買

音読おんよみ: バイ

訓読くんよみ: かう

画数かくすう: 12

部首ぶしゅ: 貝(かい)

Meaning

To buy or purchase

  • Basic forms
  • 買う — to buy / base form
  • 買います — polite / I buy / masu form
  • 買った — past / bought / ta form
  • 買って — te-form / buy (and …) / linking or request
  • 買わない — negative / don’t buy / negative form
  • 買えば — if I buy / conditional
  • 買え・買ってみろ — buy it! / try buying! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 買いたい — want to buy / 〜たい form
  • 買える — can buy / potential form
  • 買われた — was bought / passive
  • 買わせる — make someone buy / causative
  • 買っていた — was buying / past progressive
  • More
  • 買おう — let’s buy / 〜よう form
  • 買っている — buying / progressive
  • 買わされている — being made to buy / causative progressive
買う (かう) is a godan (う-verb). The final う changes to い / え / わ depending on the form — for example, 買います, 買えば, 買わない. It’s used for shopping and everyday transactions, from groceries to gifts.
  • う — to buy
  • もの — shopping
  • ばいばい — buying and selling
  • ばい — boycott
  • 購買こうばい — purchase / buying
  • 仲買なかがい — brokerage / broker
  • 買収ばいしゅう — acquisition / buyout
  • — buyer

Originally depicting shells as currency, 買 reflects ancient exchange systems. It now represents a fundamental daily action — to buy — in modern Japanese life.

スーパーでさいいました。
I bought vegetables at the supermarket.

はははなってあげました。
I bought flowers for my mother.

収
Creates
買収ばいしゅう — acquisition / buyout
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