Chinese for Online Shopping: Taobao, Pinduoduo, and JD

Chinese e-commerce is dominated by a few platforms. 淘宝 (táo bǎo) — Taobao, the largest consumer marketplace with individual sellers and brands. 拼多多 (pīn duō duō) — Pinduoduo, known for group-buying discounts and competitive prices. 京东 (jīng dōng) — JD.com, focused on electronics and faster delivery with more brand-official stores. Understanding how to search is step one.

Common search actions: 搜索 (sōu suǒ) — search. The search bar usually says 搜索 or has a magnifying glass icon. Type what you want: 我想买... (wǒ xiǎng mǎi...) — I want to buy... Filter and sort terms: 筛选 (shāi xuǎn) — filter, 排序 (pái xù) — sort, 按销量 (àn xiāo liàng) — by sales volume (most popular), 按价格 (àn jià gé) — by price, 价格从低到高 (jià gé cóng dī dào gāo) — price low to high, 包邮 (bāo yóu) — free shipping, 好评 (hǎo píng) — good reviews. Categories: 分类 (fēn lèi) — categories, 品牌 (pǐn pái) — brand. If browsing: 随便看看 (suí biàn kàn kàn) — just browsing.

Product pages have standard labels you will see everywhere. Sizes: 尺码 (chǐ mǎ) — size, S / M / L / XL are common but check the size chart: 尺码表 (chǐ mǎ biǎo). Chinese sizes often run smaller: 偏小 (piān xiǎo) — runs small, 偏大 (piān dà) — runs large. Colors: 颜色 (yán sè) — color. Common colors: 黑色 (hēi sè) — black, 白色 (bái sè) — white, 红色 (hóng sè) — red, 蓝色 (lán sè) — blue, 灰色 (huī sè) — grey, 粉色 (fěn sè) — pink, 绿色 (lǜ sè) — green.

Material and specs: 材质 (cái zhì) — material, 面料 (miàn liào) — fabric, 纯棉 (chún mián) — 100% cotton, 真皮 (zhēn pí) — genuine leather. For electronics: 内存 (nèi cún) — memory/storage, 电池 (diàn chí) — battery, 充电 (chōng diàn) — charging. Package contents: 包装清单 (bāo zhuāng qīng dān) — what's in the box. Price display: 价格 (jià gé) — price, 原价 (yuán jià) — original price, 券后价 (quàn hòu jià) — price after coupon, 到手价 (dào shǒu jià) — final price you pay. Discounts: 折扣 (zhé kòu) — discount, 打折 (dǎ zhé) — on sale, 限时优惠 (xiàn shí yōu huì) — limited-time offer, 满减 (mǎn jiǎn) — spend X get Y off.

Reviews on Taobao and JD are essential. Look for: 评价 (píng jià) — reviews, 好评 (hǎo píng) — positive reviews, 差评 (chà píng) — negative reviews, 中评 (zhōng píng) — neutral reviews, 追评 (zhuī píng) — follow-up review (written after using the product). Common positive phrases: 质量很好 (zhì liàng hěn hǎo) — quality is very good, 跟描述一样 (gēn miáo shù yī yàng) — same as described, 物流很快 (wù liú hěn kuài) — delivery was fast, 性价比高 (xìng jià bǐ gāo) — good value for money, 回购 (huí gòu) — would buy again.

Negative review phrases to watch for: 质量差 (zhì liàng chà) — poor quality, 跟图片不一样 (gēn tú piàn bù yī yàng) — different from the picture, 有色差 (yǒu sè chā) — color is off, 有异味 (yǒu yì wèi) — has a strange smell, 做工粗糙 (zuò gōng cū cāo) — rough workmanship, 掉色 (diào sè) — color fades, 起球 (qǐ qiú) — pilling (fabric). Photos in reviews: 买家秀 (mǎi jiā xiù) — buyer's show (real customer photos), very useful for seeing the real product vs seller's photos. Review with photos: 有图评价 (yǒu tú píng jià).

Most platforms have a built-in chat with the seller: 联系客服 (lián xì kè fú) — contact customer service, or 联系卖家 (lián xì mài jiā) — contact seller. Open with: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) or 老板你好 (lǎo bǎn nǐ hǎo) — hello boss (friendly). Common questions: 这个有货吗 (zhè ge yǒu huò ma) — is this in stock. 什么时候发货 (shén me shí hou fā huò) — when will it ship. 可以优惠吗 (kě yǐ yōu huì ma) — can I get a discount. 能便宜一点吗 (néng pián yi yī diǎn ma) — can it be a bit cheaper.

