About
The character 贸, whose traditional form is 貿, is structurally composed of the phonetic component 卯 (mǎo) above the semantic component 貝 (bèi, meaning "shell money" or "wealth"), which in its simplified form is written as 贝. This composition reflects its core historical meaning related to commercial exchange, specifically the act of trading goods for money or other commodities. Over time, the meaning of 贸 expanded from this concrete sense of barter or transaction to encompass the broader concept of trade in general. Additionally, this core idea of an exchange, often implying a degree of haste or lack of due consideration in the transaction, gave rise to the compound 貿然 (màorán), which conveys the sense of acting rashly or without proper forethought.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
国际贸易很重要。
他们从事贸易工作。
不要贸然下结论。
外贸政策有变化。
这家公司主营贸易。
贸然行动可能导致失败。
国际贸易促进经济增长。
在做出决定前，不要贸然行事。