貿易 / 贸易
màoyì
The English word 'trade' is translated into Chinese as 貿易 / 贸易 (màoyì). If unsure, use 貿易 / 贸易. Wiktionary also lists 交易 (jiāoyì).
Meaning: buying and selling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 貿易 / 贸易 | màoyì |
| 交易 | jiāoyì |
The term 貿易 / 贸易 refers to the concept of buying and selling. You can use it in various specialized contexts, such as 国际贸易 (international trade), 进口贸易 (import trade) or 出口贸易 (export trade). In Cantonese, the term for trade is written as 貿易.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 貿易 / 贸易 is composed of 貿 (trade/exchange) and 易 (exchange/change). The word 交易 is composed of 交 (to exchange/hand over) and 易 (to change/exchange).
Which one should you use?
貿易 / 贸易 is used to describe large-scale, often macro-economic or international trade. In contrast, 交易 is used for specific transactions, individual trades or deals in business and finance.
How do you pronounce it?
màoyì
Did you know?
- The word 易 also appears in the 易經 or 'I Ching', the oldest Chinese classic, where it refers to 'change' in a cosmic and philosophical sense.
- While 貿易 describes the concept of trade, if you are talking about a 'trade' or 'craft' like carpentry, you would use a completely different term, such as 行業 (hángyè).
- The character 交 (jiāo) in the word for transaction, 交易, literally means 'to cross' or 'to intersect'.
Examples in context
- 我对贸易很感兴趣。I am very interested in trade.
- 在这个市场可以做很多交易。You can do many trades in this market.
- 这个城市以海上贸易闻名。This city is famous for maritime trade.
- 我正在学习国际贸易。I am currently studying international trade.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trade” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
