Chinese Business Vocabulary: Essential Workplace Words and Business Phrases

Key takeaways

• Chinese business communication follows different conventions from English, and vocabulary alone is not enough: understanding the cultural context matters.
• Meetings, emails, presentations, and negotiations each have their own set of core phrases.
• 面子 (miànzi: face) shapes almost every professional interaction in Chinese business culture.
• Business card exchange has a formal protocol that reflects respect and hierarchy.
• A Chinese teacher with business experience can prepare you for real workplace scenarios far faster than a textbook.

Chinese business communication comes bundled with cultural rules about hierarchy, face, and ritual that most language courses skip entirely. Get the words right and the culture wrong, and the impression you leave will fall short of what you intended.

italki connects learners with 30,000+ expert tutors for over 15 in business language coaching and cultural training. A Chinese business language tutor understands both the vocabulary and the professional culture behind it.

This guide covers seven areas: company structure, meetings, emails and written communication, presentations, negotiation, networking and business cards, and business social situations including Chinese business etiquette.

Company structure vocabulary

Chinese	Pinyin	English
公司	gōngsī	company
总裁 / 首席执行官	zǒngcái / shǒuxí zhíxíng guān	CEO / chief executive officer
总经理	zǒng jīnglǐ	general manager
部门	bùmén	department
人力资源部	rénlì zīyuán bù	HR department
财务部	cáiwù bù	finance / accounts department
销售部	xiāoshòu bù	sales department
市场部	shìchǎng bù	marketing department
同事	tóngshì	colleague
上司	shàngsī	supervisor / boss
员工	yuángōng	employee
职位	zhíwèi	position / job title

Navigate company hierarchy with confidence. Understanding organizational structure in Chinese helps you communicate with the right people and show proper respect. Work with a Chinese tutor to practice discussions about roles, departments, and organizational charts.

Meetings and agendas

Chinese	Pinyin	English
会议	huìyì	meeting
安排会议	ānpái huìyì	to schedule a meeting
议程	yìchéng	agenda
会议记录	huìyì jìlù	minutes (of a meeting)
提议	tíyì	to propose
同意	tóngyì	to agree
不同意	bù tóngyì	to disagree
跟进	gēnjìn	to follow up
总结	zǒngjié	to summarise
推迟	tuīchí	to postpone
取消	qǔxiāo	to cancel

A useful phrase when you want to add something: 我想补充一点 (wǒ xiǎng bǔchōng yīdiǎn: I would like to add one point). Chinese tutors on italki walk you through meeting dynamics and help you understand both what to say and what not to say in formal settings. Participate confidently in meetings. Meeting vocabulary is just the surface; understanding when to speak up, how to disagree diplomatically, and how to follow up requires cultural coaching. Work with a business Mandarin tutor to practice real meeting scenarios.

Emails and written communication

Chinese	Pinyin	English
主题	zhǔtí	subject line
附件	fùjiàn	attachment
尊敬的	zūnjìng de	Dear (formal salutation)
您好	nín hǎo	Hello (formal)
如附件所示	rú fùjiàn suǒ shì	as shown in the attachment
请查收	qǐng chāshōu	please find (the attached file)
期待您的回复	qīdài nín de huífù	looking forward to your reply
此致敬礼	cǐzhì jìnglǐ	yours sincerely (formal sign-off)
顺颂商祺	shùn sòng shāng qí	wishing you business success (formal closing)

Write professional emails in Chinese. Business email tone in Chinese is more formal and structured than in English. An italki Chinese online tutor specializing in business communication can review your emails and teach you the subtle tone adjustments that make you sound professional, not like you are translating from English.

