Colors in Chinese

• 粉色 (fěn sè) - pink

• 红色 (hóng sè) - red
• 橙色 (chéng sè) - orange
• 黄色 (huáng sè) - yellow
• 绿色 (lǜ sè) - green
• 蓝色 (lán sè) - blue
• 紫色 (zǐ sè) - purple
• 蓝绿色 (lán lǜ sè) - teal
• 白色 (bái sè) - white
• 灰色 (huī sè) - gray
• 褐色 (hè sè) - brown
• 黑色 (hēi sè) - black
• 棕色 (zōng sè) - brown
• 咖啡色 (kā fēi sè) - brown
• 棕褐色 (zōng hè sè) - tan
• 金色 (jīn sè) - gold
• 银色 (yín sè) - silver
• 古铜色 (gǔ tóng sè) - bronze

Examples
你最喜欢哪个颜色？(nǐ zuì xǐ huan nǎ ge yán sè) - Which color is your favorite color? /
What’s your favorite color?

我最喜欢 ______。(wǒ zuì xǐ huan ___) - I like _____ the most.

你的车是什么颜色？(nǐ de chē shì shén me yán sè) - What color is your car?

我的车是_____的。(wǒ de chē shì _____ de) - My car is __________.

他穿着 _____的衣服。(tā chuān zhe _____ de yī fu) - He’s wearing _____ clothes.

你最喜欢哪个颜色？(nǐ zuì xǐ huan nǎ ge yán sè) - What’s YOUR favorite color?

Shopping Vocabulary in Chinese: Useful Phrases You Need To Know

Shopping in China is a whole new ballgame. Sure, you can make the entire “point at the
thing you want and hope they understand” thing—but that’s not very effective. You might end up
buying a whole bunch of stuff you don’t really need, or worse yet, end up with nothing at all.
Below are the essential words to say when you are going to go shopping.
Shopping Vocabulary in Chinese

1. 买东西 (Mǎi Dōngxi)

买 (mǎi) implies “to buy,” while the word 东西

(dōngxi) means “thing(s), or stuff.” When you put these
terms together, 买东西 (mǎi dōngxi) can be translated to
“to buy things.”

It seems to be the easiest way to express “go

shopping,” which is the most shopping-related word that
Chinese learners encounter. This phrase is simple for
newbies to memorize since it comprises two fundamental Chinese terms.

Example:

I want to buy something – 我要买东西 (wǒ yāo mǎi dōngxī)

2. 百货公司 (Bǎi Huò Gōng Sī )

The term 百货公司 (Bǎi Huò Gōng Sī ) corresponds to a “department store.” Each word’s
connotation is broken down as follows: 货 is “goods” or “things,” 百 means “one hundred” or “a
lot,” and 公司 is a “business organization.”

When you combine these Chinese words, you get a department store or a location where
many different kinds of goods are offered.

If you want to know where the shopping mall is, say 商场 (shāng chǎng) or 超级市场
(chāo jí shì chǎng), which means “supermarket” or 夜市 (yè shì) which means “night market.”

Example:

Can you show me the way to the department store? (能告诉我去百货公司的路吗？) –

néng gào sù wǒ qù bǎi huò gōng sī de lù má ？
3. 打折 (Dǎ zhé)

Depending on how you phrase them in your

inquiries, 打 折 (dă zhé) might signify either a
discount or a sale. When products are on sale, there
are several signs indicating this.
Sometimes shopping centers may use “打
折” (dă zhé) to show how the product is
discounted, where the blank will contain a number
value.

In English, we mostly see signs that read “10% discount” or “25% off.” In Chinese written
language, the discount figure printed on the sign indicates the percentage of the current price
relative to the original cost.

For example, 打九折 (or 打 9 折) denotes that the actual discounted price is 90% of the
original cost, not a discount from the original price. Similarly, if you see 打七折 (or 打 7 折), it
signifies that the current discounted price is 70% of the actual cost.

4. 号 (Hào)

号 (Hào) is seldom used alone. Typically, a size-related descriptor comes before this. You
can use 大号 (dà hào) meaning “large size,” 中号(zhōng hào), meaning “medium,” and 小号
(xiăo hào), which means “small.”

