Sourcing & suppliers in Chinese 采购
cǎigòu
Supplier in Chinese is 供应商 (gōng yìng shāng).
Also searched for as: sourcing from China, finding suppliers in China, supplier, procurement, buying agent.
Finding the right factory and getting it on board. 15 essential sourcing & suppliers words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Finding a good 供应商 (gōng yìng shāng), supplier, is the first big step in buying from China, and the language of sourcing is refreshingly practical. You'll ask about the 起订量 (qǐ dìng liàng), minimum order quantity, pay for 打样 (dǎ yàng), sampling, before committing, and try to work out whether you're dealing with a factory or a 贸易公司 (mào yì gōng sī), a trading company that buys from factories.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 供应商 | gōng yìng shāng | supplier |
| 采购 | cǎi gòu | to purchase; procurement |
| 厂家 | chǎng jiā | manufacturer |
| 贸易公司 | mào yì gōng sī | trading company |
| 起订量 | qǐ dìng liàng | minimum order quantity (MOQ) |
| 打样 | dǎ yàng | to make a sample |
| 样品费 | yàng pǐn fèi | sample fee |
| 报价单 | bào jià dān | quotation; price quote sheet |
| 交期 | jiāo qī | lead time; delivery date |
| 现货 | xiàn huò | goods in stock |
| 定制 | dìng zhì | to customise; custom-made |
| 贴牌 | tiē pái | OEM; to put your own brand on |
| 阿里巴巴 | Ā lǐ bā bā | Alibaba (B2B platform) |
| 货比三家 | huò bǐ sān jiā | to shop around; compare suppliers |
| 验厂 | yàn chǎng | factory audit |
Usage tips
- Ask 你们是工厂还是贸易公司 (nǐ men shì gōng chǎng hái shì mào yì gōng sī) early on: trading companies add a margin but can be easier to deal with, while factories may offer better prices and more control.
- Suppliers use a lot of shorthand: 大货 (dà huò) is bulk production, 交期 (jiāo qī) is lead time, and 现货 (xiàn huò) means it's already in stock, which usually means a lower 起订量.
- 货比三家 (huò bǐ sān jiā), literally 'compare goods from three shops', is standard practice, so mentioning that you're comparing quotes is normal rather than rude.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up 贴牌 (tiē pái), putting your brand on an existing product, with 定制 (dìng zhì), which can mean changing the product itself; be clear which one you want, as cost and MOQ differ.
- Translating MOQ as 最少订单 (zuì shǎo dìng dān); the standard term is 起订量 (qǐ dìng liàng), and many suppliers also simply write MOQ.
Mini dialogue
- A你好，这款杯子的起订量是多少？Nǐ hǎo, zhè kuǎn bēi zi de qǐ dìng liàng shì duō shao?Hello, what's the MOQ for this cup?
- B一千个。如果要定制包装，起订量是三千个。Yī qiān ge. Rú guǒ yào dìng zhì bāo zhuāng, qǐ dìng liàng shì sān qiān ge.A thousand. If you want custom packaging, it's three thousand.
- A可以先打样吗？样品费多少？Kě yǐ xiān dǎ yàng ma? Yàng pǐn fèi duō shao?Can we get a sample made first? How much is the sample fee?
- B样品费下单后可以退，打样大概要一个星期。Yàng pǐn fèi xià dān hòu kě yǐ tuì, dǎ yàng dà gài yào yī ge xīng qī.The sample fee is refunded once you order, and sampling takes about a week.
- A好的，麻烦先发一份报价单给我。Hǎo de, má fan xiān fā yī fèn bào jià dān gěi wǒ.Great, could you send me a quotation first, please?
Example sentences
- 我们在找新的供应商。We're looking for a new supplier.
- 我负责公司的采购。I'm in charge of purchasing for the company.
- 我们只跟厂家直接合作。We only work directly with manufacturers.
- 你们是工厂还是贸易公司？Are you a factory or a trading company?
- 这款的起订量是多少？What's the MOQ for this model?
- 打样一般要几天？How many days does sampling usually take?
- 样品费下单后可以退。The sample fee is refunded once you place an order.
- 麻烦发一份报价单给我。Could you send me a quotation, please?
- 大货交期是多久？What's the lead time for bulk production?
- 这款有现货吗？Is this model in stock?
- 我们可以定制包装吗？Can we customise the packaging?
- 我们想做贴牌，印我们的商标。We want to do OEM, with our logo printed on.
- 我是在阿里巴巴上找到这家工厂的。I found this factory on Alibaba.
- 下单前一定要货比三家。Always shop around before you place an order.
- 下单之前我们要先验厂。We need to audit the factory before ordering.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Sourcing & suppliers speaking island has 8 everyday questions about sourcing & suppliers to prepare your own answers to.