Chinese Types of Businesses Vocabulary

Learn how to talk about businesses in Chinese 中文 Zhōngwén with useful words like 商店 shāngdiàn, 公司 gōngsī, and 餐馆 cānguǎn—without sounding like a textbook that needs a nap.

When you travel, work, shop, or just try to read signs in China 中国 Zhōngguó, business words show up everywhere. You will see tiny neighborhood stores, giant companies, online shops, and every tea shop 茶店 chádiàn in between.

This guide gives you the business types people actually use, with simplified Chinese characters 简体字 jiǎntǐzì, pinyin 拼音 pīnyīn, English meanings, and real example sentences. Nice and practical. No corporate fluff. No mysterious vocabulary cloud. Just useful words.

Yak Tip: 店 diàn usually means “shop” or “store,” while 公司 gōngsī means “company.” So 服装店 fúzhuāngdiàn is a clothing store, but 科技公司 kējì gōngsī is a tech company. Tiny word, huge difference.

Quick Business Vocabulary Cards

公司 gōngsī

company

他在一家科技公司 kējì gōngsī 工作 gōngzuò。
Tá zài yì jiā kējì gōngsī gōngzuò.
He works at a tech company.

商店 shāngdiàn

shop; store

那家商店 shāngdiàn 晚上十点关门 guānmén。
Nà jiā shāngdiàn wǎnshang shí diǎn guānmén.
That store closes at 10 p.m.

餐馆 cānguǎn

restaurant

这家餐馆 cānguǎn 的饺子 jiǎozi 很好吃 hěn hǎochī。
Zhè jiā cānguǎn de jiǎozi hěn hǎochī.
The dumplings at this restaurant are very tasty.

超市 chāoshì

supermarket

我们去超市 chāoshì 买水果 shuǐguǒ 吧 ba。
Wǒmen qù chāoshì mǎi shuǐguǒ ba.
Let’s go buy fruit at the supermarket.

便利店 biànlìdiàn

convenience store

楼下的便利店 biànlìdiàn 二十四小时营业 yíngyè。
Lóuxià de biànlìdiàn èrshísì xiǎoshí yíngyè.
The convenience store downstairs is open 24 hours.

咖啡馆 kāfēiguǎn

café; coffee shop

我们在咖啡馆 kāfēiguǎn 见面 jiànmiàn。
Wǒmen zài kāfēiguǎn jiànmiàn.
We’re meeting at the café.

工厂 gōngchǎng

factory

这家工厂 gōngchǎng 生产 shēngchǎn 手机 shǒujī 配件 pèijiàn。
Zhè jiā gōngchǎng shēngchǎn shǒujī pèijiàn.
This factory produces phone parts.

网店 wǎngdiàn

online store

她的网店 wǎngdiàn 卖 mài 手工包 shǒugōng bāo。
Tā de wǎngdiàn mài shǒugōng bāo.
Her online store sells handmade bags.

