Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 拍賣 / 拍卖 | pāimài |
| 大賤賣 / 大贱卖 | dàjiànmài |
| 甩賣 / 甩卖 | shuǎimài |
If you are a person looking for a discount or a 'sale' in a retail context, you should most commonly use the verb 打折 (dǎzhé) to mean 'to give a discount'.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 甩賣 / 甩卖 (shuǎimài) literally means to shake off and sell, combining 甩 (to shake or throw off) and 卖 (to sell).
Which one should you use?
拍賣 / 拍卖 (pāimài) specifically refers to an auction rather than a general price reduction. 大賤賣 / 大贱卖 (dàjiànmài) is a colloquial term implying that something is being sold at an extremely low, almost insultingly cheap price, often to get rid of stock quickly. 甩賣 / 甩卖 (shuǎimài) is used specifically for clearance sales where a merchant is trying to 'shake off' or quickly get rid of old inventory.
How do you pronounce it?
pāimài
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the noun forms provided in this list if you simply want to say that a store is offering a discount. Instead, use 打折 (dǎzhé).
Did you know?
- When using 打折 / 打折 (dǎzhé) to talk about discounts, the number you say is the percentage of the price you actually pay, not the amount taken off.
- Chinese consumers often use the phrase 撿漏 (jiǎnlòu), which means 'picking up a leak', to describe the thrill of finding a hidden gem or an incredible bargain during a sale.
- While 拍賣 (pāimài) means 'auction', the first character 拍 refers to the action of striking or clapping, referencing the auctioneer's gavel hitting the block.
Examples in context
- 这家公司正在进行大规模的销售活动。This company is conducting a large-scale sales campaign.
- 最新款的手机正在打折出售。The latest models of mobile phones are on sale with discounts.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sale” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
