shopping in Chinese

Intermediate Chinese Conversation: “Do You Prefer to Shop Online or in Physical Stores?”

In Authentic Street Interviews by Angel Huang

Shopping online, or in physical stores... 

What’s better?

In this video, five Chinese shoppers share their personal preferences.

Press play to find out what they think, and pick up some good Mandarin shopping vocabulary!

Interview Dialogue Breakdown

你喜欢网购还是到实体店购物呢?
nǐ xǐ huān wǎng gòu hái shì dào shí tǐ diàn gòu wù ne?

Do you prefer to shop online or in physical stores?

Interviewee #1:

我比较喜欢去实体店买。

wǒ bǐ jiào xǐ huān qù shí tǐ diàn mǎi

I prefer to go to physical stores to shop.

因为...可能很多比如说衣服啊,鞋子。

yīn wèi... kě néng hěn duō bǐ rú shuō yī fú a, xié zi...

Because... probably a lot of things like clothes and shoes...

可能要试了之后才会觉得合不合适吧。

kě néng yào shì le zhī hòu cái huì jué de hé bù hé shì ba.

You probably need to try them before you know if it they suit you.

Interviewee #2:

我比较喜欢在实体店里买东西。

wǒ bǐ jiào xǐ huān zài shí tǐ diàn lǐ mǎi dōng xī.

I prefer to buy things in physical stores.

因为那样的话,我买的东西码数啊,

yīn wèi nèi yàng de huà... wǒ mǎi de dōng xī mǎ shù a...

Because in that situation... the size of the thing I'm buying...

还有说适不适合和我呀。

hái yǒu shuō shì bù shì hé hé wǒ ya...

and whether or not it suits me...

我现场就能看得出来。

wǒ xiàn chǎng jiù néng kàn de chū lái.

I can see it right away.

这样,我再决定买不买嘛。

zhè yàng, wǒ zài jué dìng mǎi bù mǎi ma.

This way, I can decide whether to buy or not.

这样会更方便一些,对于我来讲。

zhè yàng huì gèng fāng biàn yī xiē, duì yú wǒ lái jiǎng.

This will be more convenient for me.

Interviewee #3:

大多数情况下是,喜欢在网上买。

dà duō shù qíng kuàng xià shì, xǐ huān zài wǎng shàng mǎi.

In most situations, I like to shop online.

但是也要看具体的东西。

dàn shì yě yào kàn jù tǐ de dōng xī.

But it depends on the specific things.

大多数,其实现在都是喜欢在网上买。

dà duō shù, qí shí xiàn zài dōu shì xǐ huān zài wǎng shàng mǎi.

Most of the time, I actually like to shop online now.

或者,我是喜欢这样,就是

huò zhě, wǒ shì xǐ huān zhè yàng... jiù shì...

Or, I like it this way... that is...

我要买什么东西,

wǒ yào mǎi shén me dōng xī...

The thing I want to buy...

我可能会先在那个网上了解一下它的那个...

wǒ kě néng huì xiān zài nèi gè wǎng shàng liǎo jiě yī xià tā de nèi gè...

I probably first familiarize myself online with it's...

怎么说?价格或者什么之类的。

zěn me shuō? jià gé huò zhě shén me zhī lèi de.

How do you say..? Price or things like that.

然后我再去看是去网上买还是去商场里买。

rán hòu wǒ zài qù kàn shì qù wǎng shàng mǎi hái shì qù shāng chǎng lǐ mǎi.

Then I see whether to buy it online or in a shopping mall.

这样。

zhè yàng.

Just like that.

Interviewee #4:

我个人的话,会更喜欢到实体店。

wǒ gè rén de huà, huì gèng xǐ huān dào shí tǐ diàn.

Personally, I prefer to go to physical stores.

因为可以叫上我的好朋友一起去购物。

yīn wèi kě yǐ jiào shàng wǒ de hǎo péng yǒu yī qǐ qù gòu wù.

Because I can call my good friends and go shopping with them.

然后享受一个选购的过程。

rán hòu xiǎng shòu yī gè xuǎn gòu de guò chéng.

Then we enjoy the process of shopping.

而且在实体店的话,可以看到衣服的质量。

ér qiě zài shí tǐ diàn de huà, kě yǐ kàn dào yī fú de zhì liàng.

And in physical stores, you can see the quality of the clothes.

然后可以摸得到,感受得到。

rán hòu kě yǐ mō de dào, gǎn shòu de dào.

Then you can touch it and feel it.

所以我会更放心。

suǒ yǐ wǒ huì gèng fàng xīn.

So I'll feel more at comfortable / at ease.

Interviewee #5:

其实,我两个都喜欢。

qí shí, wǒ liǎng gè dōu xǐ huān.

Actually, I like both.

因为网购的话,你会有更多的选择。

yīn wèi wǎng gòu de huà, nǐ huì yǒu gèng duō de xuǎn zé.

Because when you shop online, you'll have more options.

可以一天之内看很多很多东西。

kě yǐ yī tiān zhī nèi kàn hěn duō hěn duō dōng xī.

You can see a lot of things in one day.

你逛实体店的话,你一天逛不了很多家店。

nǐ guàng shí tǐ diàn de huà, nǐ yī tiān guàng bù liǎo hěn duō jiā diàn.

If you visit physical stores, you can't visit many stores in one day.

会累。

huì lèi.

You'll get tired.

就算女生爱逛街,她还是会累。

jiù suàn nǚ shēng ài guàng jiē, tā hái shì huì lèi.

Even if girls love to go shopping, they will still be tired.

你的腿还是会痛啊。

nǐ de tuǐ hái shì huì tòng a.

Your legs will still hurt.

不过,你在实体店,你穿衣服的话,你手伸进那个袖子...

bù guò, nǐ zài shí tǐ diàn, nǐ chuān yī fú de huà, nǐ shǒu shēn jìn nà gè xiù zi...

However, if you try clothes in a physical store, your hand slips into that sleeve...

那个感觉是网购给不了你的。

nà gè gǎn jué shì wǎng gòu gěi bù liǎo nǐ de.

You won't get that feeling when you shop online.

然后,它到底合不合身?

rán hòu, tā dào dǐ hé bù hé shēn..?

And then, does it really suit/fit you..?

那个感觉是网购给不了的。

nà gè gǎn jué shì wǎng gòu gěi bù liǎo de.

You won't get that feeling when you shop online.

所以各有各的好处,没有说更喜欢哪一个。

suǒ yǐ gè yǒu gè de hǎo chù, méi yǒu shuō gèng xǐ huān nǎ yī gè.

So each has its own advantages — I can't say which one I prefer.

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