Useful Phrases For Talking About Businesses

开公司 kāi gōngsī — to start a company
他想明年开公司 kāi gōngsī。
Tā xiǎng míngnián kāi gōngsī.
He wants to start a company next year.
开店 kāidiàn — to open a shop
我姐姐在北京 Běijīng 开店 kāidiàn。
Wǒ jiějie zài Běijīng kāidiàn.
My older sister runs a shop in Beijing.
做生意 zuò shēngyi — to do business
他们一家人一起做生意 zuò shēngyi。
Tāmen yì jiārén yìqǐ zuò shēngyi.
The whole family does business together.
营业 yíngyè — to be open for business
这家店早上九点开始营业 yíngyè。
Zhè jiā diàn zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn kāishǐ yíngyè.
This shop opens for business at 9 a.m.
关门 guānmén — to close
那家小店 xiǎodiàn 太早关门 guānmén 了 le。
Nà jiā xiǎodiàn tài zǎo guānmén le.
That small shop closes too early.
连锁店 liánsuǒdiàn — chain store
这是一家全国连锁店 liánsuǒdiàn。
Zhè shì yì jiā quánguó liánsuǒdiàn.
This is a nationwide chain store.
总公司 zǒnggōngsī — headquarters; head office
总公司 zǒnggōngsī 在上海 Shànghǎi。
Zǒnggōngsī zài Shànghǎi.
The head office is in Shanghai.
分店 fēndiàn — branch store
这家餐馆 cānguǎn 在广州 Guǎngzhōu 也有分店 fēndiàn。
Zhè jiā cānguǎn zài Guǎngzhōu yě yǒu fēndiàn.
This restaurant also has a branch in Guangzhou.
客户 kèhù — customer; client
我们公司 gōngsī 的客户 kèhù 很多。
Wǒmen gōngsī de kèhù hěn duō.
Our company has many clients.
老板 lǎobǎn — boss; owner
这家书店 shūdiàn 的老板 lǎobǎn 很热情 rèqíng。
Zhè jiā shūdiàn de lǎobǎn hěn rèqíng.
The owner of this bookstore is very friendly.
员工 yuángōng — employee
那家公司 gōngsī 有五十个员工 yuángōng。
Nà jiā gōngsī yǒu wǔshí gè yuángōng.
That company has fifty employees.
创业公司 chuàngyè gōngsī — startup company
他在一家创业公司 chuàngyè gōngsī 上班 shàngbān。
Tā zài yì jiā chuàngyè gōngsī shàngbān.
He works at a startup.

Retail And Everyday Shops

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
商店	shāngdiàn	shop; store	这家商店 shāngdiàn 东西 dōngxi 很便宜 piányi。	Zhè jiā shāngdiàn dōngxi hěn piányi.	This store has very cheap things.
超市	chāoshì	supermarket	我妈妈 māma 在超市 chāoshì 买菜 mǎicài。	Wǒ māma zài chāoshì mǎicài.	My mom buys vegetables at the supermarket.
便利店	biànlìdiàn	convenience store	学校 xuéxiào 附近 fùjìn 有一家便利店 biànlìdiàn。	Xuéxiào fùjìn yǒu yì jiā biànlìdiàn.	There is a convenience store near the school.
书店	shūdiàn	bookstore	周末 zhōumò 我想去书店 shūdiàn 看书 kànshū。	Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng qù shūdiàn kànshū.	I want to go read at the bookstore this weekend.
服装店	fúzhuāngdiàn	clothing store	这家服装店 fúzhuāngdiàn 的外套 wàitào 很时尚 shíshàng。	Zhè jiā fúzhuāngdiàn de wàitào hěn shíshàng.	The coats in this clothing store are very fashionable.
鞋店	xiédiàn	shoe store	我们去鞋店 xiédiàn 试 shì 新鞋 xīnxié 吧 ba。	Wǒmen qù xiédiàn shì xīnxié ba.	Let’s go try on new shoes at the shoe store.
花店	huādiàn	flower shop	他在花店 huādiàn 买了一束 yí shù 玫瑰 méiguī。	Tā zài huādiàn mǎi le yí shù méiguī.	He bought a bouquet of roses at the flower shop.
药店	yàodiàn	pharmacy; drugstore	感冒了 gǎnmào le，就去药店 yàodiàn 吧 ba。	Gǎnmào le, jiù qù yàodiàn ba.	If you have a cold, go to the pharmacy.
玩具店	wánjùdiàn	toy store	孩子们 háizimen 很喜欢这家玩具店 wánjùdiàn。	Háizimen hěn xǐhuan zhè jiā wánjùdiàn.	The children really like this toy store.
眼镜店	yǎnjìngdiàn	optical shop	我想去眼镜店 yǎnjìngdiàn 配 pèi 新眼镜 xīn yǎnjìng。	Wǒ xiǎng qù yǎnjìngdiàn pèi xīn yǎnjìng.	I want to get new glasses at the optical shop.

