30+ Phrases for Discussing Contracts and Agreements in Business Chinese

Contracts and Agreements in China 💼 Essential Vocabulary, Phrases and Cultural Insights

In the fast-paced environment of Chinese business, clear and precise communication is key to building trust, closing deals, and avoiding misunderstandings.

Whether you’re negotiating terms, reviewing contracts, or finalizing agreements, having the right vocabulary can make all the difference.

We’ve compiled 30+ essential phrases that will help you confidently discuss contracts and agreements in Mandarin Chinese.

These phrases cover everything from key contract terms to common expressions used during negotiations, ensuring you’re well-equipped for your next business meeting or transaction.

Let’s get started!

In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to the important terms and phrases for discussing contracts and agreements 👍🏻

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || Key Terms and Phrases in Contracts

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || Discussing Terms, Conditions, and Clauses

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || Tips for Effective Contract Negotiations

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || FAQs

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || Key Terms and Phrases in Contracts ✍🏻

First, let’s dive into the basic terms of contract discussions. If you’ve been studying Chinese for a while, you should know that a single character or tone change can drastically change the meaning.

Remember each work precisely as it ensures clarity in your agreements. 

For example, you’ll often hear the other party say, Party A is responsible for providing all materials.

Play 甲方负责提供所有材料

Jiǎ fāng fù zé tí gōng suǒ yǒu cái liào.

Party A is responsible for providing all materials

When prompting the other party to sign and seal the contract, you’ll hear：

Play 乙方需要在合同上签字盖章

Yǐ fāng xū yào zài hé tóng shàng qiān zì gài zhāng.

Party B needs to sign and seal the contract

Play 日期

rì qī

Date

For example, you will be prompted to note the date when signing. You’ll hear or could say:

Play 请写上日期。

Qǐng xiě shàng rì qī.

Please write the date.

If you want to ask for the original copy of the contract, which is always great to do, you can ask:

Play 你有合同的正本吗？

Nǐ yǒu hé tóng de zhèng běn ma?

Do you have the original contract?

The phrase is normally used to indicate that the document is printed in two identical copies, one for each party.

Play 一式两份

yī shì liǎng fèn

In duplicate

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Discussing Contracts and Agreements || Discussing Terms, Conditions, and Clauses 💡

Play 条款

tiáo kuǎn

Clause

For example, when discussing the details of the clauses of the agreement, you’ll hear:

Play 我们今天讨论协议的条款。

Wǒ men jīn tiān tǎo lùn xié yì de tiáo kuǎn.

We discuss the terms of the agreement today.

Play 期限

qī xiàn

Term/Deadline

To specify the term, then you could ask:

Play 合同的期限是多长时间？

hé tóng de qī xiàn shì duō cháng shí jiān?

How long is the contract?

These legal terms seem more complex. But they are the last phrases you’d want to overlook!

In case of any confusion involving these terms, always consult a legal expert. These are the terms you should be watching out for.

For example, to clearly specify the risk and penalty of breaking the contract, you could use this sentence:

Play 如果发生违约，乙方需要支付赔偿。

Rú guǒ fā shēng wéi yuē, yǐ fāng xū yào zhī fù péi cháng.

If a breach occurs, Party B needs to pay compensation.

For example, watch for this sentence.

Play 合同可以在特定条件下终止

Hé tóng kě yǐ zài tè dìng tiáo jiàn xià zhōng zhǐ.

The contact can be terminated under specific conditions.

In this case, you’d definitely need to specify these potential conditions for termination.

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || Tips for Effective Contract Negotiations 🎯

✔️Respect Face and Develop Guanxi

Play 关系 (guān xì) and Play 面子 (miàn zi) are important cultural elements when negotiating agreements in China. Cultivating your relationships of long-term trust can make both parties feel respected.

Learn more about Chinese Business Etiquette & Cultural Norms in our post below! 👇🏻

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Sincerity is the most important attitude, no matter what the outcome is.

Learn to use these phrases to express your commitment to working with a Chinese partner.

This slang shows a strong dedication to keeping your word.

So you can use these phrases to emphasize your loyalty.

These phrases also express strong sincerity in serving your clients and reaching a partnership with the other party.

They are very helpful in developing Guanxi with your potential partners 👇🏻

❗Be Clear and Precise

It is always encouraged to discuss the terms and clauses early in the agreement discussion.

Even though the Chinese appreciate nice gestures of face culture and Guanxi, be clear in specifying the details of the contacts.

These phrases will help a lot in preventing risks and disputes at a later stage 👇🏻

Chinese are used to bargain hard as an attitude. If you want to ask for a better price, you can use this phrase to put yourself in a lower position. It sounds like you’re also giving the other side some face.

Play 按这个价格，我们太吃亏了

àn zhè ge jià gé, wǒ men tài chī kuī le

We are at a great disadvantage at this price.

When it comes to the details of money, it never hurts to be rigid.

You can always use these sentences to ensure both parties are on the same page for the payment details.

Great. Now, we’ve covered all the necessary terms and phrases you will encounter when signing contracts in China. You should be in good hands if you remember them precisely.

Any questions for this topic? Drop them here!

Discussing Contracts and Agreements || FAQs

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