Shopping in Chinese 购物
gòuwù
Shopping in Chinese is 购物 (gòu wù).
Also searched for as: go shopping, shop, how much is it.
What else do you buy? 15 essential shopping words 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.
The word for shopping in Chinese is 购物 (gòu wù), though in everyday speech people more often say 买东西 (mǎi dōng xi), 'buy things', or 逛街 (guàng jiē), wandering round the shops. These words cover the essentials, from asking 多少钱 (duō shao qián), how much, to asking to 试 (shì) something on or 换 (huàn) it for another size.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 购物 | gòu wù | shopping |
| 商店 | shāng diàn | shop |
| 商场 | shāng chǎng | shopping centre |
| 卖 | mài | to sell |
| 多少钱 | duō shao qián | how much? |
| 价格 | jià gé | price |
| 质量 | zhì liàng | quality |
| 试 | shì | to try (on) |
| 换 | huàn | to exchange |
| 退货 | tuì huò | to return goods |
| 网购 | wǎng gòu | online shopping |
| 淘宝 | táo bǎo | Taobao |
| 快递 | kuài dì | delivery |
| 包裹 | bāo guǒ | parcel |
| 促销 | cù xiāo | promotion |
Usage tips
- 商店 (shāng diàn) is a shop, while 商场 (shāng chǎng) is a shopping centre or department store; in Singapore and Malaysia you'll also hear 购物中心 (gòu wù zhōng xīn).
- 试 (shì) is usually softened to 试一下 (shì yī xià) or 试试 (shì shi), as in 我可以试一下吗 (wǒ kě yǐ shì yī xià ma), can I try it on?
- 质量 (zhì liàng) means the quality of goods, so 质量很好 (zhì liàng hěn hǎo) is real praise for something you've bought.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我去购物 in casual chat sounds rather formal; friends usually say 我去买东西 (wǒ qù mǎi dōng xi) or 我去逛街 (wǒ qù guàng jiē).
- Confusing 买 (mǎi), to buy, and 卖 (mài), to sell, which differ only in tone; 我想买 (wǒ xiǎng mǎi) means I want to buy, but 我想卖 (wǒ xiǎng mài) means I want to sell.
Mini dialogue
- A这件衣服多少钱？Zhè jiàn yī fu duō shao qián?How much is this top?
- B两百块，质量很好。Liǎng bǎi kuài, zhì liàng hěn hǎo.Two hundred yuan. It's very good quality.
- A我可以试一下吗？Wǒ kě yǐ shì yī xià ma?Can I try it on?
- B当然，试衣间在那边。Dāng rán, shì yī jiān zài nà biān.Of course, the fitting room is over there.
- A有点儿小，能换大一点的吗？Yǒu diǎnr xiǎo, néng huàn dà yī diǎn de ma?It's a bit small. Could I swap it for a bigger one?
Example sentences
- 她每个周末都去购物。She goes shopping every weekend.
- 这家商店晚上十点关门。This shop closes at ten in the evening.
- 我们下午去商场看看吧。Let's go and have a look round the shopping centre this afternoon.
- 这儿卖手机吗？Do you sell mobile phones here?
- 这件衣服多少钱？How much is this item of clothing?
- 这里的价格都很公道。The prices here are all very fair.
- 这双鞋质量很好。These shoes are very good quality.
- 我可以试一下这件吗？Can I try this one on?
- 太小了，能换大一点的吗？It's too small. Can I exchange it for a bigger one?
- 七天内可以退货。You can return goods within seven days.
- 现在很多人喜欢网购。Lots of people like online shopping nowadays.
- 这条裙子是我在淘宝上买的。I bought this skirt on Taobao.
- 你的快递到了，在门口。Your delivery has arrived. It's at the door.
- 我去邮局取一个包裹。I'm going to the post office to pick up a parcel.
- 这个月商场有很多促销。The shopping centre has lots of promotions this month.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Shopping speaking island has 8 everyday questions about shopping to prepare your own answers to.