In this episode, we dive into the world of shopping! 今天我们要聊聊购物 (gòuwù)! With November here, France is already buzzing with Black Friday preparations, and I couldn’t resist picking up a few essentials myself. Join me as we explore the cultural differences between Black Friday in the West and its counterpart in China, along with the unique shopping seasons, discounts, and trends in each. You’ll also pick up some practical Mandarin vocabulary for shopping — perfect for your next adventure, whether it’s online or in-store. Grab your shopping list and let’s get started!

1. Key Vocabulary：

黑色星期五 (hēisè xīngqīwǔ): Black Friday

打折 (dǎzhé): Discount or sale

特价 (tèjià): Special price

便宜 (piányi): Cheap, affordable

商店 (shāngdiàn): Store or shop

商场 ： shopping mall

购物 (gòuwù): Shopping

2.Sentence Example：

打折 (dǎzhé) - discount

这件衣服打折了，我要买！

(Zhè jiàn yīfú dǎzhé le, wǒ yào mǎi!)

This piece of clothing is on sale; I want to buy it!

特价 (tèjià) - special price

今天这个包包有特价，便宜很多。

(Jīntiān zhège bāobāo yǒu tèjià, piányi hěn duō.)

Today this bag has a special price; it’s much cheaper.

便宜 (piányi) - cheap/affordable

这家商店的东西都很便宜。

(Zhè jiā shāngdiàn de dōngxī dōu hěn piányi.)

Everything in this store is very cheap.

商场 (shāngchǎng) - mall

我们去商场逛逛吧！

(Wǒmen qù shāngchǎng guàng guàng ba!)

Let’s go wander around the mall!

商店 (shāngdiàn) - store/shop

我喜欢在小商店买手工艺品。

(Wǒ xǐhuān zài xiǎo shāngdiàn mǎi shǒugōng yìpǐn.)

I like buying handicrafts in small shops.

购物 (gòuwù) - shopping

这个周末我打算去购物。

(Zhège zhōumò wǒ dǎsuàn qù gòuwù.)

I plan to go shopping this weekend.

3. Fun Dialogues

A: 你好，这个包包多少钱？(Nǐ hǎo, zhège bāobāo duōshǎo qián?) – Hi, how much is this bag?

B: 五百块 (Wǔ bǎi kuài) – 500 yuan.

A: 哇！太贵了！可以便宜一点吗？(Wà! Tài guì le! Kěyǐ piányi yīdiǎn ma?) – Wow! Too expensive! Can you make it a bit cheaper?

B: 好吧… 四百五 (Hǎo ba… sì bǎi wǔ) – Alright… 450.

A: 嗯…三百怎么样？(Ūn… sān bǎi zěnmeyàng?) – Hmm… how about 300?

B: 哎呀，不行 (Āiyā, bù xíng) – Oh no, that won’t do!

A: 好的好的，四百！(Hǎo de hǎo de, sì bǎi!) – Alright, 400!

B: 成交！(Chéngjiāo!) – Deal!