Walking into a Chinese supermarket can feel like a pop quiz—unless you know the right words. Below are the must-know terms, grouped by scenario and shown in Chinese characters with pinyin, so you can read labels, ask questions and grab bargains with confidence. Entering the Store 超市 chāo shì – supermarket 购物车 gòu wù chē – shopping cart 购物篮 gòu wù lán – shopping basket Weights & Units China uses the metric system. Always check the scale (秤 chèng). 公斤 gōng jīn – kilogram (kg) 克 kè – gram (g) 升 shēng – liter (L) 毫升 háo shēng – milliliter (ml) 个 gè – generic “piece / unit” (e.g., 三个苹果 sān gè píng guǒ – three apples) Reading Price Tags 单价 dān jià – unit price 打折 dǎ zhé – on sale / discounted 半价 bàn jià – half-price 买一送一 mǎi yī sòng yī – buy one get one free Expiry & Freshness Nobody wants sour milk. Look for: 生产日期 shēng chǎn rì qī – production date 保质期 bǎo zhì qī – shelf life 过期 guò qī – expired 新鲜 xīn xiān – fresh Ask & Answer Need help? Start with: 请问，___在哪里？ qǐng wèn, ___ zài nǎ lǐ? – Excuse me, where is ___? 这个多少钱？ zhè ge duō shǎo qián? – How much is this? 可以试吃吗？ kě yǐ shì chī ma? – May I taste it? At the Checkout 收银台 shōu yín tái – cashier counter 会员卡 huì yuán kǎ – membership card (for extra discounts) 扫码支付 sǎo mǎ zhī fù – scan code to pay (WeChat/Alipay) 发票 fā piào – receipt (needed for returns) Eco-Friendly Bonus: Bring your own 购物袋 gòu wù dài (shopping bag) to avoid the 塑料袋 sù liào dài (plastic bag) fee. Quick Practice Imagine you spot strawberries at ￥15 per 公斤. You’d say: “草莓多少钱一公斤？” (cǎo méi duō shǎo qián yī gōng jīn?). If today is 2025-08-07 and the 保质期 ends 2025-08-09, you know they’re fresh for the weekend. |
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