chéngjiāo: 成交 - To close a deal, To complete a transaction
Quick Summary
- Keywords: chengjiao, 成交, close a deal in Chinese, complete a transaction, Chinese business terms, HSK 5, meaning of chengjiao, how to use chengjiao, striking a bargain, 成交量, 成交价, Chinese negotiation
- Summary: Learn the essential Chinese business term 成交 (chéngjiāo), which means “to close a deal” or “complete a transaction.” This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural context in Chinese negotiations, and provides practical examples for everything from major business deals to real estate and stock trading. Understand how the characters 成 (chéng) for 'succeed' and 交 (jiāo) for 'exchange' combine to signify a successful agreement, a crucial concept for anyone learning Mandarin for business or daily life in China.
Core Meaning
- Pinyin (with tone marks): chéngjiāo
- Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
- HSK Level: HSK 5
- Concise Definition: To successfully complete a transaction or close a deal.
- In a Nutshell: 成交 (chéngjiāo) is the definitive moment a negotiation ends and an agreement is reached. It's the “Deal!” or “It's done!” of the Chinese commercial world. It signifies that both parties have agreed on the terms and the exchange (of goods, services, or money) is officially finalized. It carries a strong feeling of finality, success, and official completion.
Character Breakdown
- 成 (chéng): This character means “to become,” “to succeed,” or “to complete.” It represents the successful result or completion of an action.
- 交 (jiāo): This character means “to hand over,” “to exchange,” or “to intersect.” It signifies the transfer or interaction between two or more parties.
- When combined, 成交 (chéngjiāo) literally means “to succeed (成) in an exchange (交).” This beautifully captures the essence of a deal being successfully concluded and finalized.
Cultural Context and Significance
In Chinese business culture, reaching 成交 (chéngjiāo) is often more than just a cold, transactional event. It is frequently the culmination of a longer process that involves building trust and 关系 (guānxi), or a strong personal relationship. While in some Western contexts, “closing a deal” might be seen as the result of a persuasive “hard sell,” the path to 成交 (chéngjiāo) in a Chinese context often prioritizes harmony and mutual benefit. The negotiation process leading to it is a delicate dance, and the final agreement is seen as a positive outcome for the relationship between the parties, not just a victory for one side. A successful 成交 (chéngjiāo) strengthens the relationship, paving the way for future cooperation. It is the successful result of a process, not just the end goal itself.
Practical Usage in Modern China
成交 (chéngjiāo) is a common and important term in any context involving a formal transaction.
- Business and Sales: This is its most common habitat. It's used in negotiations, sales reports, and contracts to signify a completed deal.
- Real Estate: You will constantly hear real estate agents talk about the 成交价 (chéngjiāojià) (final transaction price) of a property or the monthly 成交量 (chéngjiāoliàng) (transaction volume).
- Stock Market and Finance: In financial news, 成交量 (chéngjiāoliàng) refers to the trading volume of stocks or commodities for a given period.
- Auctions: The auctioneer will announce that an item has 成交 (chéngjiāo) once the final bid is accepted.
It is generally a formal or neutral term. You would not use it for informal agreements among friends, like “making a deal” to go see a movie.
Example Sentences
- Example 1:
- 经过几个小时的谈判,我们终于成交了。
- Pinyin: Jīngguò jǐ ge xiǎoshí de tánpàn, wǒmen zhōngyú chéngjiāo le.
- English: After several hours of negotiation, we finally closed the deal.
- Analysis: This is a classic business scenario. The use of 终于 (zhōngyú - finally) emphasizes the relief and success after a long process.
- Example 2:
- 这套房子的最终成交价是五百万元。
- Pinyin: Zhè tào fángzi de zuìzhōng chéngjiāojià shì wǔbǎi wàn yuán.
- English: The final transaction price for this house was 5 million RMB.
- Analysis: Here, 成交 is used as part of a compound noun, 成交价 (chéngjiāojià), which is extremely common in real estate and sales.
- Example 3:
- 今天股市的成交量非常大。
- Pinyin: Jīntiān gǔshì de chéngjiāoliàng fēicháng dà.
- English: The stock market's trading volume was very large today.
- Analysis: This shows the use of the compound noun 成交量 (chéngjiāoliàng) in a financial context.
