泛关注。 This batch of precious Qing-dynasty imperial kiln porcelain sold at a record price at a Hong Kong auction, drawing broad attention in the art market.
2. 政府将依法对查扣的违法财产进行公开拍卖，所得款项将上缴国库。 In accordance with the law, the government will publicly auction off confiscated illegal assets, and the proceeds will be turned over to the state treasury.
3. 她委托拍卖行出售祖父留下的一幅古画，最终以远超预期的价格被一位私人藏家竞得。 She consigned an antique painting left by her grandfather to an auction house, and in the end it was won by a private collector for far more than expected.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, art, law, finance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 近年来，国际知名拍卖行相继进入中国市场，使得中国艺术品和古董的拍卖活动愈发活跃，成交额屡创新高，吸引了全球藏家的高度关注。(In recent years, internationally renowned auction houses have entered the Chinese market one after another, making auctions of Chinese artworks and antiques increasingly active, with transaction volumes repeatedly breaking records and attracting the close attention of collectors worldwide.)
• 网络拍卖平台的兴起大幅降低了参与门槛，使普通消费者也能以相对亲民的价格参与二手商品和限量版产品的竞拍，极大地丰富了拍卖的应用场景。(The rise of online auction platforms has significantly lowered the barrier to entry, allowing ordinary consumers to participate in bidding for second-hand goods and limited-edition products at relatively accessible prices, greatly expanding the application scenarios for auctions.)

Don't Say

• 将'拍卖'用于随意或非正式的出售，如'我今天把旧自行车拍卖了' — 拍卖 specifically implies a formal competitive bidding process; for a simple private sale, use 卖掉 or 转让 instead

Origin & History

拍 = 扌 (hand) + 白 (clear) — striking the gavel; 卖 = 十 (ten) + 买 (buy) — to sell; together: to sell by striking the gavel

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal