Can you lower the price?

Price negotiation in Chinese is a vocabulary gradient, and the word you choose signals your experience level. At the casual end: 便宜点 (pián yi diǎn, cheaper please). This is market language — what you say when buying vegetables or bargaining at a tourist stall. Using it with a factory supplier is like saying “gimme a deal” in a corporate procurement meeting. At the professional end: 价格方面还有空间吗 (is there room on the price?) or 价格能调整吗 (can the price be adjusted?). These phrases treat price as a variable to be discussed, not a favor to be asked. The difference is the difference between someone who buys souvenirs and someone who buys containers.

The most effective price negotiation in Chinese doesn’t just ask for a better number — it provides a reason the supplier should offer one. Chinese factory pricing is cost-plus: raw materials + labor + overhead + margin. If you can affect any of those variables, the price can move. Volume is the most common lever: 量大的话能不能优惠 (if the volume is large, can there be a discount)? Payment terms affect price too: 如果付现金, 价格能不能好一点 (if we pay cash, can the price be better)? Long-term commitment: 如果是长期合作, 第一单价格能不能支持一下 (if it’s a long-term partnership, can you support us on the price for the first order)? Each of these gives the supplier a business reason to lower the price, rather than just asking them to make less money.

The competitive pressure move — 别家报价比你们低 (other suppliers are quoting lower than you) — is powerful but dangerous. Use it only when you have real alternatives, because a good factory may call your bluff: 那你可以先跟他们试试 (then you can try them first). If you’re bluffing, you just lost negotiating credibility. If you’re not bluffing, share the competing price range: 别家报的大概在3.2到3.5, 你们3.8有点高了 (others are quoting around 3.2-3.5, your 3.8 is a bit high). This is specific, credible, and gives the supplier a target to aim for rather than a vague complaint about being expensive.