批发

• Pinyin: pī fā
• Hanzi breakdown: 批 = 扌 + 比 (hand + compare — to handle in batches); 发 = 癶 + 弓 (spread + bow — to send out and distribute)

Meaning

Wholesale; to sell or purchase goods in bulk at a reduced unit price; wholesale trade as opposed to retail (零售).

Refers to buying and selling goods in large quantities to retailers or traders at a lower per-unit price. Common collocations: 批发市场 (wholesale market), 批发商 (wholesaler), 批发价 (wholesale price). Contrasts with 零售 (retail).

Examples

1. 这家服装厂主要面向海外市场进行批发，很少直接向国内消费者零售。 This clothing factory mainly sells wholesale to overseas markets and rarely sells directly to domestic consumers at retail.
2. 批发市场的价格远低于零售门店，但通常要求一次性购买一定数量。 Prices at wholesale markets are far lower than in retail stores, but they usually require you to buy a certain quantity in one purchase.
3. 他从义乌小商品批发市场进货，再通过网络平台分散销售，利润相当可观。 He sources goods from the Yiwu small commodities wholesale market, then sells them in smaller batches through online platforms, earning considerable profit.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, trade, business, supply chain

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该公司以批发为主要业务模式，向全国各地的分销商供货，自身不设任何零售网点。(This company uses wholesale as its primary business model, supplying distributors across the country and operating no retail outlets of its own.)
• 近年来电商平台的崛起深刻改变了传统批发行业的运营方式，越来越多的批发商开始直接面向终端消费者销售。(In recent years, the rise of e-commerce platforms has profoundly changed the operating model of the traditional wholesale industry, with more and more wholesalers beginning to sell directly to end consumers.)

Don't Say

• 我批发了一件衣服 — 批发 implies bulk quantity; use 买了 or 在零售店买了 for purchasing a single item at regular retail price

Origin & History

批 (batch/handle in lots) + 发 (distribute/send out) — to distribute goods in batches to traders

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal