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賈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
賈jiǎmerchant; to buy, to trade; surnamex, 13 strokes, radical 貝
jiǎ(jia3)jia T3
  1. 1merchant; to buy, to trade; surname
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March 24, 2026

賈jiǎ(jia3)

The character 賈 (jiǎ) primarily means 'merchant' or 'to buy and trade.' It is often used in contexts related to commerce and business, reflecting the role of merchants in the economy. Additionally, it can be a surname, connecting it to personal identity in Chinese culture.

Strokes13Radical貝
Cultural note

In ancient China, merchants were often viewed with suspicion compared to farmers and scholars, reflecting a historical hierarchy in social status. The character 賈 thus carries with it nuances related to this cultural perception.

Memory tip

Imagine a merchant (賈) standing in a marketplace with a large bag of gold (the radical 貝, which means 'money' or 'goods') on one side and a sign that says 'Buy!' on the other. The pronunciation 'jiǎ' sounds like 'ja,' which could remind you of a joyful merchant shouting to attract customers.

Meanings of 賈

jiǎ(jia3)
1merchant; to buy, to trade; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 賈 means.

About 賈

賈Simplified
13Strokes
貝Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 賈

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AI study notes for 賈

Quick Contrast

商 (shāng) vs 贸易 (màoyì) — choose 賈 (jiǎ) when emphasizing the role of a merchant specifically, whereas 商 (shāng) is broader and can refer to business in general, and 贸易 (màoyì) focuses on trade transactions.

Usage Notes

This term is generally used in formal contexts when discussing trade or commerce. Learners should be cautious about mixing it up with similar sounding words. Common collocations include 賈人 (merchant) and 賈易 (to trade).

HSK Study Tips

While 賈 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, its connection to trade makes it relevant for learners interested in business language. Focus on reinforcing related terms like 商 (shāng, business) and 買 (mǎi, to buy) for a broader understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 賈 with similar characters like 購 (gòu, to purchase). For example, saying '我想要賈這本書' (I want to 'merchant' this book) is incorrect; it should be '我想要買這本書' (I want to buy this book).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 賈

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Etymology of 賈

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

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 襾 represents the sound. Simplified form of 賈.

Memory hint

money

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

Origin

賈 = 貝 + 覀. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 賈

IDS Structure⿱覀貝
賈Full character
=
覀xi1
top
貝bei4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 賈?

How to say merchant; to buy, to trade; surname in Chinese

“merchant; to buy, to trade; surname” in Chinese is賈jiǎ

The character 賈 (jiǎ) primarily means 'merchant' or 'to buy and trade.' It is often used in contexts related to commerce and business, reflecting the role of merchants in the economy. Additionally, it can be a surname, connecting it to personal identity in Chinese culture.

When to use 賈

This term is generally used in formal contexts when discussing trade or commerce. Learners should be cautious about mixing it up with similar sounding words. Common collocations include 賈人 (merchant) and 賈易 (to trade).

賈 or something close to it

商 (shāng) vs 贸易 (màoyì) — choose 賈 (jiǎ) when emphasizing the role of a merchant specifically, whereas 商 (shāng) is broader and can refer to business in general, and 贸易 (màoyì) focuses on trade transactions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 賈 with similar characters like 購 (gòu, to purchase). For example, saying '我想要賈這本書' (I want to 'merchant' this book) is incorrect; it should be '我想要買這本書' (I want to buy this book).

Write 賈

賈

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

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Word Family of 賈

Words containing this character10
贾gǔmerchant賈
贾庆林Jia Qinglin (1940-), member of the Politburo Standing Committee 2002-2012賈慶林
内贾德abbr. for 艾哈邁迪內賈德|艾哈迈迪内贾德內賈德
商贾shānggǔmerchant商賈
贾宝玉Jia Baoyu, male character in The Dream of Red Mansions, in love with his cousin Lin Daiyu 林黛玉 but obliged to marry Xue Baochai 薛寶釵|薛宝钗賈寶玉
贾平凹Jia Pingwa (1952-), Chinese novelist賈平凹
拉夫桑贾尼Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani拉夫桑賈尼
贾南德拉Gyanendra of Nepal賈南德拉
阿布贾Abuja, capital of Nigeria阿布賈
贾谊Jia Yi (200-168 BC), Chinese poet and statesman of the Western Han Dynasty賈誼
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 賈

What does 贾 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 賈

賈 specifically refers to merchants, while 商 can refer to business in a broader sense or even commercial enterprises.

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