Presentations

Chinese	Pinyin	English
首先	shǒuxiān	first of all
接下来	jiēxiàlái	next / moving on
重点是	zhòngdiǎn shì	the key point is
总的来说	zǒng de lái shuō	in summary / overall
以上就是	yǐshàng jiù shì	that concludes what I have just covered
请问有什么问题吗	qǐngwèn yǒu shénme wèntí ma	are there any questions?
数据显示	shùjù xiǎnshì	the data shows
结论是	jiélùn shì	the conclusion is

Deliver presentations with authority. The presentation language in Chinese has its own rhythm and structure. Practice these phrases with a Mandarin business tutor so you deliver them with confidence and sound like you belong at the podium.

Negotiation phrases

Chinese	Pinyin	English
价格	jiàgé	price
条款	tiáokuǎn	terms / conditions
合同	hétong	contract
折扣	zhékòu	discount
截止日期	jiézhǐ rìqī	deadline
我们可以商量	wǒmen kěyǐ shāngliang	we can discuss this
这个价格太高了	zhège jiàgé tài gāo le	this price is too high
能否给个优惠	néng fǒu gěi ge yōuhuì	could you offer a better price?
我们需要考虑一下	wǒmen xūyào kǎolǜ yīxià	we need to think about it
我们达成协议了	wǒmen dáchéng xiéyì le	we have reached an agreement

Negotiate effectively in Chinese. Negotiation language requires understanding how to be firm while maintaining face for both parties. Work with a Chinese business specialist to practice negotiation scenarios where you can test out phrases and receive feedback on your approach.

Networking and business cards

Chinese	Pinyin	English
名片	míngpiàn	business card
交换名片	jiāohuàn míngpiàn	to exchange business cards
幸会	xìnghuì	pleased to meet you (formal)
久仰大名	jiǔyǎng dàmíng	I have heard a lot about you (respectful)
请多关照	qǐng duō guānzhào	please take care of me / I look forward to working with you

When presenting your card, offer it with both hands and face it toward the recipient. Receive someone’s card with both hands, read it carefully before setting it down, and never write on it or put it in your back pocket. Master business card protocol and etiquette. How you handle a business card matters more than most English speakers realize. The ritual of exchanging cards is central to Chinese professional relationships. Practice the entire sequence with a Chinese tutor online who can correct your approach in real time.

Business social situations and etiquette

Business dinners and toasting

Chinese	Pinyin	English
干杯	gānbēi	cheers (literally: dry the cup)
请喝	qǐng hē	please drink
随意	suíyì	as you like / feel free
敬酒	jìngjiǔ	to toast someone

Face: 面子 and 里子

面子 (miànzi: face / social standing) is one of the most important concepts in Chinese business culture. Publicly correcting or embarrassing a colleague, client, or partner causes them to “lose face,” which can damage a relationship permanently. Praise in public. Raise concerns in private. Frame disagreements as different perspectives, not criticisms. For a deeper dive into foundational Chinese communication, the guide to how to introduce yourself in Chinese covers the phrases you need for first meetings and professional introductions. Navigate business social situations with cultural awareness. Business dinners and toasts are not casual; they follow protocols rooted in respect and hierarchy. An italki Chinese teacher can explain these dynamics and help you understand what to do (and what not to do) in these high-stakes moments. Stop worrying about saying the wrong thing. Master Chinese business vocabulary and cultural protocol through guided practice. italki’s community of 30,000+ expert tutors includes Mandarin specialists with experience coaching professionals through real workplace scenarios, from first meetings to major negotiations. Book a trial lesson today and start building the professional Mandarin that works in practice.

FAQ

Do I need to know Chinese characters to use business Chinese? For spoken business situations, pinyin and spoken practice can take you far. However, Chinese business emails and documents are written in characters, so learning to read common business characters is worth the investment if you plan to work in a Chinese-language environment regularly. Is Mandarin used in all Chinese business settings? Mandarin (普通话: pǔtōnghuà) is the standard language for business across mainland China. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is widely used alongside English. In Taiwan, Mandarin is standard but with some vocabulary differences. How long does it take to reach a working level of business Chinese? Reaching a conversational B1 level in Mandarin typically takes English speakers 600 to 750 hours of focused study. Business Chinese adds a specialised vocabulary layer on top of general fluency.