How to chat with Taobao sellers in Chinese

Taobao customer service calls you 亲 ('dear'), answers in seconds, and controls your refund. Learn their language and the marketplace bends to you.

What you'll say

Tap play to hear it. Everything on this page runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Heads-up: the voice you hear here is your browser’s built-in Mandarin — the app sounds considerably better. On iPhone it uses Apple’s enhanced and premium system voices, plays at real conversational speed, and has a slow mode for practising.

This device has no Chinese voice installed, so audio can’t play here. The app doesn’t have that problem — it uses the Mandarin voices built into iOS.

什么时候发货？

Shénme shíhou fāhuò?

When will you ship it?

发货 (fāhuò) = to ship. The eternal first question.

有优惠券吗？

Yǒu yōuhuìquàn ma?

Is there a coupon?

There is almost always a coupon. Asking often summons one from thin air.

尺寸不合适，我想换货。

Chǐcùn bù héshì, wǒ xiǎng huànhuò.

The size doesn't fit — I'd like to exchange it.

换货 exchange, 退货 return. Sellers prefer exchanges; leverage accordingly.

1 more phrase in this situation — plus the real-speed audio for all 4, the listening drill, and the camera. Six situations are free in the app; this one is part of Pro.

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What they'll say back

This is the part nobody teaches. Real Mandarin comes back fast and blunt, so hear it at natural speed first.

Press play before you read. In the app, anything you miss comes back slower and then again later, until you catch it at full speed.

They say

亲，在的哦，有什么可以帮您？

Qīn, zài de o, yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nín?

Dear, I'm here! How can I help you?

You can answer

这个什么时候发货呢？

Zhège shénme shíhou fāhuò ne?

When will this ship?

They say

亲，给您申请了退款，注意查收哦。

Qīn, gěi nín shēnqǐng le tuìkuǎn, zhùyì cháshōu o.

Dear, I've processed your refund — please check for it.

You can answer

收到了，谢谢亲！

Shōudào le, xièxie qīn!

Got it, thanks dear!

Other situations in Shopping

Bargaining at the market Sizes, fitting rooms, returns The haircut leap of faith