Chinese for work
Colleagues in Shanghai, suppliers on WeChat, a boss who says 'it would be nice if someone here spoke a little Chinese'.
Business Chinese is mostly normal Chinese said politely, plus numbers you cannot fumble. Start with the ear, the numbers, and the words your chat group actually uses.
Your first ten minutes
- 1 Master the WeChat swap
Every working relationship in China starts with one QR code. Own that moment.
- 2 Get fluent in wan and yi
Quotes, budgets and salaries all speak in ten-thousands. Misheard zeros are career events.
- 3 Read the room on the sticker wall
When a colleague types neijuan at 9 pm, you will know exactly how their week is going.
Monday-ready lines
加个微信吧。 Jiā gè Wēixìn ba. Let's add each other on WeChat.
一共三十五万。 Yígòng sānshíwǔ wàn. 350,000 in total.
我们别内卷了。 Wǒmen bié nèijuǎn le. Let's not grind for nothing.
Here for a different reason?