采购

• Pinyin: cǎi gòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 采 (pick, gather) + 购 (purchase)

Meaning

To purchase; to procure. Also: procurement; purchasing.

Primarily used in business contexts for bulk purchasing or official procurement. More formal than 买. Often refers to the purchasing department or function in organizations.

Examples

1. 公司派他去采购一批新设备。 The company sent him to purchase a batch of new equipment.
2. 采购部门正在寻找性价比更高的供应商。 The procurement department is looking for suppliers with better value.
3. 政府采购必须遵循透明公开的原则。 Government procurement must follow the principles of transparency and openness.

Usage Guide

Context: business, government, corporate

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 我们需要采购新办公用品。(We need to procure new office supplies.)
• 她在采购部工作。(She works in the procurement department.)

Don't Say

• 日常购物用'采购'——说'我去采购点菜'太正式，应该说'买菜' (Don't use 采购 for daily shopping — saying 采购点菜 is too formal; just say 买菜)

Origin & History

Compound of 采 (pick/gather) + 购 (purchase), meaning 'to gather for purchase.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal