dǎzhé: 打折 - To Give a Discount, On Sale

• Keywords: dazhe, dǎzhé, 打折, Chinese for discount, on sale in Chinese, how to say discount in Mandarin, Chinese shopping vocabulary, 打八折, 80% price, 20% off, bargain in China.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 打折 (dǎzhé), which means “to give a discount” or “to be on sale.” This page is a complete guide for beginners on how to understand and use `打折` when shopping in China. We'll break down the unique Chinese system where a discount is expressed as the percentage you *pay* (e.g., `打八折` means you pay 80%), not the percentage taken off. Master this concept to become a savvy shopper in any Chinese-speaking environment.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎzhé
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound (functions as a verb)
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To give a discount on the price of an item.
• In a Nutshell: `打折` is the most common way to talk about discounts and sales in Mandarin. The concept can be tricky for English speakers. Instead of saying “20% off,” Chinese speakers say they will `打八折 (dǎ bā zhé)`, which literally means “strike an eight-fold.” This means you pay 80% of the original price. The number represents the percentage of the original price you pay. So, a bigger discount means a smaller number!

• 打 (dǎ): The core meaning is “to hit,” “to strike,” or “to beat.” It's an incredibly versatile character used in hundreds of common phrases, often indicating an action is being performed (e.g., `打电话 dǎ diànhuà` - to make a phone call).
• 折 (zhé): This character means “to break,” “to fold,” or in this context, “a discount.” Think of folding a piece of paper to make it smaller; here, you're “folding” the price.

When combined, `打折 (dǎzhé)` literally means “to strike a discount” or “to break the price.” It's a vivid image of actively reducing a price from its original state.

Shopping in China often involves a different dynamic than in many Western countries. While high-end department stores and chain brands usually have fixed prices, bargaining and seeking discounts are still a huge part of the culture in smaller shops, local markets, and even online. The key cultural difference lies in how discounts are framed. The Western concept of “20% off” focuses on what you *save*. The Chinese concept of `打八折 (dǎ bā zhé)` focuses on what you *pay* (80%). This reflects a very direct, practical approach to the final transaction amount. This system is central to massive shopping holidays like Double 11 (`双十一 Shuāng Shíyī`) on November 11th, which is the world's largest online shopping day. On this day, virtually every online retailer offers massive `打折` promotions, and understanding the system is crucial for getting the best deals. The phrase `打骨折 (dǎ gǔzhé)`, literally “to break a bone,” is slang for a massive, unmissable discount.

`打折` is a ubiquitous term you'll encounter daily.

• In Stores: Look for signs saying `全场八折 (quán chǎng bā zhé)` which means “Storewide 20% off” (i.e., pay 80% on everything).
• Bargaining: In a market, after you're given a price, you can ask politely: `可以打折吗？(Kěyǐ dǎzhé ma?)` which means, “Can you give a discount?”
• Online Shopping: On platforms like Taobao or JD.com, items will clearly state if they are `打折` and will show the original price crossed out next to the new, discounted price.
• Formality: The term is neutral and can be used in almost any commercial setting, from a street vendor to a formal business negotiation about bulk pricing.

