Black Friday & the sales in Chinese 黑五打折季
hēi wǔ dǎzhé jì
Black Friday in Chinese is 黑色星期五 (hēi sè xīng qī wǔ).
Also searched for as: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day sales, January sales, sales season.
The big November sales, and every sale after that. 15 words and phrases for Black Friday & the sales in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Black Friday in Chinese is 黑色星期五 (hēi sè xīng qī wǔ), shortened in everyday chat to 黑五 (hēi wǔ). Many Chinese shoppers know it through 海淘 (hǎi táo), buying from overseas websites, and the same words carry over to every sale season, from 打折 (dǎ zhé) discounts to 清仓 (qīng cāng) clearance. These terms are handy whether you're shopping in the UK, the US or online in China.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 黑色星期五 | hēi sè xīng qī wǔ | Black Friday |
| 黑五 | hēi wǔ | Black Friday (short form) |
| 网络星期一 | wǎng luò xīng qī yī | Cyber Monday |
| 节礼日 | jié lǐ rì | Boxing Day |
| 打折 | dǎ zhé | to be on sale; to give a discount |
| 打五折 | dǎ wǔ zhé | half price (lit. 50% of the price) |
| 大促 | dà cù | big sale |
| 清仓 | qīng cāng | clearance; to clear stock |
| 原价 | yuán jià | original price |
| 排队 | pái duì | to queue |
| 海淘 | hǎi táo | to buy from overseas websites |
| 比价 | bǐ jià | to compare prices |
| 划算 | huá suàn | good value; worth it |
| 囤货 | tún huò | to stock up |
| 冲动消费 | chōng dòng xiāo fèi | impulse buying |
Usage tips
- Price tags often show the 原价 (yuán jià), the original price, crossed out next to the 现价 (xiàn jià), the current price, or the 到手价 (dào shǒu jià), what you actually pay once every discount is applied.
- 囤货 (tún huò) means stocking up, usually on everyday items like toiletries; 囤 also works on its own, as in 囤了很多纸巾, "I've stocked up on tissues".
- 黑色星期五 can also simply mean an unlucky Friday, so context matters; when talking about the sales, 黑五 is unambiguous.
Common mistakes
- Reading 打八折 as "80% off" → Chinese discounts state what you pay, so it means 20% off; half price is 打五折 (dǎ wǔ zhé).
- Using 便宜 (pián yi) for every good deal → 便宜 just means cheap; 划算 (huá suàn) means good value, so an expensive coat at half price is 划算 without necessarily being 便宜.
Mini dialogue
- A黑五你打算买什么？Hēi wǔ nǐ dǎ suàn mǎi shén me?What are you planning to buy on Black Friday?
- B我想买一件大衣，现在打五折。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī jiàn dà yī, xiàn zài dǎ wǔ zhé.I want a coat. It's half price at the moment.
- A原价多少？Yuán jià duō shao?What was the original price?
- B原价两千，现在一千。挺划算的吧？Yuán jià liǎng qiān, xiàn zài yī qiān. Tǐng huá suàn de ba?2,000 originally, 1,000 now. Pretty good deal, isn't it?
- A划算是划算，不过最好先比价，别冲动消费。Huá suàn shì huá suàn, bù guò zuì hǎo xiān bǐ jià, bié chōng dòng xiāo fèi.It's a good deal, sure, but compare prices first. Don't impulse buy.
Example sentences
- 黑色星期五是感恩节后的那个周五。Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving.
- 黑五你打算买什么？What are you planning to buy on Black Friday?
- 网络星期一网上的折扣更多。There are more online discounts on Cyber Monday.
- 节礼日的打折力度也很大。The Boxing Day discounts are huge too.
- 商场里所有东西都在打折。Everything in the shopping centre is on sale.
- 这双鞋现在打五折。These shoes are half price now.
- 黑五大促从今天开始。The Black Friday sale starts today.
- 这家店在清仓大甩卖。This shop is having a clearance sale.
- 原价一千，现在只要五百。It was 1,000 originally, now it's just 500.
- 早上五点就有人在门口排队了。People were queuing outside by 5 a.m.
- 黑五很多人都在海淘。Lots of people shop on overseas sites on Black Friday.
- 买之前最好先比价。It's best to compare prices before you buy.
- 这个价格太划算了！That price is such a bargain!
- 趁打折赶紧囤货吧！Stock up while it's on sale!
- 别冲动消费，想清楚再买。Don't impulse buy, think it through first.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Black Friday & the sales speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Black Friday & the sales to prepare your own answers to.