Business Chinese: Essential Vocabulary for Banking

In the fast-evolving world of international finance, fluency in Mandarin Chinese has become a key differentiator for senior banking professionals. As China’s influence on the global economy grows, mastering business Chinese opens the door to new opportunities, strengthens client relationships, and enhances your ability to navigate the Chinese market. In this article, we’ll explore why learning business Chinese is crucial for high-level professionals, provide specialized banking vocabulary, and show how eChineseLearning’s tailored approach can elevate your career in this dynamic sector.

General Banking Terms:

1. 银行账户 (yínháng zhànghù) – Bank Account:

Example:

Wǒ xūyào kànzhù wǒ de yínháng zhànghù yèyú。
我需要查看我的银行账户余额。
I need to check my bank account balance.

2. 取款 (qǔ kuǎn) – Withdrawal:

Example:

Wǒ dǎsuàn cóng zì dòng qǔ kuǎn jī qǔ kuǎn。
我打算从自动取款机取款。
I plan to withdraw money from the ATM.

3. 存款 (cún kuǎn) – Deposit:

Example:

Wǒ jīntiān yào qù yínháng cún kuǎn。
我今天要去银行存款。
I’m going to the bank to make a deposit today.

4. 支票 (zhī piào) – Check:

Example:

Qǐng bǎ zhè zhāng zhī piào cún rù wǒ de zhànghù。
请把这张支票存入我的账户。
Please deposit this check into my account.

5. 现金流 (xiàn jīn liú) – Cash Flow:

Example:

Wǒmen xūyào jiānkòng gōngsī de xiàn jīn liú yǐ quèbǎo cǎiwù jiànkāng。
我们需要监控公司的现金流以确保财务健康。
We need to monitor the company’s cash flow to ensure financial health.

Cards and Payment Methods:

1. 自动取款机 (zì dòng qǔ kuǎn jī) – ATM:

Example:

Wǒ kěyǐ yòng wǒ de jiè jì kǎ zài zì dòng qǔ kuǎn jī shàng qǔ qián。
我可以用我的借记卡在自动取款机上取钱。
I can use my debit card to withdraw money at the ATM.

2. 信用卡 (xìn yòng kǎ) – Credit Card:

Example:

Wǒ dǎsuàn yòng xìn yòng kǎ zhī fù zhè cì gòuwù。
我打算用信用卡支付这次购物。
I plan to pay for this shopping with a credit card.

3. 借记卡 (jiè jì kǎ) – Debit Card:

Example:

Qǐng yòng wǒ de jiè jì kǎ zhī fù cān fèi。
请用我的借记卡支付餐费。
Please use my debit card to pay for the meal.

4. 支付 (zhī fù) – Payment:

Example:

Wǒ yǐjīng wánchéng le zài xiàn zhī fù。
我已经完成了在线支付。
I have completed the online payment.

5. 电子支付 (diàn zǐ zhī fù) – E-payment:

Example:

Wǒ gèng xǐhuān shǐyòng diàn zǐ zhī fù, yīnwèi tā jì kuài jié yòu fāngbiàn。
我更喜欢使用电子支付,因为它既快捷又方便。
I prefer to use e-payments because they are fast and convenient.

Loans and Borrowing:

1. 贷款 (dàikuǎn) – Loan:

Example:

Wǒ zhèngzài kǎolǜ shēngqǐng yī bǐ dàikuǎn lái zhuāngxiū wǒ de fángzi。
我正在考虑申请一笔贷款来装修我的房子。
I’m considering applying for a loan to renovate my house.

2.借款人 (jiè kuǎn rén) – Borrower:

Example:

Zuòwéi jiè kuǎn rén, wǒ xūyào quèbǎo ànshí huíkuǎn。
作为借款人,我需要确保按时还款。
As a borrower, I need to ensure timely repayment.

3. 贷款利息 (dài kuǎn lì xī) – Loan Interest: E

Example:

Nǐ néng gàosù wǒ zhè bǐ dàikuǎn de nián lì lǜ ma?
你能告诉我这笔贷款的年利率吗?
Can you tell me the annual interest rate for this loan?

