Business Chinese Phrases 100
商务会话
The working vocabulary of the Chinese office, organized by scene — introductions, meetings, calls, scheduling and negotiation — each phrase with pinyin, a usage note and native teacher audio.
First Meetings & Introductions 11
Chinese business begins with relationships. Exchange business cards with both hands, use the honorifics (贵公司, 您), and a couple of these set phrases will mark you as someone who did their homework.
1 幸会幸会 xìnghuì xìnghuì A pleasure to meet you (formal)
The classy doubled greeting for business first meetings — pairs with a handshake.
2 久仰大名 jiǔyǎng dàmíng I've heard so much about you
Literally "long admired your great name" — flatters and honors at once.
3 这是我的名片 zhè shì wǒ de míngpiàn Here is my business card
Present and receive cards with BOTH hands — then actually read theirs.
4 请多指教 qǐng duō zhǐjiào I look forward to your guidance
Humble set phrase when starting to work with someone senior or new.
5 请多关照 qǐng duō guānzhào Please look after me / favor us
Asks for goodwill in the relationship — common in first meetings and emails.
6 合作愉快 hézuò yúkuài Here's to a good partnership
Said when sealing cooperation — also the standard partnership toast.
7 我是……公司的 wǒ shì gōngsī de I'm from … company
Insert your company before 公司 — the standard self-affiliation.
8 我负责销售 wǒ fùzé xiāoshòu I'm in charge of sales
负责 = be responsible for — swap 销售 for your own function.
9 这是我的同事 zhè shì wǒ de tóngshì This is my colleague
同事 = colleague — introduce teammates before business starts.
10 贵公司 guì gōngsī Your company (polite)
贵 (honorable) elevates the other side — never say it about your own firm.
11 我们公司 wǒmen gōngsī Our company
The plain, correct way to reference your own side.
In a Meeting 14
Running and surviving meetings: opening, presenting, asking questions and wrapping up. Chinese meetings tend to be formal at the top and candid in the hallway afterwards.
1 我们开始吧 wǒmen kāishǐ ba Let's get started
The meeting opener — 吧 keeps it collegial rather than commanding.
2 今天的议题是…… jīntiān de yìtí shì Today's agenda is…
议题 = agenda item — frames the meeting from the first minute.
3 大家都到齐了吗？ dàjiā dōu dàoqí le ma Is everyone here?
到齐 = all arrived — the roll-call before starting.
4 请看这份资料 qǐng kàn zhè fèn zīliào Please look at this document
份 counts documents — 资料 covers handouts, decks and files.
5 我先介绍一下 wǒ xiān jièshào yíxià Let me give a quick introduction
先…一下 = "first, briefly" — the standard presentation opener.
6 有什么问题吗？ yǒu shénme wèntí ma Any questions?
The floor-opening question after any explanation.
7 我有一个问题 wǒ yǒu yí ge wèntí I have a question
Raise a hand, say this, ask away — welcome in any Chinese meeting.
8 请讲 qǐng jiǎng Please go ahead
Granting the floor — 讲 = speak/explain.
9 我补充一点 wǒ bǔchōng yìdiǎn Let me add one point
补充 = supplement — adds without contradicting. Very meeting-safe.
10 换句话说 huàn jù huàshuō In other words
The rephrase connector — buys clarity and thinking time.
11 具体来说 jùtǐ láishuō To be specific
具体 = concrete — signals details are coming.
12 总的来说 zǒngde láishuō Overall / in summary
The wrap-up connector before conclusions.
13 我们下次再讨论 wǒmen xiàcì zài tǎolùn Let's discuss it next time
Tables a topic politely — sometimes forever.
14 今天就到这里 jīntiān jiù dào zhèlǐ Let's stop here for today
The standard meeting closer — often followed by 辛苦大家了.
Scheduling & Appointments 10
Setting times, moving them, and confirming — the daily glue of working life. 您什么时候方便 (when suits you) is the politeness workhorse here.
1 会议几点开始？ huìyì jǐ diǎn kāishǐ What time does the meeting start?
会议 = meeting — the question behind every calendar check.
2 会议改时间了 huìyì gǎi shíjiān le The meeting has been rescheduled
改 = change — the announcement everyone knows too well.
3 我要开会了 wǒ yào kāihuì le I'm about to go into a meeting
开会 = hold/attend a meeting — the universal excuse to hang up.
4 我们约个时间吧 wǒmen yuē ge shíjiān ba Let's set up a time
约 = arrange — the smooth transition from "we should meet" to a date.
5 您什么时候方便？ nín shénme shíhou fāngbiàn When is convenient for you?
方便 = convenient — the politest scheduling question, 您 included.
6 明天上午可以吗？ míngtiān shàngwǔ kěyǐ ma Is tomorrow morning okay?
上午 morning, 下午 afternoon — propose concretely to move fast.
7 我查一下日程 wǒ chá yíxià rìchéng Let me check my schedule
日程 = itinerary/calendar — the professional pause button.
8 时间定了吗？ shíjiān dìng le ma Has the time been set?
定 = fixed — chasing a floating appointment.
9 提前通知我 tíqián tōngzhī wǒ Give me advance notice
提前 = ahead of time — sets the expectation clearly.
10 能改到下周吗？ néng gǎi dào xiàzhōu ma Can we move it to next week?
改到 + time = reschedule to ___ — the polite postponement.
Phone, Email & Messages 17
Chinese office communication lives on WeChat and email. These are the fixed phrases of both — 收到 (received) alone will cover half your replies.
1 喂，你好 wèi nǐhǎo Hello (answering the phone)
喂 (wéi) exists only on the phone — never say it face to face.
2 请问哪位？ qǐngwèn nǎ wèi May I ask who's calling?
哪位 = which honorable person — the polite caller-ID.
3 请稍等，我帮您转接 qǐng shāoděng wǒ bāng nín zhuǎnjiē One moment, I'll transfer you
转接 = transfer a call — front-desk essential.
4 他现在不在 tā xiànzài bú zài He's not in right now
不在 = not present — the standard screen.
5 需要留言吗？ xūyào liúyán ma Would you like to leave a message?
留言 = leave words — also the word for voicemail and comments.
6 我晚点再打 wǒ wǎndiǎn zài dǎ I'll call back later
晚点 = a bit later — the graceful exit from phone tag.
7 信号不太好 xìnhào bú tài hǎo The connection isn't good
The universal call-quality apology — real or diplomatic.
8 听得到吗？ tīng de dào ma Can you hear me?
The first words of every video call, in any language.
9 稍后回复你 shāohòu huífù nǐ I'll get back to you shortly
稍后 = shortly — the professional "seen, will respond."
10 我给你发邮件 wǒ gěi nǐ fāyóujiàn I'll email you
发 = send — 邮件 is email; WeChat may still be faster.
11 收到，谢谢 shōudào xièxie Received, thanks
收到 is the single most-typed word in Chinese work chats — acknowledge everything.
12 请查收附件 qǐng cháshōu fùjiàn Please see the attachment
查收 = check and receive — standard email boilerplate.
13 已发送 yǐ fāsòng It's been sent
已 = already — the two-character status update.
14 请确认一下 qǐng quèrèn yíxià Please confirm
确认 = confirm — the polite nudge on any pending item.
15 确认后回复我 quèrèn hòu huífù wǒ Reply to me once confirmed
Sets the expected action and order — clear and businesslike.
16 我转发给你 wǒ zhuǎnfā gěi nǐ I'll forward it to you
转发 = forward — emails, files and WeChat messages alike.
17 抄送给我 chāosòng gěi wǒ CC me, please
抄送 = carbon copy — yes, email Chinese has its own CC verb.
Deadlines & Progress 13
Status updates, urgency and delivery: how work actually gets discussed. 尽快 (as soon as possible) and 加急 requests will fill your workdays.
1 截止日期是什么时候？ jiézhǐ rìqī shì shénme shíhou When is the deadline?
截止日期 = cut-off date — the question that rules office life.
2 时间来得及吗？ shíjiān lái de jí ma Do we have enough time?
来得及 = can make it in time — 来不及 is the dreaded opposite.
3 进度怎么样？ jìndù zěnmeyàng How is the progress?
进度 = progress — the manager's daily question.
4 按计划进行 àn jìhuà jìnxíng It's going according to plan
按 = according to — the answer everyone hopes to give.
5 有点延误 yǒudiǎn yánwù It's a bit delayed
有点 softens bad news — 延误 = delay.
6 我尽快处理 wǒ jǐnkuài chǔlǐ I'll handle it as soon as possible
尽快 = ASAP, 处理 = handle — the responsible reply to any problem.
7 这个很急 zhège hěn jí This is urgent
急 = urgent — flags priority without drama.
8 优先做这个 yōuxiān zuò zhège Prioritize this
优先 = give priority — clear task triage.
9 交给我吧 jiāo gěi wǒ ba Leave it to me
交给 = hand over to — confident ownership of a task.
10 我汇报一下进展 wǒ huìbào yíxià jìnzhǎn Let me report on our progress
汇报 = report upward — the verb of status meetings.
11 数据在这里 shùjù zài zhèlǐ Here is the data
数据 = data — sliding the numbers across the table.
12 结果不错 jiéguǒ búcuò The results are good
不错 = not bad → genuinely good. Understated praise, very Chinese.
13 需要改进 xūyào gǎijìn It needs improvement
改进 = improve — the diplomatic version of "this isn't good enough."
Negotiation & Price 10
Discussing money without losing the relationship. Chinese negotiation is patient and indirect — 再考虑考虑 (let us think it over) often means the real talks have just begun.
1 预算是多少？ yùsuàn shì duōshǎo What's the budget?
预算 = budget — where every negotiation quietly starts.
2 超预算了 chāo yùsuàn le It's over budget
超 = exceed — the two-character bad news.
3 报价发给我 bàojià fā gěi wǒ Send me the quotation
报价 = quote a price — the formal ask for numbers.
4 价格可以谈 jiàgé kěyǐ tán The price is negotiable
谈 = discuss — the door-opener to bargaining.
5 这是我们的底价 zhè shì wǒmen de dǐjià This is our best price
底价 = floor price — believe roughly half the time.
6 再考虑考虑 zài kǎolǜ kǎolǜ Let us think it over
Doubled 考虑 softens it — often a polite "not yet" rather than no.
7 我们内部讨论一下 wǒmen nèibù tǎolùn yíxià We'll discuss it internally
内部 = internal — the standard pause before decisions.
8 基本没问题 jīběn méi wèntí Basically no problem
基本 = basically — 95% yes, pending final blessing.
9 成交 chéngjiāo Deal!
The handshake word — deal closed, from markets to boardrooms.
10 付款方式呢？ Fùkuǎn fāngshì ne What are the payment terms?
付款方式 = payment method — wire, LC, installments; settle it early.
Contracts & Delivery 11
Sealing the deal: contracts, seals, samples, delivery and after-sales. The company chop (盖章) carries more legal weight in China than a signature.
1 合同准备好了 hétong zhǔnbèi hǎo le The contract is ready
合同 = contract — 准备好了 means ready and waiting.
2 请在这里签字 Qǐng zài zhèli qiānzì Please sign here
签字 = sign — pens out, relationships formalized.
3 盖章 Gàizhāng Stamp it (company seal)
The red company chop legally binds — often more than a signature.
4 什么时候交货？ Shénme shíhou jiāohuò When will you deliver?
交货 = hand over goods — THE supply-chain question.
5 下个月交货 Xià ge yuè jiāohuò Delivery is next month
Time word + 交货 — commitments made simple.
6 质量有保证吗？ Zhìliàng yǒu bǎozhèng ma Is the quality guaranteed?
保证 = guarantee — ask before, not after.
7 先发样品 Xiān fā yàngpǐn Send samples first
样品 = sample — the wise step before any big order.
8 售后服务呢？ Shòuhòu fúwù ne What about after-sales service?
售后 = after-sale — 呢 hangs the topic as a question.
9 给我们开发票 Gěi wǒmen kāifāpiào Issue us an invoice, please
发票 is the official tax invoice — essential for any reimbursement.
10 月底结算 Yuèdǐ jiésuàn Settlement at month-end
结算 = settle accounts — 月底 = end of month.
11 这是行业惯例 Zhè shì hángyè guànlì That's standard industry practice
惯例 = convention — the phrase that ends (or starts) arguments.
Office Life & Socializing 14
Overtime, business trips, and the banquet table where relationships are really built. Toasting etiquette matters — clink lower than your senior's glass to show respect.
1 我今天要加班 wǒ jīntiān yào jiābān I have to work overtime today
加班 = add shift — sadly among the most-used office words.
2 我明天出差 wǒ míngtiān chūchāi I'm on a business trip tomorrow
出差 = business trip — the standard out-of-office.
3 我请一天假 wǒ qǐng yì tiān jià I'm taking a day off
请假 = request leave — 请两天假 for two days.
4 辛苦大家了 xīnkǔ dàjiā le Thank you all for your hard work
The leader's closing line after meetings and long days.
5 客户很满意 Kèhù hěn mǎnyì The client is very satisfied
客户 = client, 满意 = satisfied — the report everyone wants to give.
6 客户有意见 Kèhù yǒu yìjiàn The client has complaints
有意见 = has opinions — the diplomatic word for unhappy.
7 我跟进一下 Wǒ gēnjìn yíxià I'll follow up
跟进 = follow up — modern office verb, borrowed straight from business English.
8 保持联系 Bǎochí liánxì Let's stay in touch
保持 = maintain — the professional goodbye.
9 欢迎您来我们公司 Huānyíngnín lái wǒmen gōngsī Welcome to our company
Greeting visitors at the door — tea usually follows.
10 我送您出去 Wǒ sòng nín chūqù Let me see you out
Walking guests to the elevator or door is expected courtesy.
11 一起吃个饭吧 Yìqǐ chī ge fàn ba Let's have a meal together
In China, deals are seasoned over dinner — accept when you can.
12 我敬您一杯 Wǒ jìng nín yì bēi A toast to you
敬 = respectfully offer — clink your glass LOWER than your senior's.
13 期待我们的合作 Qīdài wǒmen de hézuò Looking forward to working together
期待 = look forward to — closes meetings and emails warmly.
14 祝生意兴隆 Zhù shēngyì xīnglóng May your business prosper
The classic business blessing — hangs on red banners in every shop.
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