Chinese Vocabulary for Shopping

So you’re all set to go shopping in China. In this post I will provide you with some useful grammar and phrases that you can use. Please check out my other posts on clothing and footwear sizes, colours and patterns and clothing and footwear vocabulary, all are useful vocabulary to know when shopping in Chinese

Chinese Shopping Example Dialogue

Imagine you’re out shopping, perhaps you’d like to buy a shirt but can’t find the department? The dialogue will probably be  similar to this:

Hello. Can I help you?
您nín好hǎo。.我wǒ能néng帮bāng你nǐ芒máng吗ma？?
nín hǎo. Wǒ néng bāng nǐ máng ma?

I want to buy clothes.
我wǒ想xiǎng买mǎi些xiē衣yī服fu。.
wǒ xiǎng mǎi xiē yīfú.

The clothing department is on the third floor.
服fú装zhuāng部bù门mén在zài三sān楼lóu。.
fúzhuāng bùmén zài sān lóu.

Thank you. Where is the escalator?
谢xiè谢xie。.自zì动dòng楼lóu梯tī在zài哪nǎ里lǐ？?
xièxiè. zìdòng lóutī zài nǎlǐ?

It is on your right.
在zài右yòu边bian..
zài yòubiān.

Excuse me where is the menswear department?
读dú不bù起qǐ男nán装zhuāng部bù门mén在zài哪nǎ里lǐ？?
dú bù qǐ nánzhuāng bùmén zài nǎlǐ?

It’s over there.
在zài那nà边bian。.
zài nà biān.

 

Can I try this in a size larger?
我wǒ能néng试shì大dà一yī码mǎ？?
wǒ néng shì dà yī mǎ?

May I ask, what size do you wear?
请qǐng问wèn，,你nǐ穿chuān几jǐ号hào？?
qǐngwèn, nǐ chuān jǐ hào?

Size 12.
1122码mǎ。.
shí’èr hào.

Let me check the stock room.
让ràng我wǒ去qù库kù里lǐ看kàn看kan。.
ràng wǒ qù kù lǐ kàn kàn.

Sorry, we don’t currently have white, but both black and red.
对duì不bu起qǐ，,我wǒ们men目mù前qián没méi有yǒu白bái色sè的de，,但dàn是shì黑hēi色sè和hé红hóng色sè都dōu有yǒu。.
duìbùqǐ, wǒmen mùqián méiyǒu báisè de, dànshì hēisè hé hóngsè dōu yǒu.

Okay, I’ll take black.
好hǎo的de，,我wǒ会huì买mǎi黑hēi色sè的de。.
hǎo de, wǒ huì mǎi hēisè de.

Okay, here you go.
好hǎo的de。.给gěi你nǐ。.
hǎo de. gěi nǐ.

Where is the payment counter?
付fù款kuǎn柜guì台tái在zài哪nǎ里lǐ？?
fùkuǎn guìtái zài nǎlǐ?

It is on your left.
在zài左zuǒ边bian。.
zài zuǒbiān.

[At the counter]
I’ll take this one. Can you please wrap it?
我wǒ要yào这zhè个ge。.最zuì后hòu包bāo装zhuāng一yī下xià。.
wǒ yào zhège. Zuìhòu bāozhuāng yīxià.

Okay. 100 Yuan.
好hǎo的de。.一yī百bǎi块kuài。.
hǎo de. yībǎi kuài.

Can I pay by credit card？
我wǒ能néng用yòng信xìn用yòng卡kǎ付fù款kuǎn吗ma？?
wǒ néng yòng xìnyòngkǎ fùkuǎn ma

Yes. Thank you.
可kě以yǐ 。.谢xiè谢xie。.
kěyǐ. xièxiè.

This is your invoice (receipt)
这zhè是shì你nǐ的de发fā票piào。.谢xiè谢xie。.
zhè shì nǐ de fǎ piào. xièxiè.

Thank you
谢xiè谢xie
xièxiè.

