卖掉 (mài diào) — to sell off, to sell out

Definition

卖掉 is a resultative verb meaning to sell something off / dispose of it by selling, with the 掉 aspect indicating the action is completed. Use 出售 for a more formal written register, 卖 for the simple act of selling.

verb

to sell offto sell out

Examples

卖掉。
Tā bǎ jiù fáng zi mài diào le.
He sold off the old house.
卖掉。
Zhè xiē gǔ piào wǒ zǎo jiù mài diào le.
I sold out these stocks long ago.
卖掉。
Gōng sī bǎ kù cún quán bù mài diào le.
The company sold out all of its inventory.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

卖màisell

掉diàofall

卖 means to sell and 掉 shows something falling or being removed, giving the idea of selling off.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 賣; 卖 is its simplified writing.

出出chūgo out
買買mǎibuy

The traditional form 賣 came from an older shape that joined 出 (go out) with 買 (buy), which gives the sound. The simplified 卖 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 卖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

扌卓掉

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

卓

卓zhuó掉diào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

掉 is built from 扌 (a hand) and 卓, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 掉 →

Appears in