Negotiating in Chinatown is an expected, engaging, and often necessary process where visitors can secure significant discounts—often 20% to 50% off—by acting, comparing prices between stalls, and being prepared to walk away. Start with a low initial offer (around 50-75% off the asking price), maintain a friendly, playful attitude, and consider using basic local phrases to build rapport and achieve better deals.
Our best advice is to select an item you want and then either ask a price or state your first offer. It's best not to make your first offer what you intend to pay. Start lower and then, you and the vendor can negotiate a suitable price that meets somewhere in the middle.
How do I say “Can you make it cheaper?” in Chinese? To ask if the seller can lower the price say: 可以便宜一点儿吗？ (Kěyǐ piányi yīdiǎnr ma?) This is a polite and common way to bargain in Chinese markets and street shops.
Here is a step-by-step way to bargain: Cut the price by 75% — if they say 200 RMB, you say 50 or 60 RMB. 1) They will say, “Okay”. If they say okay, you bid way too high and you should just accept the transaction and pay up.
As such, negotiation in China is viewed as an ongoing, dynamic process that takes into account practical matters and context. Many Chinese prefer this approach over creating contract-based absolutes, which many Chinese perceive as the primary purpose of Western-style negotiations.
The 70/30 rule in negotiation is a guideline to listen 70% of the time and talk only 30%, focusing on understanding the other party's needs, motivations, and priorities through active listening and open-ended questions, which builds trust, reduces misunderstandings, and fosters collaborative solutions, making the other person feel heard and valued. This approach shifts the focus from simply stating your position to uncovering insights that lead to mutually beneficial agreements.
In Chinese business culture, negotiation is a test of patience and persistence. Many Chinese buyers start with tough, even extreme offers. This doesn't mean they're being unfair it's part of their strategy to gauge your confidence and flexibility. The key is to stay calm and consistent.
These golden rules: Never Sell; Build Trust; Come from a Position of Strength; and Know When to Walk Away should allow you as a seller to avoid negotiating as much as possible and win.
To politely ask for a lower price, be friendly and build rapport, then use phrases like "Is there any flexibility on the price?" or "What's your best price?" while showing genuine interest and explaining your budget constraints, and be prepared to make a reasonable counteroffer or ask for discounts on multiple items. Research market value first to make your request informed and realistic, and focus on finding a mutually beneficial compromise rather than demanding a reduction.
"我爱你 is primarily, (I would even venture strictly), used in a romantic context, and very rarely used platonically. However, for expressions of platonic "love" or rather "fondness", we have "我爱你们 is often used for close family or common interest groups.
In Chinese internet slang, 2333 is roughly the equivalent of “lol” in English. 2 is 二 èr and 3 is 三 sān, so 2333 supposedly sounds like laughing. However, the most common way to express laughing in Chinese is 哈哈哈 hāhāhā – for obvious reasons.
Most people succeed or fail in a negotiation based on how well-prepared they are (or are not!). We adhere to the 80/20 rule – 80% of negotiation is preparation and 20% is the actual negotiation with the other party.
The best tool to use is the 3-second rule. The Journal of Applied Psychology showed that sitting silently for at least 3 seconds during a difficult time negotiation or conversation leads to better outcomes. Embrace silence as your stealth strategy.
To count from 1 to 10 in Chinese, use these numerals and pronunciations: 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí).
If you are meeting someone in a business context, shake hands and smile. If it is someone older than you with some sort of rank, you may do a very slight bow from the shoulders (as opposed to a full-fledged bow from the waist) as a sign of respect.
