How to negotiate with a Chinese supplier: Mandarin phrases
You are at a trade fair in Guangzhou. You visit a supplier's booth to ask about a product and request a sample.
How the conversation starts
陈经理 (Manager Chen) · sales manager at an electronics accessories company
Ask for a product sample
What you do
- Say which product you are interested in
- Ask for a sample
- Swap contact details on WeChat
What to say
- 我对这个产品感兴趣。Wǒ duì zhège chǎnpǐn gǎn xìngqù.I'm interested in this product.
- 可以给我一个样品吗？Kěyǐ gěi wǒ yí ge yàngpǐn ma?Can you give me a sample?
- 我们加个微信吧。Wǒmen jiā ge Wēixìn ba.Let's add each other on WeChat.
- 谢谢！Xièxie!Thank you!
Negotiate with a Chinese supplier
You are at a supplier's office in Yiwu, China. You want to buy 500 units of a product and need to agree on size, quantity and price. A deposit is paid later by bank transfer.
What you do
- Say which size you want
- Say how many you want to order
- Ask for the price
What to say
- 我要大号的。Wǒ yào dà hào de.I want the large size.
3 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Supplier: minimum order and a rush
You're at a supplier's showroom in Yiwu, sourcing insulated water bottles. For your first order you'd like 500, to test the market; you need them within 25 days for a trade show. If the quality is good you'll order more.
What you do
- Say you want 500 for a first order
- The minimum order is 1,000: negotiate
- Production takes 35 days: ask for it sooner and agree on terms
What to say
- 我们第一次合作，想先订五百个试试。Wǒmen dì yī cì hézuò, xiǎng xiān dìng wǔbǎi ge shìshi.It's our first order together. We'd like to start with 500 to try.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Sell to a Chinese buyer
You work for a chocolate maker from your country, at an import fair in Shanghai. A buyer from a Chinese supermarket chain stops at your stand. Answer her in Chinese: the price of a box, the smallest order, and when the goods can arrive. She'll have questions of her own.
What you do
- Tell her the price of a box
- Tell her the smallest order
- Tell her when the goods can arrive
What to say
- 一盒八十块。Yì hé bāshí kuài.A box is 80 yuan.
3 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Now say it out loud
In Kaiko, 陈经理 (Manager Chen) answers you out loud in Chinese, and a coach corrects you as you go.