Definition
拍卖 (pāimài) means 'to auction' — a public sale where items go to the highest bidder. It is distinct from 出售 (chūshòu), which is the general word for 'sell', and from 出卖 (chūmài), which primarily means 'betray' or 'sell out' when used with people, though it can also mean 'sell' in some contexts.
verb
to auctionto sell at auction
Examples
- 拍卖。Zhè jiā gōngsī xià zhōu yào pāi mài yì pī gǔdǒng jiājù.This company will auction a batch of antique furniture next week.
- 拍卖，。Nà fú huà zuótiān bèi pāi mài le, chéngjiāojià hěn gāo.That painting was auctioned yesterday, and the hammer price was very high.
- 拍卖。Tāmen juédìng zài xiànshàng pāi mài zhèxiē shōucángpǐn.They decided to auction these collectibles online.
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