Make Your Supermarket Run Faster
Never saw a supermarket move, let alone run, but whatevs.
Mandarin Monday: Make Your Supermarket Run Faster With This Shopping Lingo
There are times when going to the mall or a grocery store is far better and more convenient than shopping online, especially if we want to buy fresh food or items that we want to see physically first. Yet, while our enjoyment of shopping might transcend the challenges of the language barrier, it doesn’t hurt to know a few words that are sure to make your supermarket visit truly super.
Discounts, promos, and prices
| Quantity | Chinese | English translation / notes |
|---|---|---|
| RMB 500 | 原价 yuánjià | “original price” or price before discount |
| – | 减 jiǎn | “minus” or “to subtract” |
| 7 | 折 zhé | the discounted price, expressed in tenths. The simplest way to calculate it is to subtract the 折 number from 10, and then multiply the difference by 10 to get the actual discount as a percentage. So 10-7折 = 3, x 10 = 30% discount |
| = | 等于 děngyú | “equals” |
| RMB 350 | 现价 xiànjià | “current price” or price after discount |
Watch out for these shopping terms…
- 促销活动 cùxiāo huódòng sales promotion
- 买一送一 mǎi yī sòng yī “buy one, get one free”
- (amount)+元两件 yuán liǎng jiàn buy two (items) for RMB (amount)
- 全场 quán chǎng entire store
- (number) + 起 qǐ "starting at (number) or from (number) and up"
- 半价 bàn jià half-price
- 件 jiàn measure word for clothing, furniture, or items
- 满 mǎn to reach a certain limit/amount (before you get a discount)
Chinese supermarket sections
- 区 qū section/area
- 蔬菜区 shūcài qū vegetable section
- 鱼肉区 yú ròu qū meat and fish section
- 生鲜冷冻区 shēng xiān lěngdòng qū fresh and frozen food items section
- 水果 shuǐguǒ fruits
- 调味料 tiáo wèi liào spices and condiments
- 烘焙谷物 hōng bèi gǔ wù baked goods, cereals, grains
- 乳制品 rǔzhì pǐn dairy
- 零食区 língshí qū snacks area
- 进口食品 jìnkǒu shí pǐn imported food items
- 日用品 rì yònɡ pǐn household items
- 家电区 jiādiàn qū electronics
- 杂货店 záhuò diàn grocery store
At the counter
- 收银台 shōu yín tái cashier desk
- 刷卡 shuā kǎ credit card
- 现金 xiàn jīn cash
- 袋子 dài zi bag
- 会员卡 huì yuán kǎ membership card
- 购物车 ɡòu wù chē shopping cart
- 付钱 fù qián to pay money
Other useful words
- 价格 jiàgé price
- 砍价 kǎn jià to bargain
- 重量 zhòng liàng “item weight"
- (公)克 (gōng) kè gram
- 斤 jīn 500 grams
- 公斤 gōng jīn 1 kilogram
- 生产日期 shēngchǎn rìqí manufacturing date
- 保质期 bǎozhìqī shelf life
- 保质期至 bǎozhìqī zhì expiry date
Take it easy and try to remember the words and phrases that you will need at a certain moment, for example, if you’re going to the fruits and vegetable section. Take photos of the tags or receipts and decipher them using a translator app whenever you get a chance. That way, it will be easier to associate the new words with the supermarket section you go to.
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Photos: Andy Penafuerte III, Places2Holiday, Pixabay, createcn.com
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