fāpiào: 发票 - Invoice, Receipt

• Keywords: fapiao, 发票, Chinese invoice, Chinese receipt, what is a fapiao, fapiao lottery, tax receipt China, company reimbursement China, kāi fāpiào, bàoxiāo, 报销, official receipt
• Summary: The Chinese 发票 (fāpiào) is an official, government-regulated invoice that is fundamentally different from a standard Western receipt. It serves as a crucial tool for the Chinese tax authorities to monitor transactions and prevent tax evasion. For individuals and businesses, a fāpiào is essential for claiming business expenses and getting reimbursed. Understanding what a fāpiào is, why it's important, and how to ask for one is a critical practical skill for anyone working or traveling in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fāpiào
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: An official, government-issued invoice or receipt required for tax and reimbursement purposes in China.
• In a Nutshell: A `fāpiào` is more than just proof of purchase—it's a legal document integrated into China's tax system. Unlike a simple cash register printout, a `fāpiào` is printed on special, government-controlled paper (or issued digitally in a standard format) and is the only document accepted by companies for expense reimbursement (`报销 bàoxiāo`). The system is designed to ensure that every business transaction is recorded and taxed, making the act of asking for and issuing a `fāpiào` a routine and formal part of daily commerce.

• 发 (fā): The character 发 originally depicted a hand launching an arrow, hence its core meaning of “to send out,” “to issue,” or “to launch.” In this context, it clearly means “to issue.”
• 票 (piào): The character 票 shows “fire” (火) at the bottom, but its top part originally depicted a fluttering banner or slip of paper. It means “ticket,” “a slip of paper,” or “a note.”
• Together, 发票 (fāpiào) literally translates to “issued slip of paper,” which accurately describes its function as an officially issued document.

The `fāpiào` system is a cornerstone of China's economic regulation and reveals a key aspect of the state's role in commerce. It's a top-down approach to ensuring tax compliance.

• Comparison with a Western “Receipt”: In the West, a receipt is primarily for the customer. It's your proof of purchase for returns or personal accounting. It's not usually regulated by the government. A Chinese `fāpiào`, however, serves a dual purpose. It's proof of purchase for the customer AND a data point for the government's tax bureau. When a business issues a `fāpiào`, they are officially logging the revenue, making it impossible to hide that income from tax authorities.
• The Fapiao Lottery (发票刮奖 fāpiào guājiǎng): To incentivize consumers to enforce this system, the government created the `fapiao` lottery. Many `fāpiào` (especially for smaller consumer transactions) have a scratch-off section (`刮奖区 guājiǎng qū`). Consumers can scratch it to reveal if they've won a small cash prize (typically ¥5 to ¥100). This clever system turns millions of consumers into willing deputies of the tax bureau. By asking for a `fāpiào` to try their luck, they are simultaneously ensuring the vendor reports the sale. This highlights a pragmatic approach to governance and public participation.

Knowing how to handle `fāpiào` is a non-negotiable survival skill for business travelers or expats in China.

• Getting Reimbursed (报销 bàoxiāo): The number one reason you'll need a `fāpiào` is for work. If you take a client to dinner, buy office supplies, or take a taxi for a meeting, you must get a `fāpiào` to have the expense reimbursed by your company. A simple credit card slip or cash register receipt (`小票 xiǎopiào`) will not be accepted.
• How to Ask for a Fapiao:
  • The most common phrase is: “你好，可以开发票吗？” (Nǐ hǎo, kěyǐ kāi fāpiào ma?) - “Hello, can you issue a fapiao?”
  • The vendor will then ask for the company name: “发票抬头是什么？” (Fāpiào táitóu shì shénme?) - “What's the company name for the fapiao?”
  • You must provide the exact, official company name (`抬头 táitóu`). For larger amounts or specific business types, you may also need to provide the company's Taxpayer Identification Number (`税号 shuìhào`).
• Types of Fapiao:
  • General Fapiao (`普通发票 pǔtōng fāpiào`): Used for most day-to-day transactions.
  • Electronic Fapiao (`电子发票 diànzǐ fāpiào`): Increasingly common, sent as a PDF to your email or WeChat. Very convenient but you must have a way to receive it digitally.

