<p>买 means "to buy". But the phrase 买东西 means "to go shopping". You can use similar phrases like 买衣服, 买蔬菜 and so on to mean "shop for clothes / vegetables". You could say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我买东西去了，可是商店关门了，没有买到。<br>
  I went shopping, but the store was closed, so I didn't buy anything.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There could be a similar context where it means "decide to buy", but I haven't heard it used in that sense.</p>

<p>Your second teacher is right in that it normally does only mean "to buy". </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-06T09:11:38.743Z
Decide to buy: 买不买？买。
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T05:28:01.957Z
2016-04-05T05:28:01.957Z
KWeiss
<p> I am Chinese student.
买 could be use to buy/purchase but also to "to decide to buy", or "go shopping"
买and卖：buy and sell</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T02:03:39.777Z
2016-04-05T02:03:39.777Z
JenyShly
<p>I teacher mine told me that 买 could be use to buy/purchase but also to "to decide to buy", or "go shopping", other teacher told me the first one was wrong.</p>

<p>Who is right?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T02:02:52.673Z
The first teacher is a woman, the second teacher is a man. ;)
congusbongus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T05:18:24.467Z
"decide to buy" is 决定买, which means you just make a decision, but have not bought
gcd0318
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T19:12:29.277Z
Probably the first teacher told you that because when you see 买到 in the future she'll remember you that 买 is the attempt to buy, while 买到 is buying indeed.
Enrico Brasil
<verbs>
When to use of 买
# When to use of 买

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-05)

I teacher mine told me that 买 could be use to buy/purchase but also to "to decide to buy", or "go shopping", other teacher told me the first one was wrong.

Who is right?

**Tags:** verbs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The first teacher is a woman, the second teacher is a man. ;)  
> **username_2**: "decide to buy" is 决定买, which means you just make a decision, but have not bought  
> **username_3**: Probably the first teacher told you that because when you see 买到 in the future she'll remember you that 买 is the attempt to buy, while 买到 is buying indeed.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-04-05. Score: 1

买 means "to buy". But the phrase 买东西 means "to go shopping". You can use similar phrases like 买衣服, 买蔬菜 and so on to mean "shop for clothes / vegetables". You could say:

> 我买东西去了，可是商店关门了，没有买到。  
> I went shopping, but the store was closed, so I didn't buy anything.

There could be a similar context where it means "decide to buy", but I haven't heard it used in that sense.

Your second teacher is right in that it normally does only mean "to buy".

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Decide to buy: 买不买？买。  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2016-04-05. Score: -1

I am Chinese student.
买 could be use to buy/purchase but also to "to decide to buy", or "go shopping"
买and卖：buy and sell


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