买mǎi

買 (mǎi, "to buy") transforms from the traditional 買 to simplified 买, shedding the net radical (罒) above the shell (貝) that once clearly suggested acquiring wealth with money—an eye scanning goods before the trade. In traditional form, the top element resembles a net or a variant of the eye, hinting at the act of looking before purchasing. It survives as a component in commercial characters: 賣 (sell), 價 (price), 購 (purchase)—each carrying that ancient shell of value at the bottom.