xiǎopiào: 小票 - Receipt, Sales Slip, Bill

• Keywords: 小票, xiaopiao, Chinese receipt, what is xiaopiao, how to ask for a receipt in Chinese, shopping in China, bill in Chinese, ticket stub, fapiao vs xiaopiao, proof of purchase
• Summary: 小票 (xiǎopiào) is the common Chinese word for the small, printed receipt or sales slip you receive after making a purchase in a store, restaurant, or supermarket. While it translates to “receipt,” it's crucial for learners to understand that it's different from the official tax invoice known as a 发票 (fāpiào). This page explains what a 小票 is, why you need it for returns, and how it fits into the daily life of shopping and dining in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xiǎo piào
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A (Extremely common vocabulary, essential for daily life, equivalent to HSK 2/3 level)
• Concise Definition: A small, typically machine-printed, paper slip serving as proof of purchase, an itemized bill, or a small ticket.
• In a Nutshell: Think of a `小票` as the everyday, informal receipt. It's the long, thin piece of paper that the cashier hands you at the grocery store or the bill the waiter brings to your table. Its name literally means “small slip,” which perfectly describes its physical form. It lists what you bought and how much you paid, but it's generally not sufficient for official business expense reports.

• 小 (xiǎo): This character means “small” or “little.” It's one of the most fundamental characters, originally a pictogram of three small dots or grains of sand.
• 票 (piào): This character means “ticket,” “slip of paper,” or “bill.” Its ancient form depicted something fluttering, eventually coming to represent a piece of paper like a voucher or ticket.
• Combined Meaning: The two characters combine literally and logically to mean “small slip” or “little ticket,” which is exactly what a `小票` is.

The most important cultural point about `小票` is its relationship with its official counterpart, the `发票 (fāpiào)`. This distinction is a frequent source of confusion for foreigners in China.

• 小票 (xiǎopiào): The Customer's Proof of Purchase. This is the default slip you receive. It's for your personal records. Its primary functions are:

1. Checking Items: To make sure you were charged correctly.

  2.  **Returns & Exchanges:** It is the essential document you need to return or exchange an item (`退货 - tuìhuò`). Without it, most stores will refuse.
*   **发票 (fāpiào): The Official Tax Invoice.** This is a government-regulated invoice that businesses must issue upon request. Its primary function is:
  1.  **Reimbursement (`报销 - bàoxiāo`):** If you need to claim a purchase as a business expense, you **must** have a `发票`. A `小票` will not be accepted by any company for reimbursement.
  2.  **Taxation:** It proves that the vendor has registered the sale for tax purposes.

Comparison to Western Culture: In the United States or Europe, a single document—the receipt—serves all purposes. You use the same receipt to return a product and to file an expense report. In China, these roles are split. You automatically get a `小票`, but you almost always have to specifically ask for a `发票` by saying `请给我开一张发票 (Qǐng gěi wǒ kāi yī zhāng fāpiào)`. This system was designed to ensure businesses report their income accurately for tax collection.

`小票` is a word you'll use constantly in daily life.

• In a Store: After you pay, the cashier will hand you your change and the `小票`. You should always take it, especially for more expensive items like clothing or electronics, in case you need to make a return.
• In a Restaurant: A `小票` can refer to two things:

1. The itemized bill brought to your table before you pay. You might say `服务员，买单！(Fúwùyuán, mǎidān!)` and they will bring you the `小票`.

  2.  The final proof of payment you receive after you've paid at the front counter.
*   **Asking for it:** If the cashier forgets to give it to you, you can ask: `可以给我小票吗？ (Kěyǐ gěi wǒ xiǎopiào ma?)` - "Can you give me the receipt?"
*   **The Digital Shift:** With the dominance of Alipay (支付宝) and WeChat Pay (微信支付), physical `小票` are becoming less common for small transactions like buying a coffee. The transaction record in your app serves as proof. However, for groceries, shopping mall purchases, and restaurant meals, physical `小票` are still standard.

