Picture a street market. A buyer says what they will pay, and a seller says what they want. That is a bid and an ask. When they agree on one price, a trade happens, and that last agreed price is what you see on your chart.

A market is simply where buyers and sellers meet. Price is what they agree on, trade by trade. When more people want to buy, price tends to rise. When more want to sell, it tends to fall.

Every trade has two sides, so someone is always on the other side of yours. Often it is a bank or fund, a company, or another trader like you. Nobody trades alone.

Buyers list a bid, the price they will pay. Sellers list an ask, the price they want. A trade happens when the two meet.

A busy market has many buyers and sellers, so orders fill smoothly and prices move in small steps. A quiet market has few, so prices can jump. Popular markets are easier to start with.

When you trade gold, a currency or a share through a broker, you trade its price. You buy or sell that price, and you never carry the gold or hold the euros.

Next to banks and funds, a single trader is a very small part of the market. That is fine: you do not need to beat them. You need a plan.