About the product: 是什么材质的 (shì shén me cái zhì de) — what material is it. 有实拍图吗 (yǒu shí pāi tú ma) — do you have real photos. 多大尺寸 (duō dà chǐ cùn) — what are the dimensions. 还有其他颜色吗 (hái yǒu qí tā yán sè ma) — are there other colors. Shipping questions: 包邮吗 (bāo yóu ma) — is shipping free. 几天能到 (jǐ tiān néng dào) — how many days to arrive. 可以发...快递吗 (kě yǐ fā...kuài dì ma) — can you send via...courier. Common couriers: 顺丰 (shùn fēng) — SF Express (fastest), 中通 (zhōng tōng), 圆通 (yuán tōng), 韵达 (yùn dá), 申通 (shēn tōng). Seller responses: 亲 (qīn) — dear (universal friendly address from sellers), 有的 (yǒu de) — yes we have it, 您可以拍下 (nín kě yǐ pāi xià) — you can place the order.

Key steps in the purchase flow. Adding to cart: 加入购物车 (jiā rù gòu wù chē) — add to cart. Buying directly: 立即购买 (lì jí gòu mǎi) — buy now. Checkout: 结算 (jié suàn) — checkout, 提交订单 (tí jiāo dìng dān) — submit order. Before paying: 确认订单 (què rèn dìng dān) — confirm order. Select specs: 选择规格 (xuǎn zé guī gé) — select specification. Quantity: 数量 (shù liàng) — quantity.

Coupons and discounts: 优惠券 (yōu huì quàn) — coupon, 领取优惠券 (lǐng qǔ yōu huì quàn) — claim coupon, 使用优惠券 (shǐ yòng yōu huì quàn) — use coupon. Platform discounts: 跨店满减 (kuà diàn mǎn jiǎn) — cross-store discount (spend X across stores, get Y off), 首单优惠 (shǒu dān yōu huì) — first-order discount. Payment methods: 微信支付 (wēi xìn zhī fù) — WeChat Pay, 支付宝 (zhī fù bǎo) — Alipay, 银行卡 (yín háng kǎ) — bank card. Delivery address: 收货地址 (shōu huò dì zhǐ) — shipping address, 收货人 (shōu huò rén) — recipient name, 联系电话 (lián xì diàn huà) — contact phone number. Notes to seller: 卖家备注 (mài jiā bèi zhù) — leave a note for the seller, useful for saying 请发顺丰 (qǐng fā shùn fēng) — please send via SF Express.

After ordering, track your package. Order status terms: 待发货 (dài fā huò) — awaiting shipment, 已发货 (yǐ fā huò) — shipped, 运输中 (yùn shū zhōng) — in transit, 派送中 (pài sòng zhōng) — out for delivery, 已签收 (yǐ qiān shōu) — delivered and signed for. Tracking: 物流信息 (wù liú xìn xī) — logistics info, 快递单号 (kuài dì dān hào) — tracking number, 查看物流 (chá kàn wù liú) — check logistics.

Returns and refunds. Common issues: 我想退货 (wǒ xiǎng tuì huò) — I want to return. 我想退款 (wǒ xiǎng tuì kuǎn) — I want a refund. Reasons: 大小不合适 (dà xiǎo bù hé shì) — size doesn't fit, 质量有问题 (zhì liàng yǒu wèn tí) — quality issue, 跟描述不符合 (gēn miáo shù bù fú hé) — not as described, 收到的东西坏了 (shōu dào de dōng xi huài le) — the item arrived broken. Process: 申请退款 (shēn qǐng tuì kuǎn) — apply for refund, 退货退款 (tuì huò tuì kuǎn) — return and refund, 仅退款 (jǐn tuì kuǎn) — refund only (without returning). Important: 运费险 (yùn fèi xiǎn) — return shipping insurance, very useful. 七天无理由退货 (qī tiān wú lǐ yóu tuì huò) — 7-day no-questions-asked return policy. If seller disagrees: 申请平台介入 (shēn qǐng píng tái jiè rù) — request platform intervention. Confirm refund received: 退款到账了吗 (tuì kuǎn dào zhàng le ma) — has the refund arrived.