降价

jiàngjià: 降价 - To Lower a Price, Price Reduction, Discount

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: jiàngjià, 降价, reduce price in Chinese, lower price, discount Chinese, Chinese for sale, on sale in Chinese, price cut, bargaining in Chinese, 打折 vs 降价, Chinese shopping vocabulary
  • Summary: Discover the essential Chinese term 降价 (jiàngjià), which literally means “to lower the price.” This is a fundamental word for anyone shopping, bargaining, or doing business in China. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance in contexts like market haggling and massive e-commerce sales, and how it differs from similar terms like `打折 (dǎzhé)`. Learn how to use `降价` effectively to get a better deal and understand modern Chinese consumer culture.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): jiàngjià
  • Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound (can be used as a verb or a noun)
  • HSK Level: HSK 4
  • Concise Definition: To reduce the price of a product or service.
  • In a Nutshell: 降价 (jiàngjià) is the direct and literal term for a price drop. Think of it as the price physically “descending.” It's used by sellers to announce a sale and by buyers to ask for a better price. Unlike a percentage-based discount, `降价` refers to the absolute value of the price going down, for example, from 100 yuan to 80 yuan. It’s a straightforward, essential word for any transaction.

Character Breakdown

  • 降 (jiàng): This character means “to descend,” “to fall,” or “to lower.” You can picture something coming down from a higher position. It's the same character used in `降落 (jiàngluò)` for an airplane landing.
  • 价 (jià): This character means “price” or “value.” It's made up of the “person” radical `人 (rén)` on the left, suggesting that price is a value determined by people.
  • Together, 降 (lower) + 价 (price) = 降价 (to lower the price). The meaning is transparent and logical.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • The Art of Bargaining: In many traditional Chinese markets, street stalls, and even some smaller shops, prices are not always fixed. The expectation to bargain, or `讨价还价 (tǎojià huánjià)`, is common. Asking for a 降价 is a standard part of this social and economic interaction. It's often less about being cheap and more about participating in the expected ritual of the transaction.
  • E-commerce Mania: In modern China, 降价 is the engine of massive online shopping festivals like “Singles' Day” (双十一 - Shuāng Shíyī on November 11th) and “618” (on June 18th). During these periods, brands and platforms compete by announcing huge 降价 promotions, and the term is plastered across every app and website. It signifies a major, often time-limited, sales event.
  • Comparison to Western Culture: In the West, we typically use terms like “sale,” “discount,” or “markdown.” While 降价 can mean all of these, it's more literal. The closest Western concept is a “price drop” or “price cut.” The key difference is its active use in bargaining. An American shopper is less likely to walk into a store and ask the manager to “lower the price” on an item, whereas in the right context in China, this is perfectly normal.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • As a Verb (by a seller): A shop owner might announce a promotion.
    • > “为了吸引顾客，我们决定所有商品都降价10%。” (To attract customers, we decided to lower the price of all goods by 10%.)
  • As a Verb (by a buyer): This is the classic bargaining usage.
    • > “这个价格太贵了，能不能再降价一点？” (This price is too high, can you lower it a little more?)
  • As a Noun: To talk about the event of a price reduction itself.
    • > “最近的房价有一次大幅度的降价。” (Recently, there was a large-scale price reduction in housing prices.)
  • Formality: 降价 is a neutral term. It is equally appropriate in a formal business report analyzing market trends and in a casual conversation haggling over a souvenir.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 老板，这件衣服可以降价吗？
    • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn, zhè jiàn yīfu kěyǐ jiàngjià ma?
    • English: Boss, can you lower the price of this piece of clothing?
    • Analysis: A very common and polite way to start bargaining in a small shop or market. “老板 (lǎobǎn)” is a common way to address a shopkeeper.
  • Example 2:
    • 由于竞争激烈，很多手机品牌都开始降价了。
    • Pinyin: Yóuyú jìngzhēng jīliè, hěnduō shǒujī pǐnpái dōu kāishǐ jiàngjià le.
    • English: Due to fierce competition, many mobile phone brands have started to lower their prices.
    • Analysis: This shows `降价` used in a business or economic context. The particle `了 (le)` indicates a change of state—the price reduction has started.
  • Example 3:
    • 如果你买两个，我就给你降价。
    • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ mǎi liǎng ge, wǒ jiù gěi nǐ jiàngjià.
    • English: If you buy two, then I'll give you a price reduction.
    • Analysis: A typical conditional sentence used in negotiation, showing a cause (buy two) and effect (get a price drop).
  • Example 4:
    • 这次降价的幅度非常大，吸引了很多顾客。
    • Pinyin: Zhè cì jiàngjià de fúdù fēicháng dà, xīyǐnle hěnduō gùkè.
    • English: The extent of the price reduction this time was very large, attracting a lot of customers.
    • Analysis: Here, `降价` is used as a noun. `幅度 (fúdù)` means “range” or “scope,” so `降价的幅度` means “the extent of the price reduction.”
  • Example 5:
    • 听说新款 iPhone 发布后，旧款就会降价。
    • Pinyin: Tīngshuō xīnkuǎn iPhone fābù hòu, jiùkuǎn jiù huì jiàngjià.
    • English: I heard that after the new model iPhone is released, the old models will drop in price.
    • Analysis: A perfect example of how `降价` is used to talk about product life cycles and pricing strategy.
  • Example 6:
    • 开发商拒绝降价，所以房子一套也卖不出去。
    • Pinyin: Kāifāshāng jùjué jiàngjià, suǒyǐ fángzi yī tào yě mài bu chūqù.
    • English: The developers refused to lower prices, so they couldn't even sell one apartment.
    • Analysis: This demonstrates the negative form, `拒绝降价 (jùjué jiàngjià)` or “refuse to lower the price,” often seen in news about the real estate market.
  • Example 7:
    • 为了清库存，我们不得不大幅降价。
    • Pinyin: Wèile qīng kùcún, wǒmen bùdébù dàfú jiàngjià.
    • English: In order to clear out our inventory, we have no choice but to drastically lower prices.
    • Analysis: The adverb `大幅 (dàfú)` means “drastically” or “by a large margin,” and it's frequently paired with `降价`.
  • Example 8:
    • 他一直在等那台电脑降价，等了半年了。
    • Pinyin: Tā yīzhí zài děng nà tái diànnǎo jiàngjià, děngle bàn nián le.
    • English: He has been waiting for that computer to drop in price for half a year.
    • Analysis: Shows `降价` as an anticipated event. `在等 (zài děng)` + something + verb phrase is a common structure for “waiting for something to happen.”
  • Example 9:
    • 这家超市的蔬菜今天降价处理。
    • Pinyin: Zhè jiā chāoshì de shūcài jīntiān jiàngjià chǔlǐ.
    • English: This supermarket's vegetables are being sold at a reduced price today.
    • Analysis: `降价处理 (jiàngjià chǔlǐ)` is a set phrase meaning “to sell off at a reduced price,” often for perishable goods or items being cleared out.
  • Example 10:
    • 别指望了，奢侈品是不会轻易降价的。
    • Pinyin: Bié zhǐwàng le, shēchǐpǐn shì bù huì qīngyì jiàngjià de.
    • English: Don't count on it, luxury goods will not lower their prices easily.
    • Analysis: This illustrates the concept that some items, due to their brand value (`奢侈品` - luxury goods), are not expected to `降价`. `轻易 (qīngyì)` means “easily.”

