Lesson 7: Shopping & Bargaining

Navigate shopping situations in Chinese: ask prices, bargain, understand discounts, and handle returns.

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Overview

Whether you are in a street market, a mall, or a small shop, knowing how to discuss prices and negotiate in Chinese opens up a huge range of everyday interactions. This lesson covers the key vocabulary for shopping, how to bargain politely, express that something is too expensive, and handle exchanges or refunds.

Learning Objectives

  • Ask for prices and express reactions with 太贵了
  • Negotiate using 能不能便宜一点 and 打折
  • Understand and use shopping measure words
  • Handle returns and exchanges with 换 and 退

Vocabulary

Character Pinyin Type Meaning Example
商店 shāngdiàn n shop, store 这家商店东西很便宜。
价格 jiàgé n price 这个价格太贵了。
便宜 piányí adj cheap, inexpensive 这里的水果很便宜。
打折 dǎzhé v to discount 现在打八折。
换 huàn v to exchange, swap 可以换一件吗？
退 tuì v to return (goods) 我想退货。
贵 guì adj expensive 这个太贵了。
多少钱 duōshao qián phrase how much money 这个多少钱？
讨价还价 tǎojià huánjià v to bargain 在市场可以讨价还价。
收据 shōujù n receipt 请给我收据。
付款 fùkuǎn v to pay 在这里付款。
现金 xiànjīn n cash 可以用现金吗？
尺码 chǐmǎ n size (clothing) 有没有大一点的尺码？
颜色 yánsè n color 有别的颜色吗？

Grammar Focus

Pattern 1: 太 + Adjective + 了 (excessively)

Structure: 太 + Adjective + 了

太...了 expresses that something is excessively or surprisingly so. In shopping, 太贵了 is the standard way to express shock at a price. The 了 at the end intensifies the expression.

Chinese Pinyin English
这个太贵了！ Zhège tài guì le! This is way too expensive!
太便宜了，买！ Tài piányí le, mǎi! It's so cheap, I'll buy it!
这件衣服太小了。 Zhè jiàn yīfu tài xiǎo le. This piece of clothing is too small.
太多了，我不需要那么多。 Tài duō le, wǒ bù xūyào nàme duō. That's too many, I don't need that many.

Common mistake: 太 without 了 can feel incomplete in exclamations. In casual speech, always pair them: 太贵了, not just 太贵.

Pattern 2: 能不能 + Verb + 一点？ (making flexible requests)

Structure: 能不能 + Verb Phrase + 一点？

This is a polite, soft way to ask for something, typically used in negotiation. It literally means "can you or can't you," which in practice functions as a gentle request. 一点 softens the ask.

Chinese Pinyin English
能不能便宜一点？ Néng bù néng piányí yīdiǎn? Could you make it a little cheaper?
能不能快一点？ Néng bù néng kuài yīdiǎn? Could you go a little faster?
能不能给我换一件？ Néng bù néng gěi wǒ huàn yī jiàn? Could you exchange this for me?

Common mistake: 能不能 is a question form and does not need 吗 at the end. Adding 吗 to 能不能 is redundant and sounds unnatural.

Pattern 3: 打折 and discount expressions

Structure: 打 + Number + 折

In Chinese, discounts are expressed as tenths. 打八折 means 80% of the original price (20% off). 打五折 means 50% off.

Chinese Pinyin English
现在打八折。 Xiànzài dǎ bā zhé. It's now at 80% of the price (20% off).
这件衣服打了七折。 Zhè jiàn yīfu dǎ le qī zhé. This garment is 30% off.
今天全场打折！ Jīntiān quán chǎng dǎzhé! Everything in the store is on sale today!
有没有打折的东西？ Yǒu méiyǒu dǎzhé de dōngxī? Is there anything on sale?

Common mistake: Do not confuse 打折 with 折扣 (zhékòu). 打折 is the verb (to give a discount); 折扣 is the noun (discount). Both are used, but 打折 is more common in spoken Chinese.

Dialogue

A: 老板，这条围巾多少钱？ Lǎobǎn, zhè tiáo wéijīn duōshao qián? Boss, how much is this scarf?

B: 这条两百块。 Zhè tiáo liǎng bǎi kuài. This one is 200 yuan.

A: 两百？太贵了！能不能便宜一点？ Liǎng bǎi? Tài guì le! Néng bù néng piányí yīdiǎn? Two hundred? That's way too expensive! Could you make it a little cheaper?

B: 这是真丝的，质量很好。最便宜一百七。 Zhè shì zhēn sī de, zhìliàng hěn hǎo. Zuì piányí yī bǎi qī. This is real silk, very good quality. The lowest I can go is 170.

A: 一百五怎么样？我现在就买。 Yī bǎi wǔ zěnmeyàng? Wǒ xiànzài jiù mǎi. How about 150? I'll buy it right now.

B: 好吧，一百五，便宜你了。要收据吗？ Hǎo ba, yī bǎi wǔ, piányí nǐ le. Yào shōujù ma? OK, 150 for you then. Do you need a receipt?

A: 要，谢谢。另外，如果质量有问题，可以退吗？ Yào, xièxie. Lìngwài, rúguǒ zhìliàng yǒu wèntí, kěyǐ tuì ma? Yes, thanks. Also, if there is a quality issue, can I return it?

B: 当然可以，七天内都可以退换。 Dāngrán kěyǐ, qī tiān nèi dōu kěyǐ tuìhuàn. Of course, you can return or exchange it within seven days.

Practice

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

  1. 这双鞋 ______ 贵了！(These shoes are way too expensive!)
  2. 能 ______ 能便宜 ______ 点？(Could you make it a little cheaper?)
  3. 今天这件外套 ______ 八折。(This jacket is 20% off today.)
  4. 如果尺码不合适，可以 ______ 吗？(If the size doesn't fit, can I exchange it?)
  5. 你想用现金还是 ______ 方式付款？(Do you want to pay with cash or another method?)

Exercise 2: Translate to Chinese

  1. This shirt is too small. Do you have a larger size?
  2. Could you give me a discount? I'm buying two.
  3. I'd like to return this jacket. Here is the receipt.
  4. Is everything in the store on sale today?

Exercise 3: Answer in Chinese

  1. 你喜欢在商店购物还是在网上购物？(Do you prefer shopping in stores or online?)
  2. 在市场买东西，你会讨价还价吗？(When buying things at a market, do you bargain?)
  3. 你买东西的时候最注意什么？价格还是质量？(When buying things, what do you pay most attention to? Price or quality?)

Cultural Note

Bargaining is an expected and accepted practice in traditional markets (市场, shìchǎng), small independent stores, and tourist areas in China. However, it is not appropriate in supermarkets, chain stores, or malls where prices are fixed. When bargaining, the social interaction itself matters: being friendly, showing genuine interest in the item, and letting the vendor feel respected often leads to a better outcome than being aggressive about price. Starting at around 50-60% of the asking price and meeting somewhere in the middle is a common approach.