讨价还价
tǎo jià huán jià
Price negotiation · trad. 討價還價
Engaging in a back-and-forth discussion to agree on a price or terms. It describes the act of bargaining, typically when buying or selling goods.
What does 讨价还价 (tǎo jià huán jià) mean?
讨价还价 (tǎo jià huán jià) means "price negotiation" in English. Word for word, it breaks down as "discuss price, return price."
Character by character
- 讨 tǎo discuss, ask for
- 价 jià price
- 还 huán return, counter
- 价 jià price
When to use it
Primarily used for negotiating prices in commercial transactions, like at a market or store. It can also broadly refer to any situation involving give-and-take or compromise to reach an agreement.
Example
他正在跟那个商人讨价还价。
Tā zhèngzài gēn nàge shāngrén tǎo jià huán jià.
He was bargaining with that merchant.
Pro tip: While often about money, the idiom can also describe any situation where two parties try to get the best terms for themselves through discussion and compromise.
Related idioms
随心所欲 · Doing as one pleases忐忑不安 · Anxious and restless同心协力 · United effort teamwork
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