Food, Drink, And Hospitality Businesses

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
餐馆	cānguǎn	restaurant	这家餐馆 cānguǎn 中午 zhōngwǔ 很忙 máng。	Zhè jiā cānguǎn zhōngwǔ hěn máng.	This restaurant is very busy at lunchtime.
饭店	fàndiàn	restaurant; hotel in some contexts	我们晚上 wǎnshang 去饭店 fàndiàn 吃饭 chīfàn。	Wǒmen wǎnshang qù fàndiàn chīfàn.	We’re going to a restaurant for dinner.
咖啡馆	kāfēiguǎn	café	这家咖啡馆 kāfēiguǎn 很安静 ānjìng。	Zhè jiā kāfēiguǎn hěn ānjìng.	This café is very quiet.
奶茶店	nǎichádiàn	milk tea shop	她常常 chángcháng 去奶茶店 nǎichádiàn 买奶茶 nǎichá。	Tā chángcháng qù nǎichádiàn mǎi nǎichá.	She often goes to the milk tea shop to buy milk tea.
面包店	miànbāodiàn	bakery	面包店 miànbāodiàn 刚出炉 gāng chūlú 的面包 miànbāo 很香 xiāng。	Miànbāodiàn gāng chūlú de miànbāo hěn xiāng.	The freshly baked bread at the bakery smells great.
小吃店	xiǎochīdiàn	snack shop	夜市 yèshì 里有很多小吃店 xiǎochīdiàn。	Yèshì lǐ yǒu hěn duō xiǎochīdiàn.	There are many snack shops in the night market.
酒吧	jiǔbā	bar	那家酒吧 jiǔbā 周五 Zhōuwǔ 晚上很热闹 rènao。	Nà jiā jiǔbā Zhōuwǔ wǎnshang hěn rènao.	That bar is very lively on Friday nights.
酒店	jiǔdiàn	hotel	我们订了 dìng le 一家离机场 jīchǎng 很近 jìn 的酒店 jiǔdiàn。	Wǒmen dìng le yì jiā lí jīchǎng hěn jìn de jiǔdiàn.	We booked a hotel very close to the airport.
民宿	mínsù	guesthouse; homestay	这家民宿 mínsù 的房间 fángjiān 很舒服 shūfu。	Zhè jiā mínsù de fángjiān hěn shūfu.	The rooms in this guesthouse are very comfortable.
快餐店	kuàicāndiàn	fast-food restaurant	他中午 zhōngwǔ 常在快餐店 kuàicāndiàn 吃饭 chīfàn。	Tā zhōngwǔ cháng zài kuàicāndiàn chīfàn.	He often eats at a fast-food place at noon.

Service Businesses And Offices

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
银行	yínháng	bank	我下午 xiàwǔ 要去银行 yínháng 办卡 bàn kǎ。	Wǒ xiàwǔ yào qù yínháng bàn kǎ.	I need to go to the bank this afternoon to get a card.
律师事务所	lǜshī shìwùsuǒ	law firm	她在一家律师事务所 lǜshī shìwùsuǒ 工作 gōngzuò。	Tā zài yì jiā lǜshī shìwùsuǒ gōngzuò.	She works at a law firm.
会计师事务所	kuàijìshī shìwùsuǒ	accounting firm	这家会计师事务所 kuàijìshī shìwùsuǒ 很专业 zhuānyè。	Zhè jiā kuàijìshī shìwùsuǒ hěn zhuānyè.	This accounting firm is very professional.
旅行社	lǚxíngshè	travel agency	我们在旅行社 lǚxíngshè 报名 bàomíng 了 le 旅游团 lǚyóutuán。	Wǒmen zài lǚxíngshè bàomíng le lǚyóutuán.	We signed up for a tour group at the travel agency.
理发店	lǐfàdiàn	barbershop; hair salon	我想周末去理发店 lǐfàdiàn 剪头发 jiǎn tóufa。	Wǒ xiǎng zhōumò qù lǐfàdiàn jiǎn tóufa.	I want to get a haircut at the salon this weekend.
美容院	měiróngyuàn	beauty salon	她在美容院 měiróngyuàn 做护理 zuò hùlǐ。	Tā zài měiróngyuàn zuò hùlǐ.	She gets a treatment at the beauty salon.
健身房	jiànshēnfáng	gym	新开的健身房 jiànshēnfáng 很大 dà。	Xīn kāi de jiànshēnfáng hěn dà.	The newly opened gym is very big.
洗衣店	xǐyīdiàn	laundry shop	这件外套 wàitào 要送到洗衣店 xǐyīdiàn。	Zhè jiàn wàitào yào sòng dào xǐyīdiàn.	This coat needs to be taken to the laundry shop.
修理店	xiūlǐdiàn	repair shop	我的手机 shǒujī 在修理店 xiūlǐdiàn 修好了 xiū hǎo le。	Wǒ de shǒujī zài xiūlǐdiàn xiū hǎo le.	My phone was fixed at the repair shop.
中介公司	zhōngjiè gōngsī	agency; brokerage company	我们通过 tōngguò 中介公司 zhōngjiè gōngsī 租房 zūfáng。	Wǒmen tōngguò zhōngjiè gōngsī zūfáng.	We rent an apartment through an agency.

