逛街
guàngjiē
The English phrase 'go shopping' is translated into Chinese as 逛街 (guàngjiē).
The phrase refers to the act of visiting stores in a commercial area for pleasure or to browse, regardless of whether anything is actually purchased.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 逛街 is composed of two parts: 逛, which means to stroll or wander around and 街, which means street. Literally, it means 'to stroll the streets'.
Which one should you use?
While 逛街 focuses on the activity of browsing or strolling through commercial areas, the phrase 买东西 is used when the focus is specifically on the act of purchasing items.
How do you pronounce it?
guàngjiē
Did you know?
- There is a specific term 逛吃逛吃 which doubles the verbs to describe the act of wandering through a street market specifically to eat small snacks along the way.
- In modern digital culture, the phrase 逛 is now used for browsing apps or social media feeds, effectively turning a physical street stroll into a virtual one.
- While 逛街 is for browsing, the word 逛 can be used with other locations, such as 逛公园 for strolling through a park. This highlights a cultural value of slow, aimless wandering for pleasure.
Examples in context
- 你想和我一起去逛街吗？Would you like to go shopping with me?This sentence shows how to invite someone to go shopping using 逛街.Tatoeba #9959850 by GlossaMatik, translation #282511 by CK
- 我这个下午本来想去逛街。I had intended to go shopping this afternoon.This sentence illustrates a past intention to go shopping using 逛街.Tatoeba #9963214 by GlossaMatik, translation #5852252 by CK
- 他第一次來台北，就指名要去西門町逛街。The first time he came to Taipei, he specifically wanted to go shopping in Ximending.This sentence provides an example of someone wanting to go shopping in a specific location using 逛街.Tatoeba #13538256 by LeviHighway, translation #13547838 by LeviHighway
- 今天我要去购物。Today, I am going shopping.
- 我需要去购买东西。I need to go purchase some items.
- 今天我们一起去逛街吧！Let's go shopping together today!
- 我们明天去逛商场吧！Let's go to the mall tomorrow!
- 你们有其他颜色吗？Do you have any other colors?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to do on a Saturday afternoon.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，我们下午去逛街吧。Jiāyí, wǒmen xiàwǔ qù guàngjiē ba.Jiayi, let's go shopping this afternoon.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好啊，我想去商场逛街。Hǎo a, wǒ xiǎng qù shāngchǎng guàngjiē.Sure, I want to go shopping at the mall.
- 浩然 Haoran那我们几点出发？Nà wǒmen jǐ diǎn chūfā?Then what time shall we set off?
- 佳怡 Jiayi两点可以吗？Liǎng diǎn kěyǐ ma?Is two o'clock okay?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