• Example 1:
  • 服务员，买单。麻烦开一张发票。
  • Pinyin: Fúwùyuán, mǎidān. Máfán kāi yī zhāng fāpiào.
  • English: Waiter, the bill please. Could you please issue an invoice?
  • Analysis: A standard, polite way to ask for a `fāpiào` at a restaurant after a meal. `麻烦 (máfán)` adds a layer of politeness, meaning “to trouble you.”
• Example 2:
  • 这笔钱我要报销，所以必须有发票。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bǐ qián wǒ yào bàoxiāo, suǒyǐ bìxū yǒu fāpiào.
  • English: I need to get this sum of money reimbursed, so I must have a fapiao.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly states the reason for needing the `fāpiào`. `报销 (bàoxiāo)` is the key verb for “to reimburse.”
• Example 3:
  • 发票的抬头请写“ contextualchinese.com 有限公司”。
  • Pinyin: Fāpiào de táitóu qǐng xiě “contextualchinese.com yǒuxiàn gōngsī”.
  • English: For the fapiao's company name, please write “contextualchinese.com Ltd.”
  • Analysis: `抬头 (táitóu)` is the specific vocabulary for the company name printed on a `fāpiào`. You must provide the full, registered name.
• Example 4:
  • 对不起，我们这里只能开普通发票，不能开专用发票。
  • Pinyin: Duìbùqǐ, wǒmen zhèlǐ zhǐ néng kāi pǔtōng fāpiào, bùnéng kāi zhuānyòng fāpiào.
  • English: Sorry, we can only issue general fapiaos here, not special VAT fapiaos.
  • Analysis: This shows a common situation where a small business might not be able to provide the specific type of VAT `fapiao` a larger corporation might need.
• Example 5:
  • 你的电子发票已经发到你的微信了，请查收。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de diànzǐ fāpiào yǐjīng fā dào nǐ de wēixìn le, qǐng cháshōu.
  • English: Your electronic fapiao has been sent to your WeChat. Please check for it.
  • Analysis: Highlights the modern shift to `电子发票 (diànzǐ fāpiào)`, which are often transferred via apps like WeChat. `请查收 (qǐng cháshōu)` is a formal way to say “please check and receive.”
• Example 6:
  • 师傅，出租车费可以开发票吗？
  • Pinyin: Shīfù, chūzū chē fèi kěyǐ kāi fāpiào ma?
  • English: Driver, can you issue a fapiao for the taxi fare?
  • Analysis: `师傅 (shīfù)` is a common and respectful way to address blue-collar workers, including taxi drivers. Taxi `fapiao` are often a pre-printed roll of receipts.
• Example 7:
  • 哈哈，我的发票刮中了十块钱！
  • Pinyin: Hāhā, wǒ de fāpiào guā zhòngle shí kuài qián!
  • English: Haha, my fapiao won ten yuan from the scratch-off!
  • Analysis: This shows the “lottery” aspect of the `fapiao`. `刮中 (guā zhòng)` means to win by scratching.
• Example 8:
  • 没有发票，公司的财务是不会给你报销的。
  • Pinyin: Méiyǒu fāpiào, gōngsī de cáiwù shì bù huì gěi nǐ bàoxiāo de.
  • English: Without a fapiao, the company's finance department will not reimburse you.
  • Analysis: This sentence emphasizes the non-negotiable nature of the `fapiao` for corporate reimbursement. `财务 (cáiwù)` means finance department.
• Example 9:
  • 您好，开发票需要提供一下公司的税号。
  • Pinyin: Nín hǎo, kāi fāpiào xūyào tígōng yīxià gōngsī de shuìhào.
  • English: Hello, to issue the fapiao, you'll need to provide the company's tax ID number.
  • Analysis: `税号 (shuìhào)` is the tax ID number, another crucial piece of information often required.
• Example 10:
  • 这张发票金额不对，能帮我重开一张吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhāng fāpiào jīn'é bùduì, néng bāng wǒ chóng kāi yī zhāng ma?
  • English: The amount on this fapiao is incorrect. Can you help me reissue a new one?
  • Analysis: A practical sentence for when there's an error. `重开 (chóng kāi)` means “to re-issue.”

• Fapiao (发票) vs. Receipt (小票 xiǎopiào): This is the most critical distinction. A `小票 (xiǎopiào)` is the flimsy, cash-register printout you get at a supermarket. A `发票 (fāpiào)` is the official, larger-format document needed for reimbursement. Foreigners often save the `xiǎopiào` and throw away the `fāpiào`, only to find they can't get their money back. Rule of thumb: Always ask for the `fāpiào` specifically.
• Incorrect Verb: The verb for issuing a `fapiao` is `开 (kāi)`, as in `开发票 (kāi fāpiào)`. Using other verbs like `给 (gěi)` or `做 (zuò)` sounds unnatural.
• Forgetting the Company Name (抬头 táitóu): You cannot get a blank `fapiao`. It must be issued to a specific entity. If you are a tourist and don't need it for reimbursement, you can ask for it to be issued to `个人 (gèrén)`, meaning “individual,” but it will then be useless for company reimbursement.

• 报销 (bàoxiāo) - To get reimbursed for expenses. This is the primary motivation for collecting `fāpiào`.
• 小票 (xiǎopiào) - The informal cash register receipt; NOT a `fāpiào` and cannot be used for reimbursement.
• 抬头 (táitóu) - The official company name that must be printed on the `fāpiào`.
• 税号 (shuìhào) - The company's tax identification number, often required along with the `táitóu`.
• 开发票 (kāi fāpiào) - The set verb phrase meaning “to issue a fapiao.”
• 电子发票 (diànzǐ fāpiào) - An electronic `fapiao`, usually a PDF, which is now very common and legally valid.
• 收据 (shōujù) - A general term for a receipt. While more formal than a `xiǎopiào`, it is usually handwritten and not an official tax document like a `fāpiào`.
• 增值税 (zēngzhíshuì) - Value-Added Tax (VAT). `Fāpiào` are a key part of the VAT system in China.