5 Chinese Phrases You’ll Hear in a Convenience Store

by That's Mandarin | Oct 18, 2022

Convenience stores like FamilyMart (全家 Quánjiā) and LAWSON (罗森, Luósēn) are very popular in China. You can get almost all kinds of daily necessities at reasonable prices in these stores. If you would like to buy some stuff in a convenience store, the shop assistant might ask you some questions when you are paying for your purchase. Let’s take a look at 5 phrases you’ll often hear in Chinese convenience stores.

便利店 Convenience Store | That's Mandarin Blog

便利店
biànlìdiàn
convenience store
(lit.”convenient-store”)

1. Welcome!

欢迎光临 Welcome | 5 Chinese phrases you'll hear in a convenience store

欢迎光临
Huānyíng guānglín
Welcome

This is the #1 phrase you will hear when you enter a chain convenience store. “欢迎 huānyíng” means “welcome”, and “光临 guānglín” is a formal way to say “to pay a visit”. So this phrase can be literally translated as “welcome to pay a visit”.

2. Membership Card

会员卡 Membership Card | 5 Chinese phrases you'll hear in a convenience store

有会员卡吗?
Yǒu huìyuánkǎ ma?
Do you have a membership card?

The word 会员卡 huìyuánkǎ refers to “membership cards”, and it’s become quite common for chain stores to have membership options for their regular customers. 会员卡 huìyuánkǎ is digital, of course! It usually comes in WeChat mini-program, and will provide you with accumulated bonuses and freebies if you frequently shop at the same chain.

3. Buy 1 Get 1 Free

买一送一 Buy 1 Get 1 Free | 5 Chinese phrases you'll hear in a convenience store

买一送一
Mǎi yī sòng yī
Buy one get one (free)

Look out for this one! This promo will allow you to get 2 items at the price of one — say, two cups of coffee (often on Mondays). In case you miss the sign, the shop assistants will usually remind you if a promotion going on.

4. Heat It Up

加热 Heat it up | 5 Chinese phrases you'll hear in a convenience store

需要加热吗?
Xūyào jiārè ma?
Would you like me to heat it up (for you)?

Since many convenience store chains also sell ready-to-serve meals and snacks, this is a very common question the shop assistant might ask you.

You can say “yes” (需要, xūyào) and you’ll get your meal heated up in a microwave. Otherwise just say “no, thank you” (不需要, 谢谢 bù xūyào, xièxie).

And if you’d like to ask for this option yourself, use the keyword “to heat up” (加热, jiārè) —literally “to add-hot”.

5. Need a Bag?

袋子 Plastic Bag | 5 Chinese phrases you'll hear in a convenience store

需要袋子吗?
Xūyào dàizi ma?
Do you need a bag?

If the shop assistant sees you buying a few things, they might ask you if you need 袋子 dàizi — a bag. Recently, plastic bags has been replaced with non-woven fabric alternatives. Mind that in China, convenience stores charge money for bags for the purpose of environmental protection.