List of Departments in Chinese

In Chinese, 部bù门mén (bùmén) means department. Below is a list of departments you might find in larger stores, however if you don’t know the name of a department, you can always make a guess and simply append 部bù门mén (bùmén) to the end.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (Pinyin)
Baby Products Department	婴yīng儿'ér用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	yīng’ér yòngpǐn bùmén
Baby Wear Department	婴yīng儿'ér时shí装zhuāng部bù门mén	yīng’ér shízhuāng bùmén
Bakery and Seet Goods Department	面miàn包bāo和hé糕gāo点diǎn部bù门mén	miànbāo hé gāodiǎn bùmén
Beauty Department	美měi容róng部bù门mén	měiróng bùmén
Nautral Foods Department	天tiān然rán食shí品pǐn部bù门mén	tiānrán shípǐn bùmén
Children’s Wear Department	童tóng装zhuāng部bù门mén	tóngzhuāng bùmén
Department	部bù门mén	bùmén
Electrical Department	电diàn器qì用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	diànqì yòngpǐn bùmén
Floral Department	鲜xiān花huā部bù门mén	xiānhuā bùmén
Footwear Department	鞋xié类lèi部bù门mén	xié lèi bùmén
Gardening Department	园yuán艺yì部bù门mén	yuányì bùmén
Grocery Department	杂zá货huò食shí品pǐn部bù门mén	záhuò shípǐn bùmén
Hairstyling Department	美měi发fà部bù门mén	měifǎ bùmén
Hardware Department	五wǔ金jīn器qì具jù部bù门mén	wǔjīn qìjù bùmén
Health & Beauty Department	健jiàn康kāng美měi容róng用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	jiànkāng měiróng yòngpǐn bùmén
Home Appliances Department	家jiā用yòng器qì具jù部bù门mén	jiāyòng qìjù bùmén
Household Goods Department	家jiā庭tíng用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	jiātíng yòngpǐn bùmén
Import Foods Department	进jìn口kǒu食shí品pǐn部bù门mén	jìnkǒu shípǐn bùmén
Womenswear Department	女nǚ装zhuāng部bù门mén	nǚzhuāng bùmén
Lingerie Department	女nǚ性xìng内nèi衣yī睡shuì袍páo部bù门mén	nǚxìng nèiyī shuì páo bùmén
Menswear Department	男nán装zhuāng部bù门mén	nánzhuāng bùmén
Office Supplies Department	办bàn公gōng室shì用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	bàngōngshì yòngpǐn bùmén
Pet Supplies Department	宠chǒng物wù用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	chǒngwù yòngpǐn bùmén
Prepared Meals Department	熟shú食shí膳shàn用yòng部bù门mén	shúshí shàn yòng bùmén
Produce Department	蔬shū菜cài水shuǐ果guǒ部bù门mén	shūcài shuǐguǒ bùmén
School Supplies Department	学xué校xiào用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	xuéxiào yòngpǐn bùmén
Sporting Goods Department	运yùn动dòng用yòng品pǐn部bù门mén	yùndòng yòngpǐn bùmén