Companies, Industry, And Modern Business Types

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
公司	gōngsī	company	这家公司 gōngsī 发展 fāzhǎn 得很快 kuài。	Zhè jiā gōngsī fāzhǎn de hěn kuài.	This company is developing quickly.
科技公司	kējì gōngsī	technology company	哥哥 gēge 在科技公司 kējì gōngsī 当程序员 dāng chéngxùyuán。	Gēge zài kējì gōngsī dāng chéngxùyuán.	My older brother works as a programmer at a tech company.
互联网公司	hùliánwǎng gōngsī	internet company	很多年轻人 niánqīngrén 想去互联网公司 hùliánwǎng gōngsī 上班 shàngbān。	Hěn duō niánqīngrén xiǎng qù hùliánwǎng gōngsī shàngbān.	Many young people want to work at internet companies.
制造厂	zhìzàochǎng	manufacturing plant	这个制造厂 zhìzàochǎng 生产 shēngchǎn 汽车零件 qìchē língjiàn。	Zhège zhìzàochǎng shēngchǎn qìchē língjiàn.	This manufacturing plant produces auto parts.
工厂	gōngchǎng	factory	工厂 gōngchǎng 里有很多机器 jīqì。	Gōngchǎng lǐ yǒu hěn duō jīqì.	There are many machines in the factory.
批发市场	pīfā shìchǎng	wholesale market	老板 lǎobǎn 在批发市场 pīfā shìchǎng 进货 jìnhuò。	Lǎobǎn zài pīfā shìchǎng jìnhuò.	The owner buys stock at the wholesale market.
零售店	língshòudiàn	retail store	这是一家卖进口 jìnkǒu 食品 shípǐn 的零售店 língshòudiàn。	Zhè shì yì jiā mài jìnkǒu shípǐn de língshòudiàn.	This is a retail store that sells imported food.
网店	wǎngdiàn	online store	现在很多品牌 pǐnpái 都有网店 wǎngdiàn。	Xiànzài hěn duō pǐnpái dōu yǒu wǎngdiàn.	Nowadays many brands have online stores.
电商平台	diànshāng píngtái	e-commerce platform	这家小公司 xiǎo gōngsī 在电商平台 diànshāng píngtái 卖产品 chǎnpǐn。	Zhè jiā xiǎo gōngsī zài diànshāng píngtái mài chǎnpǐn.	This small company sells products on an e-commerce platform.
创业公司	chuàngyè gōngsī	startup	创业公司 chuàngyè gōngsī 常常变化 biànhuà 很快 kuài。	Chuàngyè gōngsī chángcháng biànhuà hěn kuài.	Startups often change very quickly.
物流公司	wùliú gōngsī	logistics company	包裹 bāoguǒ 是物流公司 wùliú gōngsī 送来的 sòng lái de。	Bāoguǒ shì wùliú gōngsī sòng lái de.	The package was delivered by a logistics company.
广告公司	guǎnggào gōngsī	advertising company	她在广告公司 guǎnggào gōngsī 做设计 zuò shèjì。	Tā zài guǎnggào gōngsī zuò shèjì.	She does design work at an advertising company.
出版公司	chūbǎn gōngsī	publishing company	这本书 zhè běn shū 是一家出版公司 chūbǎn gōngsī 出的 chū de。	Zhè běn shū shì yì jiā chūbǎn gōngsī chū de.	This book was published by a publishing company.
保险公司	bǎoxiǎn gōngsī	insurance company	他在保险公司 bǎoxiǎn gōngsī 上班 shàngbān。	Tā zài bǎoxiǎn gōngsī shàngbān.	He works at an insurance company.
房地产公司	fángdìchǎn gōngsī	real estate company	那家房地产公司 fángdìchǎn gōngsī 在开发 kāifā 新楼盘 xīn lóupán。	Nà jiā fángdìchǎn gōngsī zài kāifā xīn lóupán.	That real estate company is developing a new housing project.