4. 本金 (běn jīn) – Principal:

Example:

Wǒ xīwàng néng tiānqián chánghuán dàikuǎn de běn jīn。
我希望能提前偿还贷款的本金。
I hope to be able to repay the principal of the loan early.

5. 违约 (wéi yuē) – Default:

Example:

Rúguǒ wǒ bùnéng ànshí zhī fù kuǎn xiàng, wǒ kěnéng huì wéi yuē。
如果我不能按时支付款项,我可能会违约。
If I can’t make the payment on time, I might default.

Financial Products and Investments:

1. 投资 (tóuzī) – Investment:

Example:

Wǒ juédìng jiāng yī bù fen chǔ jī yòng yú tóuzī gǔ piào shìchǎng。
我决定将一部分储蓄用于投资股票市场。
I’ve decided to invest a portion of my savings in the stock market.

2. 证券 (zhèng quàn) – Securities:

Example:

Wǒ gòuwù le yī xiē zhèng quàn zuò wéi cháng qī tóuzī。
我购买了一些证券作为长期投资。
I bought some securities as a long-term investment.

3. 股东 (gǔ dōng) – Shareholder:

Example:

Zuòwéi gōngsī de gǔ dōng, wǒ duì gōngsī de wèilái fāzhǎn chōngmǎn xìnxīn。
作为公司的股东,我对公司的未来发展充满信心。
As a shareholder of the company, I am confident in its future development.

4. 股票 (gǔ piào) – Stock:

Example:

Wǒ zuótiān mǎi le yī xiē xīn gōngsī de gǔ piào。
我昨天买了一些新公司的股票。
I bought some shares in a new company yesterday.

5. 基金 (jī jīn) – Fund:

Example:

Wǒ tóuzī le yī gè duō yuán huà de jī jīn yǐ fēn sàn fēngxiǎn。
我投资了一个多元化的基金以分散风险。
I invested in a diversified fund to spread the risk.

Financial Statements and Reports:

1. 财务报表 (cáiwù bàobiǎo) – Financial Statement:

Example:

Wǒ xūyào zhǔnbèi yī fèn cáiwù bàobiǎo lái shēngqǐng dàikuǎn。
我需要准备一份财务报表来申请贷款。
I need to prepare a financial statement to apply for a loan.

2. 银行对账单 (yínháng duì zhàng dān) – Bank Statement:

Example:

Qǐng tígōng jìn sān gè yuè de yínháng duì zhàng dān。
请提供近三个月的银行对账单。
Please provide the bank statements for the last three months.

3. 损益表 (sǔn yì biǎo) – Profit and Loss Statement:

Example:

Zhège jìdù de sǔn yì biǎo xiǎnshì wǒmen de lìrù zēngjiā le。
这个季度的损益表显示我们的利润增加了。
The profit and loss statement for this quarter shows that our profits have increased.

4. 资产负债表 (zīchǎn fùzhài biǎo) – Balance Sheet:

Example:

Wǒmen de zīchǎn fùzhài biǎo xiǎnshì gōngsī de jīngchǎn zīchǎn yǒusuǒ zēngzhǎng。
我们的资产负债表显示公司的净资产有所增长。
Our balance sheet shows an increase in the company’s net assets.

5. 现金流量表 (xiànjīn liú liàng biǎo) – Cash Flow Statement:

Example:

Xiànjīn liú liàng biǎo kěyǐ bāngzhù wǒmen liǎojiě gōngsī de liúdòng xìng zhuàngkuàng。
现金流量表可以帮助我们了解公司的流动性状况。
The cash flow statement can help us understand the company’s liquidity position.

Risk Management and Analysis:

1. 风险管理 (fēngxiǎn guǎnlǐ) – Risk Management:

Example:

Gōng sī xū yào yǒu xiào de fēng xiǎn guǎn lǐ cè lüè.
公司需要有效的风险管理策略。
Companies need effective risk management strategies.