• Example 1:
  • 这是您的小票，请收好。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì nín de xiǎopiào, qǐng shōu hǎo.
  • English: This is your receipt, please keep it safe.
  • Analysis: A very common phrase said by cashiers. `请收好 (qǐng shōu hǎo)` is a polite way to say “please keep/take it.”
• Example 2:
  • 对不起，我把小票弄丢了。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bǎ xiǎopiào nòng diū le.
  • English: Sorry, I lost the receipt.
  • Analysis: `把 (bǎ)` is used here to show the disposal of the object (`小票`). `弄丢了 (nòng diū le)` is a common colloquial way to say “lost (something) through carelessness.”
• Example 3:
  • 如果你想退货，就必须有小票。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng tuìhuò, jiù bìxū yǒu xiǎopiào.
  • English: If you want to return the goods, you must have the receipt.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly states the primary function of a `小票` for a customer. `退货 (tuìhuò)` means “to return goods.”
• Example 4:
  • 服务员，麻烦把小票拿过来，我们要结账。
  • Pinyin: Fúwùyuán, máfan bǎ xiǎopiào ná guòlái, wǒmen yào jiézhàng.
  • English: Waiter, could you please bring the bill over? We want to pay.
  • Analysis: Here, `小票` is used to mean “bill” or “check” in a restaurant. `结账 (jiézhàng)` is a common way to say “to settle the bill.”
• Example 5:
  • 我看了一下小票，他们多算了一瓶可乐。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ kàn le yīxià xiǎopiào, tāmen duō suàn le yī píng kělè.
  • English: I looked at the receipt, they overcharged us for one bottle of coke.
  • Analysis: This shows the practical use of checking the receipt for accuracy. `多算 (duō suàn)` means “to overcharge” or “to miscalculate by adding too much.”
• Example 6:
  • 这张小票太长了，我买的东西真多！
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhāng xiǎopiào tài cháng le, wǒ mǎi de dōngxi zhēn duō!
  • English: This receipt is so long, I really bought a lot of stuff!
  • Analysis: `张 (zhāng)` is the correct measure word for flat, paper-like objects like a `小票`.
• Example 7:
  • 公司报销不能用这个，这是小票，不是发票。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī bàoxiāo bùnéng yòng zhège, zhè shì xiǎopiào, bùshì fāpiào.
  • English: You can't use this for company reimbursement; this is a sales slip, not an official fapiao.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly highlights the crucial difference between `小票` and `发票 (fāpiào)` in the context of `报销 (bàoxiāo - reimbursement)`.
• Example 8:
  • 你需要拿着这张小票去服务台开发票。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào názhe zhè zhāng xiǎopiào qù fúwùtái kāi fāpiào.
  • English: You need to take this receipt to the customer service desk to get an official invoice (fapiao) issued.
  • Analysis: This describes a common process in large supermarkets or department stores in China. You pay first, get the `小票`, and then take it to a separate counter to have the `发票` issued.
• Example 9:
  • 现在很多地方都用电子小票了，更环保。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài hěn duō dìfang dōu yòng diànzǐ xiǎopiào le, gèng huánbǎo.
  • English: Nowadays many places use electronic receipts, which is more environmentally friendly.
  • Analysis: Shows the modern evolution of the term into the digital space. `电子 (diànzǐ)` means “electronic.”
• Example 10:
  • 我把所有超市的小票都存起来，用来记账。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bǎ suǒyǒu chāoshì de xiǎopiào dōu cún qǐlái, yònglái jìzhàng.
  • English: I save all my supermarket receipts to use for bookkeeping.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates another personal use for receipts. `记账 (jìzhàng)` means “to keep accounts” or “bookkeeping.”

• The #1 Mistake: Confusing 小票 (xiǎopiào) and 发票 (fāpiào).
  • This is the most critical pitfall. An English speaker's concept of “receipt” covers both, but in Chinese, they are distinct. If you need to get reimbursed for a business meal or a taxi ride, a `小票` is useless. You must ask for a `发票 (fāpiào)`.
  • Incorrect: `老板，我需要这张小票来报销。(Lǎobǎn, wǒ xūyào zhè zhāng xiǎopiào lái bàoxiāo.)` → This is wrong. Your boss will reject it.
  • Correct: `老板，我需要开一张发票来报销。(Lǎobǎn, wǒ xūyào kāi yī zhāng fāpiào lái bàoxiāo.)`
• 小票 vs. 账单 (zhàngdān) - Bill:
  • In a restaurant, `小票` and `账单 (zhàngdān)` can sometimes be used interchangeably to mean “the bill.” However, `账单` is more precisely “the bill” (the list of what you owe), while `小票` can be that bill OR the final proof of payment you get after paying. If you want to be precise when asking for the check, `买单 (mǎidān)` or `结账 (jiézhàng)` are the most common actions, and the document they bring is the `账单` or `小票`.

• 发票 (fāpiào) - The official tax invoice. The most important counterpart to `小票`, necessary for business reimbursements.
• 收据 (shōujù) - A more formal term for a receipt, often handwritten for services or rent. It's proof of payment but usually not a tax document like a `发票`.
• 账单 (zhàngdān) - Bill, check (especially in a restaurant). The document listing charges that you need to pay.
• 买单 (mǎidān) - “To pay the bill” (lit. “to buy the bill”). A verb phrase used in restaurants.
• 结账 (jiézhàng) - “To settle the account,” “to pay the bill.” More formal than `买单` and can be used in hotels as well as restaurants.
• 退货 (tuìhuò) - To return goods. The primary action for which you need a `小票`.
• 报销 (bàoxiāo) - To get reimbursement for expenses. The primary action for which you need a `发票`.
• 凭证 (píngzhèng) - Proof, evidence, voucher. A formal, general term. A `小票` is a type of `购物凭证 (gòuwù píngzhèng)` or “proof of purchase.”
• 清单 (qīngdān) - A detailed list, an inventory. A `小票` is essentially a `购物清单 (gòuwù qīngdān)` showing the items purchased.