Helpful Variants And Near Matches

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	When To Use It
店	diàn	shop; store	Use it for a physical shop, like 书店 shūdiàn or 花店 huādiàn.
馆	guǎn	venue; establishment	Common in places like 咖啡馆 kāfēiguǎn and 餐馆 cānguǎn.
公司	gōngsī	company	Use it for a business organization, especially offices and firms.
厂	chǎng	factory; plant	Use it for industrial production, like 工厂 gōngchǎng.
事务所	shìwùsuǒ	professional office	Used for formal offices like 律师事务所 lǜshī shìwùsuǒ.
市场	shìchǎng	market	Used for market spaces like 批发市场 pīfā shìchǎng.

Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes

饭店 fàndiàn can mean restaurant, and in some situations it can also mean hotel. Context matters. Language loves chaos a little.
酒店 jiǔdiàn usually means hotel in modern daily Chinese 中文 Zhōngwén.
商店 shāngdiàn is a general word for a store, but native speakers often use more specific words like 书店 shūdiàn, 药店 yàodiàn, or 便利店 biànlìdiàn.
公司 gōngsī is not the same as 店 diàn. A company may have offices, while a shop has a storefront. Do not send one to do the other’s job.
网店 wǎngdiàn means an online store, while 电商平台 diànshāng píngtái is the platform where many stores sell things.

Quick Practice

Try these mini drills and say the answers out loud. Yes, out loud. Silent studying is nice, but your mouth also deserves a shift.

A place that sells books 书 shū → 书店 shūdiàn
A company that makes software 软件 ruǎnjiàn → 科技公司 kējì gōngsī
A place where you buy medicine 药 yào → 药店 yàodiàn
A place where you stay on a trip 旅行 lǚxíng → 酒店 jiǔdiàn or 民宿 mínsù
A place that cuts hair 头发 tóufa → 理发店 lǐfàdiàn
A business that sells products online 在线 zàixiàn → 网店 wǎngdiàn

Final Yak Box

The easiest way to remember business words in Chinese 中文 Zhōngwén is to spot the endings. 店 diàn usually points to a shop, 公司 gōngsī points to a company, and 厂 chǎng points to a factory. Once that clicks, a giant chunk of vocabulary suddenly looks a lot less rude.

Start with the most common words: 商店 shāngdiàn, 公司 gōngsī, 餐馆 cānguǎn, 超市 chāoshì, 便利店 biànlìdiàn, and 网店 wǎngdiàn. Then build outward into more specific business types as you need them.

FAQ: Business Vocabulary In Chinese 中文 Zhōngwén

What Is The Most Common Word For “Business” In Chinese 中文 Zhōngwén?

A common word is 生意 shēngyi, especially when talking about doing business, as in 做生意 zuò shēngyi. For a company, 公司 gōngsī is the word you will hear all the time.

How Do You Say “Store” In Chinese 中文 Zhōngwén?

You can say 商店 shāngdiàn for a general store, but native speakers often use a more specific word like 书店 shūdiàn, 花店 huādiàn, or 便利店 biànlìdiàn.

What Is The Difference Between 店 diàn And 公司 gōngsī?

店 diàn is usually a shop or storefront. 公司 gōngsī is a company or business organization. One sells you bubble tea, the other gives people meetings and spreadsheets.