2. 风险评估 (fēng xiǎn píng gū) – Risk Assessment:

Example:

Wǒ men duì xīn xiàng mù jìn xíng le fēng xiǎn píng gū.
我们对新项目进行了风险评估。
We conducted a risk assessment for the new project.

3. 信用风险 (xìn yòng fēng xiǎn) – Credit Risk:

Example:

Yínháng mìn jù guān zhù kè hù de xìn yòng fēng xiǎn.
银行密切关注客户的信用风险。
Banks closely monitor the credit risk of their customers.

4. 市场风险 (shì chǎng fēng xiǎn) – Market Risk:

Example:

Tóuzī zhě bì xū kǎo lǜ shì chǎng fēng xiǎn.
投资者必须考虑市场风险。
Investors must consider market risk.

5. 操作风险 (cāo zuò fēng xiǎn) – Operational Risk:

Example:

Gōng sī zhèng zài nǔ lì jiǎn shǎo cāo zuò fēng xiǎn.
公司正在努力减少操作风险。
The company is working to reduce operational risk.

International Banking:

1. 汇率 (huìlǜ) – Exchange Rate:

Example:

Huìlǜ bō dòng yǐng xiǎng le wǒ chū guó lǚ xíng de yù suàn.
汇率波动影响了我出国旅行的预算。
Exchange rate fluctuations affected my travel budget.

2. 国际银行账户 (guó jì yínháng zhànghù) – International Bank Account:

Example:

Wǒ kāi shè le yī gè guó jì yínháng zhànghù lái guǎn lǐ wǒ de hǎi wài zī jīn.
我开设了一个国际银行账户来管理我的海外资金。
I opened an international bank account to manage my overseas funds.

3. 外汇 (wài huì) – Foreign Exchange:

Example:

Wǒ zài wài huì shì chǎng shàng jiāo yì huò bì.
我在外汇市场上交易货币。
I trade currencies on the foreign exchange market.

4. 跨境支付 (kuà jìng zhī fù) – Cross-border Payment:

Example:

Wǒ tōng guò kuà jìng zhī fù xiàng guó wài gōng yìng shāng fù kuǎn.
我通过跨境支付向国外供应商付款。
I make payments to foreign suppliers through cross-border payments.

5. 国际转账 (guó jì zhuǎn zhàng) – International Transfer:

Example:

Wǒ jìn xíng le yī bǐ guó jì zhuǎn zhàng lái zhī fù liú xué fèi yòng.
我进行了一笔国际转账来支付留学费用。
I made an international transfer to pay for my study abroad expenses.

How eChineseLearning Can Help You

At eChineseLearning, we recognize the unique challenges faced by banking professionals learning Chinese. Our one-on-one online Chinese courses are specifically tailored to meet your needs, allowing you to focus on the vocabulary and skills that matter most to your career.

Personalized Learning Experience
  1. Tailored Curriculum: Our experienced instructors will work with you to create a personalized lesson plan that aligns with your professional goals. Whether you need to focus on specific vocabulary, improve your speaking skills, or understand financial documents, we can customize your learning experience.
  2. Real-World Scenarios: We incorporate practical lessons that reflect real-world banking scenarios. This approach ensures that you not only learn the language but also understand how to apply it effectively in your professional life. For example, you might practice negotiating a loan agreement in Mandarin, allowing you to gain confidence in a real-life context.
  3. Flexible Scheduling: We understand that banking professionals often have demanding schedules. Our flexible lesson times allow you to learn at your own pace and on your own terms, making it easier to fit language learning into your busy life.
  4. Cultural Insights: Language learning is not just about vocabulary; it also involves understanding cultural nuances. Our instructors will provide insights into Chinese business etiquette and cultural practices, helping you navigate the complexities of the Chinese banking environment.

Don’t let language barriers hold you back in your banking career. Mastering business Chinese is within your reach, and eChineseLearning is here to support you every step of the way. Sign up for a free trial lesson today and discover how our tailored approach can accelerate your learning and enhance your professional skills.

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