Receipts and Invoices in Chinese: shouju and fapiao 收据 & 发票

There are a few words for receipts and invoices you should know in Chinese, the most common are:

• invoice 发fā票piào (fā​piào)
• receipt 收shōu据jù (shōu​jù)

What’s the difference between a fapiao and a shouju?

• A 发fā票piào (fā​piào) is a tax invoice, you should ask for one of these when making a business related purchase or claiming a business expense.
• A 收shōu据jù (shōu​jù) is a simple receipt that could be from a till or even hand written. This is a proof of purchase, but is less formal that a fapiao

Example sentences

Let’s look at some examples sentences

这zhè是shì你nǐ的de收shōu据jù。.
zhè shì nǐ de shōu​jù.
This is your receipt.

这zhè zhè	this “this” 这zhè (zhè) and “that” 那nà (nà) are common words to remember in Chinese.
是shì shì	is
你nǐ的de nǐ de	your 你nǐ (nǐ) means “you”, while adding the possessive particle character 的de (de) changse the meaning to “your” 你nǐ的de (nǐ de). Similarly “me” 我wǒ (wǒ) + the possessive particle 的de (de) makes “my” and “we” 我wǒ们men (wǒ​men) + the possessive particle 的de (de) makes “our”.
收shōu据jù shōu​jù	receipt

我wǒ给gěi你nǐ开kāi张zhāng收shōu据jù。.
wǒ gěi nǐ kāi​zhāng shōu​jù.
I’ll give you a receipt

我wǒ wǒ	I
给gěi gěi	give
你nǐ nǐ	you
开kāi kāi	write out / make out The normal translation of 开kāi (kāi) is “open” as in “open a door” 开kāi门mén (kāi​mén). In this sentence it means to “write out” or to “make out”; you would use 开kāi (kāi) to say to “write out a prescription” 开kāi张zhāng药yào方fāng (kāi​zhāng yào​fāng) (here 药yào方fāng (yào​fāng) means “prescription”).
张zhāng zhāng	a 张zhāng (zhāng) is the classifier for a piece of paper, in a way it’s like saying a “piece” or “unit” of receipt. You can also say one piece 一yī张zhāng (yī zhāng) , however the word one 一yī (yī) is often omitted in Chinese. Check out our post on Chinese classifiers.
收shōu据jù shōu​jù	receipt

至zhì少shǎo你nǐ能néng留liú着zhe收shōu据jù
zhì​shǎo nǐ néng liú zhe shōu​jù
At least you kept your receipt.

	at least 至zhì少shǎo (zhì​shǎo) is a common way of saying “at least“ and can be used in sentences such as “at least we can try!” 至zhì少shǎo我wǒ们men可kě以yǐ是shì一yī是shì (zhì​shǎo wǒ​men kě​yǐ shì yī shì) or “at least two hours” 只zhǐ是shì两liǎng个gè小xiǎo时shí (zhǐ​shì liǎng gè xiǎo​shí).
你nǐ能néng nǐ néng	you (were) able (to) “you” 你nǐ (nǐ) and “able” 能néng (néng) are separate words, but we’ve combined them as the meaning here is “you were able to”.
留liú着zhe liú zhe	keep 留liú (liú) means “to keep”, while 着zhe (zhe) is a special aspect particle character that indicates an action that is process, that is the action of keeping the receipt in this case.
收shōu据jù shōu​jù	(your) receipt We could have said “your receipt” 你nǐ的de收shōu据jù (nǐ de shōu​jù), however there is no need as this is implied given the context. The use of context to simplify sentences is common in Chinese.

我wǒ不bù要yào发fā票piào，,你nǐ卖mài我wǒ多duō少shǎo钱qián？?
wǒ bù​yào fā​piào, nǐ mài wǒ duō​shǎo qián?
If I don’t want an invoice, how much will you sell it for? (what”s your cash price?)

我wǒ wǒ	I
不bù要yào bù​yào	don’t want 要yào (yào) means to “want”, “request” or “demand”, while putting the negative prefix 不bù (bù) in front changes the meaning to “don’t want” 不bù要yào (bù​yào)
发fā票piào fā​piào	(an) invoice 发fā票piào (fā​piào) means invoice, however we could have said “an invoice” by placing 一yī张zhāng (yī zhāng) (literally “one unit of”) in front to make 一yī张zhāng发fā票piào (yī zhāng fā​piào)
你nǐ卖mài我wǒ nǐ mài wǒ	you (will) sell (it to) me This is three words, but should be remembered as a set phrase. Broken down this is “you” 你nǐ (nǐ) + “sell” 卖mài (mài) + “me” 我wǒ (wǒ). Don’t confuse the “buy” 买mǎi (mǎi) and “sell” 卖mài (mài) characters, which look and sound very similar, although buy is third (inflected) tone while sell is the forth (falling) tone. You can learn more about tones here.
多duō少shǎo钱qián？? duō​shǎo qián?	how much This is another fixed phrase. Literally this is “how much” 多duō少shǎo (duō​shǎo) + “money” 钱qián (qián).

我wǒ的de发fā票piào出chū了le一yī些xiē问wèn题tí，,看kàn一yī下xià。.
wǒ de fā​piào chū le yī​xiē wèn​tí, kàn yī​xià.
My invoice has a problem, take a look.

我wǒ的de wǒ de	my Here 的de (de) turns “me” or “I” 我wǒ (wǒ) into “my” 我wǒ的de (wǒ de)
发fā票piào fā​piào	invoice
出chū了le chū le	has 出chū (chū) means “to come out with” or “to produce”, while 了le (le) makes this in the paste tense, a competed action. Note we could use the character “has” 有yǒu (yǒu) instead of 出chū (chū), however these aren’t always interchangeable.
一yī些xiē yī​xiē	a little 一yī些xiē (yī​xiē) means “a little” or “a few”
问wèn题tí wèn​tí	(a) problem We could say “a problem” by adding 一yī个gè (yī gè) in front i.e. 一yī个gè问wèn题tí (yī gè wèn​tí). 问wèn题tí (wèn​tí) is a very common word meaning a problem or an issue.
看kàn一yī下xià kàn yī​xià	take a look This is a set phrase meaning “take a look”, literally “look” 看kàn (kàn) + “for a bit / for a while” 一yī下xià (yī​xià). We could have alternatively said “you take a look (at it / at the invoice)” 你nǐ看kàn看kan (nǐ kàn​kan).