- Example 4:
- 由于价格分歧,这笔交易未能成交。
- Pinyin: Yóuyú jiàgé fēnqí, zhè bǐ jiāoyì wèi néng chéngjiāo.
- English: Due to disagreements on the price, this transaction failed to close.
- Analysis: This example shows the negative form, 未能成交 (wèi néng chéngjiāo), meaning “was unable to be completed.”
- Example 5:
- 恭喜你!你的第一笔大订单成交了!
- Pinyin: Gōngxǐ nǐ! Nǐ de dì yī bǐ dà dìngdān chéngjiāo le!
- English: Congratulations! You've closed your first big order!
- Analysis: A celebratory and positive use of the term, common in a sales environment.
- Example 6:
- 双方同意以下列条款成交。
- Pinyin: Shuāngfāng tóngyì yǐ xiàliè tiáokuǎn chéngjiāo.
- English: Both parties agree to close the deal under the following terms.
- Analysis: This is very formal language you would find at the beginning of a written contract (合同).
- Example 7:
- 这幅画在拍卖会上以惊人的高价成交。
- Pinyin: Zhè fú huà zài pāimàihuì shàng yǐ jīngrén de gāojià chéngjiāo.
- English: This painting sold at auction for a surprisingly high price.
- Analysis: Demonstrates the use of 成交 in an auction setting.
- Example 8:
- 那个销售员上个月成交了五辆车。
- Pinyin: Nàge xiāoshòuyuán shàng ge yuè chéngjiāo le wǔ liàng chē.
- English: That salesperson closed deals on five cars last month.
- Analysis: Shows 成交 used as a verb to describe a salesperson's performance.
- Example 9:
- 我们的目标是本季度成交一百个客户。
- Pinyin: Wǒmen de mùbiāo shì běn jìdù chéngjiāo yìbǎi ge kèhù.
- English: Our goal is to close deals with 100 clients this quarter.
- Analysis: Used here to state a business target or KPI (Key Performance Indicator).
- Example 10:
- 只要你同意这个价格,我们现在就可以成交。
- Pinyin: Zhǐyào nǐ tóngyì zhège jiàgé, wǒmen xiànzài jiù kěyǐ chéngjiāo.
- English: As long as you agree to this price, we can close the deal right now.
- Analysis: A common phrase used at the final stage of a negotiation to push for a conclusion.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
- Not for Informal Agreements: A common mistake for learners is to use 成交 for casual plans. You wouldn't say “我们成交去看电影” (We made a deal to see a movie). Instead, you would use 说好 (shuō hǎo - to agree on) or 一言为定 (yì yán wéi dìng - that's settled then). 成交 is reserved for commercial or formal transactions.
- 成交 (chéngjiāo) vs. 交易 (jiāoyì): This is a key distinction.
- 交易 (jiāoyì) is the general noun for “a transaction,” “a trade,” or “business.” It refers to the process or the act of trading itself. A 交易 can be in progress, or it can fail.
- 成交 (chéngjiāo) is the result of a successful 交易. It means the transaction has been completed. Think of it this way: You engage in a 交易 (transaction) in the hopes of reaching a 成交 (successful deal).
Related Terms and Concepts
- 交易 (jiāoyì) - The general term for a transaction or trade. 成交 is the successful completion of a 交易.
- 合同 (hétong) - A contract. A deal is often finalized by signing a 合同.
- 谈判 (tánpàn) - To negotiate. The process that happens before you can 成交.
- 买卖 (mǎimài) - Literally “buy-sell.” A more colloquial term for business or a transaction.
- 成交价 (chéngjiāojià) - The final transaction price; the price at which a deal was closed.
- 成交量 (chéngjiāoliàng) - Transaction volume, especially in markets like real estate or stocks.
- 一言为定 (yì yán wéi dìng) - An idiom meaning “that's settled then” or “it's a deal.” It's a verbal agreement, more informal than 成交.
- 签订 (qiāndìng) - To sign (an agreement or contract). This is often the final legal action that formalizes the 成交.
- 合作 (hézuò) - To cooperate. Often, a good合作 is necessary to reach a 成交.
- 搞定 (gǎodìng) - An informal slang term meaning “to get something done” or “to handle it.” You might “搞定 a problem” to help a deal 成交.