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • `降价 (jiàngjià)` vs. `打折 (dǎzhé)`: The Most Common Point of Confusion
    • This is the most critical distinction for learners.
    • `降价` is about an absolute price drop. It answers the question “How much cheaper is it in yuan?” (e.g., “It was ¥100, now it's ¥80. It `降价`了20元.”)
    • `打折 (dǎzhé)` is about a percentage discount. It answers the question “What percentage of the original price do I pay?” The logic is opposite to English: `打八折 (dǎ bā zhé)` means you pay 80% of the price (a 20% discount). `打七五折 (dǎ qīwǔ zhé)` means you pay 75% (a 25% discount).
    • Incorrect: “这个可以降价八折吗？” (Can you lower the price to an 80% discount?)
    • Correct: “可以打八折吗？” OR “可以降价到80元吗？” (Can you lower the price to 80 yuan?)
  • Using `降价` as an Adjective
    • Be careful not to use `降价` like the English word “cheap.”
    • Incorrect: “这个东西很降价。”
    • Correct: “这个东西降价了。” (This item's price has been reduced.) OR “这个东西很便宜 (piányi)。” (This item is very cheap.)

Related Terms and Concepts

  • `打折 (dǎzhé)` - To give a percentage-based discount. The most important term to contrast with `降价`.
  • `促销 (cùxiāo)` - Sales promotion. A very broad term for any activity meant to boost sales, including `降价`, coupons, or buy-one-get-one-free.
  • `优惠 (yōuhuì)` - A discount, a favorable or preferential price. Often found on `优惠券 (yōuhuìquàn)` - coupons.
  • `涨价 (zhǎngjià)` - The direct antonym of `降价`; to raise or increase the price.
  • `讨价还价 (tǎojià huánjià)` - A four-character idiom meaning “to haggle” or “to bargain.” This is the action one takes to request a `降价`.
  • `便宜 (piányi)` - An adjective meaning “cheap” or “inexpensive.” This is the desired outcome of a successful `降价`.
  • `特价 (tèjià)` - A special price; on sale. An item listed at a `特价` has already undergone a `降价`.
  • `价格 (jiàgé)` - The formal word for “price.” It is the `价` in `降价`.