商业伙伴
shāngyè huǒbàn
The English phrase 'business partner' can be translated into Chinese as 商业伙伴 (shāngyè huǒbàn).
The term refers to an associate in commerce.
Meaning: an associate in commerce (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
商业伙伴 is composed of 商业 (shāngyè), meaning 'business' and 伙伴 (huǒbàn), meaning 'partner' or 'companion'.
Which one should you use?
While 商业伙伴 specifically emphasizes the commercial nature of the relationship, 合作伙伴 (hézuò huǒbàn) is more commonly used in professional settings to describe a partner in a specific collaboration or cooperation.
How do you pronounce it?
shāngyè huǒbàn
Did you know?
- The word for partner 伙伴 contains the character 伙 (huǒ), which originally referred to a piece of firewood. In ancient times, it implied people sharing a fire for warmth or cooking, symbolizing a close bond.
- In many Chinese business cultures, a partner is often referred to as 老师 (lǎoshī), meaning 'teacher', even if they are not in education. This acknowledges their seniority or expertise in a specific field.
- The character 商 (shāng) in 商业 was historically associated with the Shang Dynasty, but it also functioned as a verb meaning 'to discuss' or 'to deliberate' before it became the standard word for 'commerce'.
Examples in context
- 我们的公司一直与很多合作伙伴保持紧密合作关系。Our company has maintained a close working relationship with many business partners.
- 我的生意伙伴在华东地区。My business partner is in the East China region.
- 他是我最好的合作伙伴。He is my best business partner.
- 他是我重要的商业伙伴。Tā shì wǒ zhòngyào de shāngyè huǒbàn.He is my important business partner.
- 我们要找一位可靠的商业伙伴。Wǒmen yào zhǎo yī wèi kěkào de shāngyè huǒbàn.We need to find a reliable business partner.
- 这些商业伙伴对我们很有帮助。Zhèxiē shāngyè huǒbàn duì wǒmen hěn yǒu bāngzhù.These business partners are very helpful to us.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a new potential client at a coffee shop.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，那位新客户是你的商业伙伴吗？Hàorán, nà wèi xīn kèhù shì nǐ de shāngyè huǒbàn ma?Haoran, is that new client your business partner?
- 浩然 Haoran不，他只是我们的潜在合作伙伴。Bù, tā zhǐshì wǒmen de qiánzài hézuò huǒbàn.No, he is just our potential partner.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那你们打算什么时候签约？Nà nǐmen dǎsuàn shénme shíhòu qiānyuē?Then when do you plan to sign the contract?
- 浩然 Haoran我们希望很快能达成协议。Wǒmen xīwàng hěn kuài néng dáchéng xiéyì.We hope to reach an agreement very soon.
