Bet

It means betting, wagering, or gambling. A bet can put money or property on the line in an uncertain contest; the idea can also cover a contest over who wins when no cash changes hands.

The early Chinese character dictionary Shuowen preserves 賭 in a later-added section. It glosses the character as a gambling game and analyzes its form as 貝, the money-related part, plus 者, the sound-bearing part. The entry documents the word's use.

What does 賭 mean when someone sends it?

A bare 賭 signals a wager but leaves the stakes open. By itself, it does not show what is being risked or whether the sender means gambling, a bet, or a wider risk.

The neighboring character narrows it: 賭博 names gambling, while 賭注 names the stake. Japanese uses 賭ける to mean “to wager,” so a single 賭 cannot identify the language.

Why do I see 賭 and 赌?

賭 and 赌 are the traditional and simplified Chinese forms. Traditional Chinese uses 賭; Simplified Chinese uses 赌. Japanese also uses 賭, so the character alone does not identify which language you are reading.

As of 2026, fonts and devices may draw 賭 with small stroke differences; the character stays 賭. 赌 is a separate simplified Chinese form.