• Example 1:
  • 这件衣服打折吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yīfu dǎzhé ma?
  • English: Is this piece of clothing on sale?
  • Analysis: This is the most common and direct way to ask if an item is discounted. It's polite and universally understood.
• Example 2:
  • 老板，这个太贵了，能便宜点儿，打个折吗？
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn, zhège tài guì le, néng piányi diǎnr, dǎ ge zhé ma?
  • English: Boss, this is too expensive. Can it be a bit cheaper, can you give a discount?
  • Analysis: A classic bargaining phrase. `老板 (lǎobǎn)` is a common way to address a shopkeeper. Adding `个 (ge)` makes the request sound a little more casual.
• Example 3:
  • 今天商场所有商品打八折。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān shāngchǎng suǒyǒu shāngpǐn dǎ bā zhé.
  • English: Today, all products in the mall are 20% off.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the core concept. `打八折 (dǎ bā zhé)` means you pay 80% of the price, which is a 20% discount.
• Example 4:
  • 如果你买三件，我们可以给你打七五折。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ mǎi sān jiàn, wǒmen kěyǐ gěi nǐ dǎ qīwǔ zhé.
  • English: If you buy three, we can give you a 25% discount.
  • Analysis: `打七五折 (dǎ qīwǔ zhé)` means “to strike a 7.5-fold,” which translates to paying 75% of the price. This shows that decimals can be used.
• Example 5:
  • 这本书是新到的，所以不打折。
  • Pinyin: Zhè běn shū shì xīn dào de, suǒyǐ bù dǎzhé.
  • English: This book just arrived, so there's no discount.
  • Analysis: The negative form, `不打折`, is clear and direct, meaning “no discounts” or “full price.”
• Example 6:
  • 哇，打对折！那就是半价啊！
  • Pinyin: Wā, dǎ duìzhé! Nà jiùshì bànjià a!
  • English: Wow, a 50% discount! That's half price!
  • Analysis: `打对折 (dǎ duìzhé)` is a special term meaning “to fold in half,” which is a 50% discount. It's synonymous with `打五折 (dǎ wǔ zhé)`. `半价 (bànjià)` means “half price.”
• Example 7:
  • 这家店的打折活动什么时候结束？
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā diàn de dǎzhé huódòng shénme shíhou jiéshù?
  • English: When does this store's sales event end?
  • Analysis: Here, `打折` is used attributively with `活动 (huódòng)` to mean “sales event” or “promotion.”
• Example 8:
  • 圣诞节快到了，很多商店都开始打折了。
  • Pinyin: Shèngdànjié kuài dào le, hěn duō shāngdiàn dōu kāishǐ dǎzhé le.
  • English: Christmas is almost here, and many shops have started offering discounts.
  • Analysis: Shows how `打折` is used to describe a general trend or season of sales.
• Example 9:
  • 成为会员后，所有消费都能打九折。
  • Pinyin: Chéngwéi huìyuán hòu, suǒyǒu xiāofèi dōu néng dǎ jiǔ zhé.
  • English: After becoming a member, you can get a 10% discount on all purchases.
  • Analysis: `打九折 (dǎ jiǔ zhé)` means you pay 90%, which is a small but common loyalty discount of 10%.
• Example 10:
  • 这次打折的力度很大，有些东西都打三折了！
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì dǎzhé de lìdù hěn dà, yǒuxiē dōngxi dōu dǎ sān zhé le!
  • English: The discounts are huge this time, some things are even 70% off!
  • Analysis: `力度 (lìdù)` means “strength” or “intensity.” A `打三折 (dǎ sān zhé)` discount (pay 30%) is a very deep discount, equivalent to 70% off.

The single most common mistake for learners is misunderstanding what the number means.

• The Golden Rule: The number in `打X折` is the percentage of the price you PAY.
• Common Mistake: A student hears `打七折 (dǎ qī zhé)` and thinks it's a 70% discount.
• Correction: `打七折` means you pay 70% of the price. The actual discount is 30% off (100% - 70% = 30%).

Example of Incorrect Usage:

• Incorrect: `这个可以给我一个三十个百分比的折扣吗？` (Zhège kěyǐ gěi wǒ yíge sānshí ge bǎifēnbǐ de zhékòu ma?)
• Why it's wrong: While grammatically understandable, it's completely unnatural. Chinese doesn't express discounts using the direct “percent” (`百分比`) structure this way in conversation. The `打折` pattern is standard.
• Correct: `这个可以打七折吗？` (Zhège kěyǐ dǎ qī zhé ma?)

打折 vs. 减价 (jiǎnjià):

• `打折 (dǎzhé)` refers to a proportional discount (e.g., 20% off).
• `减价 (jiǎnjià)` means “to reduce the price” and can refer to a fixed amount (e.g., `减10块 - jiǎn shí kuài` - “reduce by 10 kuai”). `打折` is a type of `减价`.

• 优惠 (yōuhuì) - Favorable, preferential. A broad, slightly more formal term for any kind of special offer, discount, or benefit.
• 促销 (cùxiāo) - To promote sales. This is a business/marketing term for a sales promotion. You'll see it on advertisements.
• 减价 (jiǎnjià) - To reduce the price. A more literal term for making something cheaper.
• 讨价还价 (tǎojià huánjià) - To bargain, to haggle. The process of negotiating a price, which often involves asking for a `打折`.
• 特价 (tèjià) - Special price. Refers to an item being sold at a specific, reduced price.
• 优惠券 (yōuhuìquàn) - Coupon. A voucher that gives you a discount, often for a fixed amount (e.g., 20 RMB off).
• 买一送一 (mǎi yī sòng yī) - Buy one, get one free. A very common type of `促销`.
• 双十一 (Shuāng Shíyī) - Double Eleven (November 11th). China's massive online shopping festival, famous for its deep discounts.
• 清仓 (qīngcāng) - Clearance sale. Literally “to clear out the warehouse.” These sales often have the biggest discounts.