Chinese Shopping Phrases

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (Pinyin)
Can I help you	我wǒ能néng帮bāng你nǐ芒máng吗ma？?	Wǒ néng bāng nǐ máng ma?
Can I pay by credit card	我wǒ能néng用yòng信xìn用yòng卡kǎ付fù款kuǎn吗ma	wǒ néng yòng xìnyòngkǎ fùkuǎn ma
Can I try this in a size larger?	我wǒ能néng试shì大dà一yī码mǎ??	Wǒ néng shì dà yī mǎ?
Can you wrap it	你nǐ可kě以yǐ包bāo装zhuāng一yī下xià。.	nǐ kěyǐ bāozhuāng yīxià.
Excuse me	请qǐng问wèn	qǐngwèn
I want to buy clothes	我wǒ想xiǎng买mǎi些xiē衣yī服fu	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi xiē yīfú
I want to buy something	我wǒ要yào买mǎi东dōng西xi	wǒ yāomǎi dōngxī
I want to go shopping	我wǒ要yào去qù购gòu物wù	wǒ yào qù gòuwù
I’ll take black	我wǒ会huì买mǎi黑hēi色sè的de	wǒ huì mǎi hēisè de
I’ll take this one	我wǒ要yào这zhè个ge	wǒ yào zhège
It is on the left	在zài左zuǒ边bian	Zài zuǒbiān
It is on the right	在zài右yòu边bian	zài yòubiān
It’s over there	在zài那nà边bian	zài nà biān
Let me check the stock room.	让ràng我wǒ去qù库kù里lǐ看kàn看kan。.	Ràng wǒ qù kù lǐ kàn kàn.
Okay, here you go.	好hǎo的de。.给gěi你nǐ。.	hǎo de. Gěi nǐ.
The clothing department is on the third floor	服fú装zhuāng部bù门mén在zài三sān楼lóu	fúzhuāng bùmén zài sān lóu
This is your invoice	这zhè是shì你nǐ的de发fā票piào	zhè shì nǐ de fǎ piào
We don’t currently have…	我wǒ们men目mù前qián没méi有yǒu	Wǒmen mùqián méiyǒu
what do you want to buy	你nǐ要yào买mǎi什shén么me	nǐ yāomǎi shénme
What size do you wear	你nǐ穿chuān多duō大dà	nǐ chuān duōdà
Where is the escalator?	自zì动dòng扶fú梯tī在zài哪nǎ里lǐ？?	zìdòng fútī zài nǎlǐ?
Where is the menswear department?	男nán装zhuāng部bù门mén在zài哪nǎ里lǐ？?	nánzhuāng bùmén zài nǎlǐ?
Where is the payment counter	付fù款kuǎn柜guì台tái在zài哪nǎ里lǐ	Fùkuǎn guìtái zài nǎlǐ

Chinese Shopping Vocabulary

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (Pinyin)
big	大dà	dà
buy	买mǎi	mǎi
cash	现xiàn金jīn	xiànjīn
Chinese Renminbi	人rén民mín币bì	rénmínbì
Chinese unit of currency	块kuài	kuài
Chinese yuan	元yuán	yuán
clothes	衣yī服fu	yīfú
clothing	服fú装zhuāng	fúzhuāng
counter	柜guì台tái	guìtái
credit card	信xìn用yòng卡kǎ	xìnyòngkǎ
department	部bù门mén	bùmén
department store	百bǎi货huò公gōng司sī	bǎihuò gōngsī
dress	裙qún子zi	qúnzi
elevator	电diàn梯tī	diàntī
escalator	自zì动dòng扶fú梯tī	zìdòng fútī
first floor (ground floor)	一yī楼lóu	yī lóu
hello	你nǐ好hǎo	nǐ hǎo
help	帮bāng忙máng	bāngmáng
how big	多duō大dà	duō dà
I’m sorry	对duì不bu起qǐ	duìbùqǐ
Invoice	发fā票piào	fāpiào
left side	左zuǒ边bian	zuǒbiān
medium	中zhōng	zhōng
pants / trousers	裤kù子zi	kùzi
payment counter	付fù款kuǎn柜guì台tái	fùkuǎn guìtái
receipt	收shōu据jù	shōujù
right side	右yòu边bian	yòubiān
second floor	二èr楼lóu	èr lóu
sell	卖mài	mài
shoes	鞋xié子zi	xiézi
shop assistant	营yíng业yè员yuán	yíngyèyuán
shopping	购gòu物wù	gòuwù
shorts	短duǎn裤kù	duǎnkù
small	小xiǎo	xiǎo
straigh ahead	往wǎng前qián	wǎng qián
that side	那nà边bian	nà biān
third floor	三sān楼lóu	sān lóu
travelator	自zì动dòng走zǒu道dào	zìdòng zǒudào
wrap	包bāo装zhuāng	bāozhuāng

Conclusion

Shopping in a department store in China isn’t very different from shopping at home. typically you should leave bargaining to the market place and not try it in a department store. There are also some tips and tricks you should be aware of, one of these is understanding percentage discounts which don’t work the same as in English. I encourage you to take a look at my short post on how to understand discounts in Chinese as well as how to count in Chinese. If you’d really like to push yourself also take a look at my post on maths.

Finally, remember, if in doubt using a calculator (or calculator App on your phone) is the best way to communicate pricing in any language and works even if you speak no Chinese whatsoever .