hundredwords

How do you bargain at a market in China?

Expect to hear 看看吧！ (kànkan ba, "Have a look!"), 三百。 (sānbǎi, "Three hundred"), 好吧，给你。 (hǎo ba, gěi nǐ, "Fine, here you go"). Useful things to say: 我只是看看。 (wǒ zhǐshì kànkan, "I'm just looking") and 有大一点的吗？ (yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma, "Do you have a bigger one?").

The whole conversation: Bargaining at the market

A clothes and gadget market. Nothing has a price tag and the first number is high.

  1. You hear
    看看吧！ kànkan ba Have a look!
  2. You say
    我只是看看。 wǒ zhǐshì kànkan I'm just looking.
  3. You say
    有大一点的吗？ yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma Do you have a bigger one?
  4. You say
    能试一下吗？ néng shì yíxià ma Can I try it on?
  5. You hear
    三百。 sānbǎi Three hundred.
  6. You say
    太贵了！ tài guì le Too expensive!
  7. You say
    便宜一点吧。 piányi yìdiǎn ba Make it a bit cheaper.

    Smile, start low and be ready to walk away. They often call you back.

  8. You say
    一百五，行吗？ yìbǎi wǔ, xíng ma A hundred and fifty, OK?
  9. You hear
    好吧，给你。 hǎo ba, gěi nǐ Fine, here you go.

Shanghai ear: sellers often count in Shanghainese among themselves. Ask them to say the price in Mandarin, or to type it on a calculator or phone.

Is this what people really say here?

Questions about this scene

How do you bargain at a market in China?

Expect to hear 看看吧！ (kànkan ba, "Have a look!"), 三百。 (sānbǎi, "Three hundred"), 好吧，给你。 (hǎo ba, gěi nǐ, "Fine, here you go"). Useful things to say: 我只是看看。 (wǒ zhǐshì kànkan, "I'm just looking") and 有大一点的吗？ (yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma, "Do you have a bigger one?").