Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
贩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
贩fànto deal inv, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14563, Hard
贩fànto buy and sellv, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14563, Hard
贩fànto trade inv, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14563, Hard
贩fànto retailv, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14563, Hard
贩fànto peddlev, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14563, Hard
贩fànmerchant, peddler; to deal in, to tradev, 8 strokes, radical 贝, rank #14563, Hard
fàn(fan4) T4
  1. 1to deal in
  2. 2to buy and sell
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
贩(販)fàn(fan4)

The character 贩 (fàn) refers to the act of dealing in goods, often implying a focus on buying and selling, retailing, or peddling items. It is commonly used in contexts related to commerce, trade, and merchants, particularly those who sell goods in smaller quantities or directly to consumers.

Strokes8Radical贝Frequency#14563DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese markets, peddlers often play a crucial role in local economies, selling goods directly to consumers and reflecting a rich history of informal trade practices in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a merchant (the character's meaning) holding a fan (the sound of 'fàn') made of money, symbolizing trade. The radical '走' (zǒu), meaning 'to walk,' hints at the movement involved in selling and buying.

Meanings of 贩

fàn(fan4)
1to deal in
2to buy and sell
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 贩

贩Simplified
販Traditional
8Strokes
贝Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#14563Frequency Rank

Podcast: 贩

JasonAmy

Podcast: 贩

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 贩

Quick Contrast

贩 (fàn) vs 销 (xiāo) — use 贩 for the act of dealing or peddling goods, while 销 emphasizes the act of selling or distributing.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a merchant (the character's meaning) holding a fan (the sound of 'fàn') made of money, symbolizing trade. The radical '走' (zǒu), meaning 'to walk,' hints at the movement involved in selling and buying.

Usage Notes

Be cautious of using 贩 in formal contexts, as it often carries an informal or colloquial connotation of retail or peddling. Common collocations include '贩卖' (fànmài) meaning 'to sell' or 'to peddle.' Ensure you pronounce it with the fourth tone to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 贩 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates closely to trading terms you might encounter at HSK Level 3 and above, such as '买' (mǎi - to buy) and '卖' (mài - to sell). Focus on the context of commerce and how it integrates with other verbs related to transactions.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese markets, peddlers often play a crucial role in local economies, selling goods directly to consumers and reflecting a rich history of informal trade practices in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 贩 with the more general term 卖 (mài - to sell), which can lead to vague usage. For example, saying '我贩书' (wǒ fàn shū) to mean 'I sell books' may sound informal; it's better to say '我卖书' (wǒ mài shū).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 贩

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 贩 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 贩

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

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 反 represents the sound. Simplified form of 販.

Memory Hint

money

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 贩?

Decomposition of 贩

IDS Structure⿰贝反
贩Full Character
=
贝Bei4
left
反fan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 贩?

Write 贩

贩

Practice writing 贩 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 贩

贩 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 6 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.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

“阿道弗斯·克林，我以____毒的罪名逮捕你。”——“什么？”

"Adolphus Kelling, I arrest you on a charge of trafficking in narcotics."—"What?"

Example Sentences for 贩 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“阿道弗斯·克林，我以贩毒的罪名逮捕你。”——“什么？”

“ “ ā dào fú· sī ·， kè lín ， wǒ yǐ fàn dú de zuì míng。”——“ dài bǔ？”

"Adolphus Kelling, I arrest you on a charge of trafficking in narcotics."—"What?"
2
我向一两个摊贩打听了此事。

wǒ xiàng yī liǎng gè tān fàn dǎ tīng le cǐ shì。

I asked one or two of the stallholders about it.
3
利斯特死了，还有三个迈阿密毒贩和一位女士也死了。

lì sī tè sǐ le， ， huán yǒu sān gè mài ā mì dú fàn hé yī wèi nǚ shì yě sǐ。

Lister's dead. Ditto three Miami drug dealers and a lady.
4
那两具尸体被辨认出原是两名贩毒嫌疑犯。

nà liǎng jù shī tǐ bèi biàn rèn chū yuán shì liǎng míng fàn dú xián yí fàn。

The bodies were identified as those of two suspected drug dealers.
5
另一个票贩子说125美元的票他要价1,000美元。

lìng yī gè piào fàn zǐ shuō125 125 měi yuán de piào tā yào1,000 jià 1,000。

Another scalper said he'd charge $1000 for a $125 ticket.
6
小贩们把他们的商品摆放在篮子里或地上。

xiǎo fàn mén bǎ tā mén de shāng pǐn bǎi fàng zài lán zǐ lǐ huò dì shàng。

Vendors displayed their wares in baskets or on the ground.
7
在热闹广场的另一边，摊贩叫卖着热狗和羊角三明治。

zài rè nào guǎng cháng de lìng yī biān， ， tān fàn jiào mài zháo rè gǒu hé yáng jiǎo sān míng。

Across the busy plaza, vendors sell hot dogs and croissant sandwiches.
8
肉贩建议先把肉整个儿煮熟，然后再将肥肉切去。

ròu fàn jiàn yì xiān bǎ ròu zhěng gè ér zhǔ shú， ， rán hòu zài jiāng féi ròu qiē。

Butchers recommend cooking meat with the fat and trimming it away later.
9
安东尼尚未干计时贩毒的买卖, 但他说他正在考虑这样做.

ān dōng ní shàng wèi gān jì shí fàn dú de mǎi mài, , dàn tā shuō tā zhèng zài kǎo lǜ zhè yàng.

Anthony isn't clocking yet, but says he's considering it.
10
尽管叫鱼贩子把比目鱼的鱼刺剔掉。

jìn guǎn jiào yú fàn zǐ bǎ bǐ mù yú de yú cì tī diào。

Don't be afraid to ask your fishmonger to fillet flat fish.

Cultural Notes for 贩

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese markets, peddlers often play a crucial role in local economies, selling goods directly to consumers and reflecting a rich history of informal trade practices in Chinese culture.

Word Family of 贩

Words Containing This Character16
毒贩drug dealer毒販
贩毒drugs trade販毒
贩卖fànmàito sell販賣
贩子trafficker販子
贩fànto deal in販
小贩xiǎofànpeddler小販
商贩shāngfàntrader商販
摊贩peddler攤販
票贩子ticket scalper票販子
贩运to transport (for sale)販運
量贩式at wholesale price量販式
贩私illegal trading販私
二道贩子middleman二道販子
贩夫走卒common people販夫走卒
小商贩small trader小商販
贩夫peddler販夫
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 毒贩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 贩

贩 specifically emphasizes the act of selling, often in a retail or informal context, while 买卖 (mǎimài) refers to the broader concept of buying and selling.