Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
贸 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
贸màocommerceHSK 4, vn, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #43541, Very Hard
贸màotradeHSK 4, vn, 9 strokes, radical 贝, rank #43541, Very Hard
mào(mao4) T4
  1. 1commerce
  2. 2trade
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
贸(貿)mào(mao4)

The character 贸 (mào) refers to commerce or trade, typically involving the exchange of goods or services. It is commonly used in contexts related to business transactions and economic activities, highlighting the importance of trade in both local and international markets.

Strokes9Radical贝Frequency#43541DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

Trade has historically played a crucial role in Chinese culture, dating back to the Silk Road, which facilitated commerce between East and West. The character 贸 reflects this long-standing tradition of trade as a vital component of Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a busy marketplace where merchants (represented by the character's radical for 'trade') are exchanging goods. The pronunciation 'mào' can be remembered by associating it with 'mall', where many trades occur.

Meanings of 贸

mào(mao4)
1commerce
2trade
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 贸

贸Simplified
貿Traditional
9Strokes
贝Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#43541Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4

Podcast: 贸

JasonAmy

Podcast: 贸

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 贸

Quick Contrast

贸易 (màoyì) vs 交易 (jiāoyì) — use 贸 when emphasizing the broader concept of trade, while 交易 focuses on specific transactions or exchanges.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a busy marketplace where merchants (represented by the character's radical for 'trade') are exchanging goods. The pronunciation 'mào' can be remembered by associating it with 'mall', where many trades occur.

Usage Notes

Be mindful to use 贸 in contexts related to business and commerce; it is not suitable for informal conversations about personal exchanges. Common collocations include 贸易 (màoyì - trade), which is often used in formal discussions about international commerce. Watch out for tone errors, as the fourth tone can change the meaning completely.

HSK Study Tips

Although 贸 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, it connects with other commerce-related terms you might encounter at HSK Level 4 and above, such as 贸易 (màoyì). Focus on understanding how this character is used in compound words to expand your vocabulary in business contexts.

Cultural Note

Trade has historically played a crucial role in Chinese culture, dating back to the Silk Road, which facilitated commerce between East and West. The character 贸 reflects this long-standing tradition of trade as a vital component of Chinese society.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 贸 with 贸然 (màorán), which means 'rashly' or 'impulsively'. Remember that 贸 specifically refers to trade, while 贸然 has a different meaning and usage context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 贸

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 贸 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 贸

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 卯 represents the sound. Simplified form of 貿.

Memory Hint

money

Semantic (meaning)贝
+
Phonetic (sound)卯
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 贸?

Decomposition of 贸

IDS Structure⿱卯贝
贸Full Character
=
卯mao3
top
贝Bei4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 贸?

Write 贸

贸

Practice writing 贸 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 贸

贸 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

西班牙一直是古巴的主要____易伙伴之一。

Spain has been one of Cuba's major trading partners.

Example Sentences for 贸 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
西班牙一直是古巴的主要贸易伙伴之一。

xī bān yá yī zhí shì gǔ bā de zhǔ yào mào yì huǒ bàn zhī yī。

Spain has been one of Cuba's major trading partners.
2
贸易赤字是经济快速发展带来的负面产物。

mào yì chì zì shì jīng jì kuài sù fā zhǎn dài lái de fù miàn chǎn wù。

The trade deficit is the flip side of a rapidly expanding economy.
3
他把信交给了贸工部。

tā bǎ xìn jiāo gěi le mào gōng bù。

He passed the letters to the Department of Trade and Industry.
4
“全球化”是个泛称，用以描述增进了的国际贸易。

“ “ quán qiú” huà ” shì gè， fàn chēng ， yòng yǐ miáo shù zēng jìn le de guó。

Globalisation is a catch-all to describe increased international trade.
5
那是布鲁塞尔国际贸易谈判中纷乱的一天。

nà shì bù lǔ sāi ěr guó jì mào yì tán pàn zhōng fēn luàn de yī tiān。

It's been a tumultuous day at the international trade negotiations in Brussels.
6
如果欧洲人不减少补贴，便会发生贸易战。

rú guǒ ōu zhōu rén bù jiǎn shǎo bǔ tiē， ， biàn huì fā shēng mào yì。

If the Europeans did not reduce subsidies, a trade war would ensue.
7
这个许可证并不能让他以公开股份有限公司的名义从事贸易。

zhè gè xǔ kě zhèng bìng bù néng ràng tā yǐ gōng kāi gǔ fèn yǒu xiàn gōng sī de míng yì cóng shì mào yì。

This licence would not allow him to trade as a plc.
8
两国之间很少有贸易往来。

liǎng guó zhī jiān hěn shǎo yǒu mào yì wǎng lái。

The two countries do little trade with one another.
9
总之，易货贸易是一种效率很低的交易形式。

zǒng zhī， ， yì huò mào yì shì yī zhǒng xiào shuài hěn dī de jiāo yì xíng。

Overall, barter is a very inefficient means of organizing transactions.
10
货币兑换成本仍是跨境贸易的最大障碍之一。

huò bì duì huàn chéng běn réng shì kuà jìng mào yì de zuì dà zhàng ài zhī yī。

Currency-conversion costs remain one of the biggest obstacles to cross-border trade.

Cultural Notes for 贸

🏮Cultural insight

Trade has historically played a crucial role in Chinese culture, dating back to the Silk Road, which facilitated commerce between East and West. The character 贸 reflects this long-standing tradition of trade as a vital component of Chinese society.

Word Family of 贸

Words Containing This Character20
贸易màoyì(commercial) trade貿易
世贸abbr. for 世界貿易組織|世界贸易组织世貿
外贸wàimàoforeign trade外貿
贸然rashly貿然
贸màotrade貿
经贸jīngmàotrade經貿
商贸trade and commerce商貿
农贸市场farmer's market農貿市場
国际贸易international trade國際貿易
世贸组织WTO (World Trade Organization)世貿組織
贸易额volume of trade (between countries)貿易額
世界贸易组织World Trade Organization (WTO)世界貿易組織
贸易逆差trade deficit貿易逆差
集贸market集貿
贸易公司trading company貿易公司
财贸finance and trade財貿
内贸domestic trade內貿
关贸总协定GATT, the 1995 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade關貿總協定
香港贸易发展局Hong Kong Trade Development Council香港貿易發展局
对外贸易经济合作部Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC)對外貿易經濟合作部
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 贸易 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 贸

You can use 贸易 (màoyì) for 'trade' and 贸易公司 (màoyì gōngsī) for 'trading company'.