开发商

• Pinyin: kāi fā shāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 开发 = to develop; 商 = commerce, merchant

Meaning

Developer; real estate developer.

A company or person that develops real estate — building residential complexes, commercial properties, or mixed-use developments. A very common term in China given the prominence of real estate. Often appears in news about housing prices, property disputes, and urban development. Collocates with 房地产 (real estate), 楼盘 (housing project), 交房 (delivery).

Examples

1. 开发商承诺的精装修交付，实际却是毛坯房，业主们集体维权。 The developer promised fully-furnished delivery, but actually delivered bare units — the homeowners collectively demanded their rights.
2. 这家开发商资金链断裂，导致多个楼盘烂尾，购房者损失惨重。 This developer's capital chain broke, causing multiple projects to become unfinished buildings — homebuyers suffered heavy losses.
3. 为了加快去库存，开发商推出了首付分期和折扣促销活动。 To accelerate destocking, the developer launched installment down payment and discount promotions.

Usage Guide

Context: real estate, news, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个小区是哪家开发商建的？(Which developer built this residential complex?)
• 开发商跑路了，业主该找谁？(The developer ran away — who should the homeowners turn to?)

Don't Say

• 我是软件开发商。(For software developers, say 软件开发者 or 开发人员 — 开发商 specifically implies real estate in Chinese)

Origin & History

开发 (to develop) + 商 (merchant, business). A merchant/business in development (specifically real estate).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal