Master Chinese business vocabulary: meeting phrases, email etiquette, negotiation terms, formal titles, and cultural do's and don'ts for doing business in China.
先生 (xiān sheng) — Mr. 女士 (nǚ shì) — Ms./Mrs. 经理 (jīng lǐ) — Manager. 总监 (zǒng jiān) — Director. 总裁 (zǒng cái) — CEO/President. 总 (zǒng) — Suffix for Chief/Head (李总 = Chief Li). Chinese business culture uses titles heavily — always address people by their highest title, not first name.
感谢大家今天参加 (gǎn xiè dà jiā jīn tiān cān jiā) — Thank you everyone for joining today. 我想补充一点 (wǒ xiǎng bǔ chōng yī diǎn) — I'd like to add something. 我有一个问题 (wǒ yǒu yī ge wèn tí) — I have a question. 这个方案很好 (zhè ge fāng àn hěn hǎo) — This proposal is excellent. 我们下次再讨论 (wǒ men xià cì zài tǎo lùn) — Let's discuss this next time.
尊敬的 (zūn jìng de) — Dear/Respected (formal email opening). 收到 (shōu dào) — Received/Noted. 请查收附件 (qǐng chá shōu fù jiàn) — Please find the attachment. 如有问题请随时联系 (rú yǒu wèn tí qǐng suí shí lián xì) — Please contact me anytime if you have questions. In China, WeChat is the default business communication tool — emails are secondary. Being responsive on WeChat matters more than prompt email replies.
合同 (hé tong) — Contract. 报价 (bào jià) — Quote/price. 折扣 (zhé kòu) — Discount. 付款条件 (fù kuǎn tiáo jiàn) — Payment terms. 合作 (hé zuò) — Cooperation/partnership. 双赢 (shuāng yíng) — Win-win. 长期合作 (cháng qī hé zuò) — Long-term partnership. Chinese business culture values relationships (关系 guān xi) over transactions — building trust takes time but pays off enormously.
Guides are great. Practice is better. AI Lingo Chat combines everything you need — structured lessons, AI conversation, pronunciation scoring, flashcards — in one app.