Please keep in mind that Asians tend to be smaller in size than Europeans and Americans.
Therefore, Chinese sizes will run smaller than those in the West. Sizes 88 and 90, designated as
small, are comparable to US sizes 4 and 6 and European sizes 34 and 36, respectively. Whereas
sizes 98 and 102, designated as large, are roughly equivalent to US sizes 12 and 14 and European
size 42. Those sizes are for women only. Men have a different sizing chart: small is 88 to 90, the
medium size is 96 to 98, large is 108 to 110, and so on.

5. 退 (Tuì)

How about if you purchased the wrong item? What would you say? Let’s start with the
word 退 (tuì), which means “return.”
 Because 退 (tuì) signifies “return,”
the Chinese words 退货 (tuì huò), or “return
the goods,” follows naturally.

If you receive the incorrect size and

need to return your item, say 我想把这件退
回去 (wǒ xiǎng bǎ zhè jiàn tuì huí qù).
This translates to “I want to return this.”

You may return an item to a shopping center when the tags remain attached to the item,
and the receipt is present within seven days of purchase.

6. 份 (Fèn), 件 (Jiàn), 双 (Shuāng)

One of the most challenging parts of learning Chinese is mastering the correct use of the
numerous measure words.

There are many different types of measure words, but the most common ones are 份 (fèn), 件
(jiàn), and 双 (shuāng). Each one has a specific use, so it’s essential to know when to use them.

• 份 (fèn) – for a portion

Example: a portion of noodles is 份面条 (yí fèn miàn tiáo)

• 件 (jiàn) – for clothing, furniture, luggage, and for pieces in general

Example: a piece of shirt is 件衬衫 (yí jiàn chèn shān)

• 双 (shuāng) – for pairs, i.e., shoes, boots, socks

Example: a pair of shoes is 双鞋子 (yì shuāng xié zi)

It’s best to learn the different measure words one by one and then practice using them in
real-life situations. Once you get used to these important words, you’ll find that they’re really
easy to use. You might even find yourself using them without even thinking about it!

7. 试衣间 (Shì Yī Jiān)

 试 衣 间 (shì yī jiān) may literally
translate as “fitting room” in Chinese shopping
vocabulary. If you’re shopping at a department
store, there will usually be several fitting rooms
where you can try on clothes. You may ask a
shop assistant to take you to a fitting room, or
you can ask for directions if you need help
finding them.

Example:

Where is your fitting room? (你的试衣间在哪里？) – nǐ de shì yī jiān zài nǎ lǐ？

Typically, a shop assistant will take you to the fitting room. If you want to call them for
help, you can say 小姐 (xiăo jiĕ) for miss and 先生 (xiān shēng) for sir.

8. 现金 (Xiàn Jīn)

This is perhaps the most important word in Chinese shopping. 现金 (xiàn jīn) means cash.
In most cases, when you get to the cash register, the cashier will ask you, “刷卡吗?” (shuā kǎ
ma), meaning “Are you paying with your card?.”

刷卡 (shuā kǎ) means “credit card,” and as you may already know, 吗 (ma) is the question particle.

9. 多少钱 (Duōshao Qián)

This is another helpful phrase when shopping

in China. 多 少 钱 (duōshao qián) means “how
much?”

Usually, you’ll find the prices listed on the

tags of the products you’re buying. If there are no
prices, then you can ask the shop assistant:

How much is this? (这个多少钱？) – zhège

duōshǎo qián?

More Vocabulary for Shopping in Chinese

Here are some additional Chinese words and phrases related to shopping:
 English Chinese Pinyin

Clothes 衣服 Yīfú

Pants/trousers 裤子 Kùzi

Receipt 收据 Shōujù

Shoes 鞋子 Xiézi

Shorts 短裤 Duǎnkù

I want to go shopping 我要去购物 Wǒ yào qù gòuwù

I’ll take this one 我要这个 Wǒ yào zhège

Can you wrap it? 你可以包装一下 Nǐ kěyǐ bāozhuāng yīxià

Simple Dialogues

在超市 (zài chāo shì) At the supermarket…

- 店员 (diàn yuán) Shop Assistant: Do you need a bag? (nǐ xū yào dài zi ma?) 你需要
袋子吗？
- 客户 (kè hù) Customer: Yes, I want one. (shì de) 是的。

