订单

• Pinyin: dìng dān
• Hanzi breakdown: 订 = 讠+ 丁 (to agree, subscribe); 单 = 口 + 十 + 口 (list, slip, single)

Meaning

Purchase order; order form. A formal request to buy goods or services, typically in a commercial transaction.

Core business term used in B2B, e-commerce, and manufacturing. Key collocations: 接到订单 (receive an order), 完成订单 (fulfil an order), 取消订单 (cancel an order). Appears frequently in supply chain and trade contexts.

Examples

1. 公司本季度接到的海外订单数量创历史新高，生产线已满负荷运转。 This quarter, the company received a record-high number of overseas orders, and the production lines are running at full capacity.
2. 由于供应链中断，大量订单被迫推迟交货，引发客户投诉。 Due to supply chain disruptions, a large number of orders were forced to delay delivery, triggering customer complaints.
3. 这家制造商凭借出色的产品质量，持续稳定地获取长期订单。 Thanks to outstanding product quality, this manufacturer continues to secure long-term orders steadily.

Usage Guide

Context: business, e-commerce, manufacturing, trade

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们已收到来自欧洲客户的大批订单，需要立即安排生产计划。(We have received a large number of orders from European clients and need to arrange production plans immediately.)
• 该平台允许商家实时追踪每笔订单的物流状态，大幅提升了客户满意度。(The platform allows merchants to track the logistics status of each order in real time, significantly improving customer satisfaction.)

Don't Say

• 我下了一个订单给他 — use 我向他下了一个订单 or 我在他那里下了一笔订单; the preposition structure matters for clarity

Origin & History

订 (agree/subscribe) + 单 (list/slip)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal