雜貨 / 杂货
záhuò
To say groceries in Chinese, use 雜貨 / 杂货 (záhuò), the goods sold in a grocery. If unsure, use 雜貨 / 杂货. Wiktionary also lists 買菜 / 买菜 (mǎicài).
Meaning: commodities sold by a grocer or in a grocery (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 雜貨 / 杂货 | záhuò |
| 買菜 / 买菜 | mǎicài |
买东西, to buy things, is also often used for doing the shopping.
What does it mean word for word?
雜 means miscellaneous or mixed and 貨 means goods.
Which one should you use?
While 雜貨 names the goods themselves, the verb phrase 買菜 / 买菜 (mǎicài) is the most common way to say going grocery shopping for daily food. It literally means to buy vegetables but covers all the food needed for daily meals.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is záhuò, with a rising tone and then a falling tone.
When do people say it?
People often buy their groceries at a 超市 (chāoshì), a supermarket.
Did you know?
- The character 雜 in 雜貨 also appears in the word for 'magazine' (雜誌), as both originally referred to a 'miscellaneous' or 'mixed' collection of items.
- In a traditional wet market, the act of 買菜 often involves intense bargaining, which is considered an essential part of the shopping process and a way to build rapport with the seller.
- In some regions, the phrase 買菜 is used as a social activity where the goal is not just the groceries but the daily exchange of gossip with neighbors and vendors.
Examples in context
- 我去买点菜。I'm going to buy some groceries
- 现在去菜市场买东西吗？Shall we go to the market to buy groceries now?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “groceries” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