I don’t need one. (bù yòng, xiè xie) 不用，谢谢。

No, I already have one. (bù yòng, wǒ yǒu dài zi.) 不用，我有袋子。

Bringing your own bags is not only green, but will also save you a few kuai every time
you go shopping, as most supermarkets charge for a plastic bag.
- 店员 Shop Assistant: Do you have a VIP card? (yǒu huì yuán kǎ ma?) 有会员卡
吗？
- 客户 Customer: I don’t have one. (méi yǒu) 没有。

I have one. (yǒu) 有。

- 客户 Customer: Can I use my bank card? (kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma?) 可以刷卡吗？

- 店员 Shop Assistant: Yes. (kě yǐ) 可以。
 Sorry, we only take cash。(bào qiàn, wǒ men zhǐ shōu xiàn jīn.) 抱歉，
我们只收现金。

Most supermarkets have a combination of both ‘pick-your-own’ and pre-packed fruits,

veggies, rice and dried goods, but sometimes it’s not clear whether they need to be weighed and a
price added to your package. You can ask a shop assistant the following to prevent getting caught
out when you get to the checkouts. It’s rare that anyone will help you get a price, so you either
need to go back to the weighing station, or leave your dreams of guacamole (and avocados) behind.
- 客户 Customer: Do I need to weigh this? (zhè ge xū yào guò chēng ma?) 这个需
要过称吗？
- 店员 Shop Assistant: Yes, over there. (shì de, zài nà bian guò chēng) 是的，在
那边过称。

There’s no need. (bù yòng) 不用。

在咖啡馆 (zài kā fēi guǎn) At a café

If the cafe has both an outside and inside sitting area, the waiter will probably ask you
where you would like to sit.
❖ 服务员 (fú wù yuán) Waiter: Do you want to sit inside or outside? (qǐng wèn nín xiǎng
zuò lǐ miàn hái shì zuò wài mian?) 请问您想坐里面还是坐外面？
❖ 客户 Customer: Outside, thanks. (wài mian, xiè xie) 外面，谢谢。
❖ I want to sit inside. Here is OK. (zuò lǐ miàn jiù kě yǐ le?) 坐里面就可以了。服务员
Waiter: What do you want to drink? (nín xiǎng hē diǎn shén me?) 您想喝点什么？
❖ 客户 Customer: I want a cup of coffee (wǒ yào (yī bēi) kā fēi) 我要(一杯)咖啡。

apple juice (wǒ yào píng guǒ zhī) 我要苹果汁。

2 bottles of beer (wǒ yào liǎng píng pí jiǔ) 我要两瓶啤酒。

This sentence uses the simple sentence pattern subject + verb + object, which is extremely
useful and commonly used. When we ask for 2 of something in Chinese, we do not use the usual
number 2, which is 二. The word is changed to 两. In the example, we also see the measure word
for bottle, 瓶. However, if you were to use 个, the waiter would still understand.

If you do not place your order at the bar, the waiter may ask:
您好，请问是现在点单吗？(nín hǎo, qǐng wèn shì xiàn zài diǎn dān ma?) Hi, Would you like
to order now?
If you want to ask them to give you some time to look, just say:
客户 Customer: Please give me 5 minutes to look. (dài huì diǎn, wǒ xiān kàn yī xià) 待会点，
我先看一下。

Before you leave the cafe, don’t forget to pay your bill!
客户 Customer: Bill, please. (mǎi dān) 买单！

服务员 Waiter: 30 (sān shí) 三十

25 (èr shí wǔ) 二十五

Here are some additional phrases and questions you might want like to know If you go to
a chain coffee shop. The barista may ask what size cup you want. Here are the common cups
sizes:
Small size (xiǎo bēi) 小杯

Medium size (zhōng bēi) 中杯

Large size (dà bēi) 大杯

Finally, the barista might ask whether you’ll drink the coffee in the shop, or take it with you?
店员 Barista Do you want it here or to take away? (zài zhè hē hái shì dài zǒu?) 在这喝还是带
走？

客户 Customer: Here. (zài zhè hē) 在这喝。

Take-away. (dài zǒu) 带走。