The Kanji: 購 (Kō)
The kanji 購 means "to purchase," "to buy," or "to acquire." It combines 貝 (shell/currency) with 冓 (meet), originally depicting the exchange of money for goods. This character represents commercial transactions and acquisitions.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 購入 (kōnyū) - Purchase
新品を購入する。
"Purchase a new product."
2. 購買 (kōbai) - Buying
購買意欲が低下する。
"Purchasing motivation declines."
3. 購読 (kōdoku) - Subscription
新聞を購読する。
"Subscribe to a newspaper."
4. 購読者 (kōdokusha) - Subscriber
雑誌の購読者が増える。
"The magazine's subscribers increase."
In summary, 購 describes commercial acquisitions - from individual purchases (購入) and general buying (購買) to subscription services (購読) and their customers (購読者). It's essential for economic and consumer contexts in Japanese.