màn tiān yào jià: 漫天要价 - To Ask an Exorbitant Price, Price Gouging

• Keywords: 漫天要价, mantianyaojia, man tian yao jia, Chinese exorbitant price, ask for the sky, price gouging in Chinese, Chinese bargaining culture, how to say rip off in Chinese, 狮子大开口, 讨价还价, Chinese idioms
• Summary: Learn the meaning and cultural context of the Chinese idiom 漫天要价 (màn tiān yào jià), which literally means 'to ask for a price that fills the sky.' This essential phrase is used to describe someone asking for an exorbitant or unreasonable price, often as an opening move in a bargaining situation. This page will help you discover how to use it in modern conversation, understand its cultural nuances related to haggling, and avoid being ripped off with our detailed examples and analysis.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): màn tiān yào jià
• Part of Speech: Idiom (Chengyu); Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To ask for an outrageously high or unreasonable price.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine a price so high that it literally “fills the sky.” That's the vivid picture painted by 漫天要价. It's not just for something that's expensive, like a luxury car. It's used when a seller, often in a market or negotiation, quotes a price that is absurdly inflated, hoping to take advantage of an uninformed buyer. It implies greed and an unfair starting point for a negotiation.

• 漫 (màn): To fill, to flood, vast, all over. Think of water overflowing its banks. In this context, it means “all over” or “filling up.”
• 天 (tiān): Sky, heaven.
• 要 (yào): To want, to ask for, to demand.
• 价 (jià): Price, value.

These characters combine to create a powerful image: a seller asking for (要) a price (价) so high that it fills (漫) the entire sky (天).

漫天要价 is a cornerstone concept for understanding Chinese bargaining culture. In many Western countries, especially in retail, prices are fixed. Haggling is rare and sometimes seen as rude. The price tag is the final offer. In China, particularly in traditional markets, tourist shops, or when dealing with private vendors, the first price quoted is often just a suggestion—an opening move in a negotiation “game.” This opening move is frequently a case of 漫天要价.

• Bargaining as a Norm: A seller who 漫天要价 isn't necessarily seen as a “scammer” in the same way they might be in the West. Instead, they are often seen as playing their part in the negotiation. It's an invitation for the buyer to engage in 讨价还价 (tǎo jià huán jià), or haggling. An experienced buyer is expected to recognize the inflated price and counter with a very low offer, and the two parties will work towards a middle ground. Not bargaining can be seen as being naive or a spendthrift.
• Western Contrast: Fixed Prices vs. Fluid Negotiations: Compare this to the American concept of “sticker price.” While one might negotiate the price of a car, you would never try to bargain for a T-shirt at a major department store. The expectation is transparency and fixed value. 漫天要价 thrives in environments where prices are not transparent and are subject to negotiation. It highlights a cultural appreciation for the art of the deal and the skill of being a savvy negotiator.

This idiom is alive and well in modern China, though its context is important.

• In Markets and with Vendors: This is the most common and literal usage. If you're at a souvenir market and a vendor asks for 500 RMB for a small trinket, you can complain to your friend, “他在漫天要价！” (He's asking for a sky-high price!).
• Business and Contract Negotiations: In a more formal setting, it can describe an unreasonable opening offer in a business deal. For example, a company might accuse a potential partner of 漫天要价 if their proposed terms are completely unrealistic.
• Figurative Usage (Unreasonable Demands): The idiom can be extended beyond money to describe any kind of unreasonable demand. If your boss asks you to complete a three-week project in three days, you could say this is a form of 漫天要价.
• Connotation: The term is almost always negative. It carries a strong sense of accusation, implying the person making the demand is greedy, unreasonable, and possibly trying to deceive you.

• Example 1:
  • 那个小贩看我是个游客，就漫天要价。
  • Pinyin: Nàge xiǎofàn kàn wǒ shì ge yóukè, jiù màn tiān yào jià.
  • English: That street vendor saw I was a tourist and asked an exorbitant price.
  • Analysis: A classic scenario. The phrase implies the vendor deliberately inflated the price because they perceived the buyer as an easy target.
• Example 2:
  • 你不能因为我们急需这个零件就漫天要价啊！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bùnéng yīnwèi wǒmen jíxū zhège língjiàn jiù màn tiān yào jià a!
  • English: You can't just charge an exorbitant price because we urgently need this part!
  • Analysis: This sentence is a direct accusation, used in the middle of a negotiation to call out unfair tactics. The final “啊 (a)” adds a tone of frustration.
• Example 3:
  • 装修公司给的初步报价简直是漫天要价，我们得找别家问问。
  • Pinyin: Zhuāngxiū gōngsī gěi de chūbù bàojià jiǎnzhí shì màn tiān yào jià, wǒmen děi zhǎo biéjiā wènwen.
  • English: The initial quote from the renovation company is simply price gouging; we need to ask some other companies.
  • Analysis: Shows the term being used to describe a formal quote or estimate that is considered outrageously high.
• Example 4:
  • 这家餐厅的菜又难吃又贵，纯属漫天要价。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de cài yòu nánchī yòu guì, chúnshǔ màn tiān yào jià.
  • English: The food at this restaurant is both bad and expensive; it's a total rip-off.
  • Analysis: Here, the high price is combined with low quality, making the act of 漫天要价 even more egregious.
• Example 5:
  • 谈判一开始，对方就漫天要价，想试探我们的底线。
  • Pinyin: Tánpàn yī kāishǐ, duìfāng jiù màn tiān yào jià, xiǎng shìtàn wǒmen de dǐxiàn.
  • English: As soon as the negotiations began, the other party asked for the sky, trying to test our bottom line.
  • Analysis: This illustrates the strategic use of 漫天要价 as a tactic in formal business negotiations.
• Example 6:
  • 让你一天之内完成这个项目，这不是漫天要价是什么？
  • Pinyin: Ràng nǐ yī tiān zhī nèi wánchéng zhège xiàngmù, zhè búshì màn tiān yào jià shì shénme?
  • English: Asking you to finish this project within one day, what is that if not an unreasonable demand?
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the figurative use. No money is involved, but the demand is “exorbitant.” The rhetorical question adds emphasis.
• Example 7:
  • 我们要警惕那些在自然灾害后漫天要价的商家。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yào jǐngtì nàxiē zài zìrán zāihài hòu màn tiān yào jià de shāngjiā.
  • English: We must be wary of merchants who engage in price gouging after a natural disaster.
  • Analysis: A more formal, almost journalistic use of the term to mean “price gouging” in a serious context.
• Example 8:
  • 别听他漫天要价，这东西最多值一百块。
  • Pinyin: Bié tīng tā màn tiān yào jià, zhè dōngxi zuìduō zhí yībǎi kuài.
  • English: Don't listen to his outrageous price; this thing is worth 100 RMB at most.
  • Analysis: Practical advice given from one friend to another while shopping. It dismisses the seller's price as completely irrelevant to the item's actual value.
• Example 9:
  • 他以为自己是专家，所以修理费就敢漫天要价。
  • Pinyin: Tā yǐwéi zìjǐ shì zhuānjiā, suǒyǐ xiūlǐ fèi jiù gǎn màn tiān yào jià.
  • English: He thinks he's an expert, so he dares to charge an arm and a leg for the repair fee.
  • Analysis: Highlights the psychology behind the action—the seller's perceived authority or the buyer's desperation gives them the “courage” (敢 gǎn) to overcharge.
• Example 10:
  • 在这个市场买东西，你得做好卖家漫天要价，你得坐地还钱的准备。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhège shìchǎng mǎi dōngxi, nǐ děi zuòhǎo màijiā màn tiān yào jià, nǐ děi zuò dì huán qián de zhǔnbèi.
  • Analysis: Here, “坐地还钱 (zuò dì huán qián)” is a playful parallel to the related idiom 坐地起价 (zuò dì qǐ jià), meaning to counter a sky-high price with a rock-bottom offer. This sentence perfectly encapsulates the bargaining dynamic.

• False Friend: “Expensive” (贵 guì): This is the most critical distinction for a learner. A Rolex watch or a Ferrari is 贵 (guì), but the seller is not 漫天要价. The price is high, but it's a known, standardized market value. 漫天要价 refers to the act of quoting a ridiculously inflated price, usually in a situation where the price is not fixed. It implies an intent to overcharge.
  • Correct: 这块手表太贵了，我买不起。(This watch is too expensive; I can't afford it.)
  • Incorrect: 劳力士商店在漫天要价。(The Rolex store is asking for the sky.) → This is wrong because Rolex has fixed, albeit high, prices.
  • Correct: 那个古董商看我不懂行，就漫天要价。(That antique dealer saw I was an amateur and asked an exorbitant price.)
• Using it as an Insult: Be careful when using this term directly to a seller's face. It's a strong accusation of being a cheat. It's more common to say it to a friend or use it internally to describe the situation. A softer way to start bargaining would be “太贵了 (tài guì le)” or “便宜一点吧 (piányi yīdiǎn ba)”.

• 讨价还价 (tǎo jià huán jià) - To bargain or haggle. This is the natural and expected response to 漫天要价.
• 狮子大开口 (shīzi dà kāi kǒu) - “Lion's big open mouth.” A very close synonym for 漫天要价, vividly describing someone making a huge, greedy demand (for money or anything else).
• 坐地起价 (zuò dì qǐ jià) - “Sit on the ground and raise the price.” To suddenly jack up the price, often after a deal seems to have been made or when the seller realizes the buyer is desperate. It's a specific type of 漫天要价 that emphasizes a sudden, opportunistic price hike.
• 宰客 (zǎi kè) - “To slaughter a customer.” A very common and colloquial verb meaning to rip off a customer, especially a tourist. It's the action that 漫天要价 describes.
• 敲竹杠 (qiāo zhú gàng) - “To beat the bamboo pole.” To extort money; to rip someone off. It often implies a more coercive or deceptive situation than simple overcharging.
• 货真价实 (huò zhēn jià shí) - “Genuine goods at a fair price.” The direct antonym of the situation described by 漫天要价. It describes an honest business.
• 童叟无欺 (tóng sǒu wú qī) - “We don't cheat children or the elderly.” A traditional slogan for an honest shop, promising fair prices for everyone, directly countering the practice of 漫天要价.