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常用中文
Survival Chinese for Sourcing
A few key phrases will transform your wholesale market experience.
Greetings & Basics
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | Nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | Xièxiè |
| How much? | 多少钱？ | Duōshǎo qián? |
| Too expensive! | 太贵了！ | Tài guì le! |
| Cheaper, please | 便宜一点 | Piányí yīdiǎn |
| I want this | 我要这个 | Wǒ yào zhège |
Wholesale-Specific
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale price | 批发价 | Pīfā jià |
| Minimum order? | 最少拿多少？ | Zuìshǎo ná duōshǎo? |
| How many colors? | 有几个颜色？ | Yǒu jǐ gè yánsè? |
| What material? | 什么材料？ | Shénme cáiliào? |
| Do you ship overseas? | 可以发国外吗？ | Kěyǐ fā guówài ma? |
| I'll take a sample first | 我先拿样品 | Wǒ xiān ná yàngpǐn |
| Give me your card | 给我名片 | Gěi wǒ míngpiàn |
Numbers (Essential)
| Number | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | Yī |
| 10 | 十 | Shí |
| 100 | 一百 | Yībǎi |
| 1,000 | 一千 | Yīqiān |
| 10,000 | 一万 | Yīwàn |
Emergency
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | 救命！ | Jiùmìng! |
| I need a doctor | 我需要医生 | Wǒ xūyào yīshēng |
| Police | 警察 | Jǐngchá |
| I'm lost | 我迷路了 | Wǒ mílù le |
| Where is the bathroom? | 洗手间在哪里？ | Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? |
Tips
- **Tone matters!** Mandarin has 4 tones. "Mā" (妈, mother) vs "Mǎ" (马, horse) — very different meanings.
- **Show the Chinese text.** When speaking fails, just show them the characters on your phone.
- **Use Pleco or Google Translate** with camera mode to read signs and menus instantly.
- **Learn numbers first** — they're the most useful for bargaining.