商 means “commerce, trade”

しょう · shō

Also: make a deal, selling, dealing in, merchant

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
あきなう
On'yomi (Chinese reading)
ショウ

Taught in grade 3 · 11 strokes

The story

A building with an opening and inner chambers: a grand trading house. The 商人 (shōnin, merchant) class in Edo Japan wielded enormous economic power despite low official status. Osaka became Japan's "kitchen" (天下の台所), where 商売 (shōbai, business) fed the entire nation through rice trading futures, the world's first commodity exchange.

Used in 商売 (shoubai, business), 商品 (shouhin, product), and 商人 (shounin, merchant)

More from Commerce & Trade

Learn 商 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.