Types of Businesses Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 60 real-life businesses for beginners

If you can name common business types in 繁體中文 fántǐ zhōngwén, suddenly the world gets a lot less mysterious. That tiny shop in the alley? The polished office tower? The 24-hour pharmacy next to the MRT? All of them have names, and yes, people actually use them in daily life.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

This guide gives you 60 useful business words in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin, English meanings, and real example sentences. It is beginner-friendly, Taiwan-friendly, and mercifully free of fake textbook nonsense like “the penguin company on the moon.”

For extra practice, you can also compare your progress with the Traditional Chinese Vocabulary Test and the Traditional Chinese Placement Test (TOCFL).

Table of Contents

Core Business Vocabulary

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
商店	shāngdiàn	shop; store	這家商店每天晚上十點關門。	Zhè jiā shāngdiàn měitiān wǎnshàng shí diǎn guānmén.	This shop closes at 10 p.m. every day.
超市	chāoshì	supermarket	我去超市買水果和牛奶。	Wǒ qù chāoshì mǎi shuǐguǒ hé niúnǎi.	I go to the supermarket to buy fruit and milk.
便利商店	biànlì shāngdiàn	convenience store	我常常在便利商店買咖啡。	Wǒ chángcháng zài biànlì shāngdiàn mǎi kāfēi.	I often buy coffee at the convenience store.
餐廳	cāntīng	restaurant	這家餐廳的麵很好吃。	Zhè jiā cāntīng de miàn hěn hǎochī.	The noodles at this restaurant are very delicious.
咖啡廳	kāfēitīng	café	我們在咖啡廳看書。	Wǒmen zài kāfēitīng kàn shū.	We read books in the café.
麵包店	miànbāodiàn	bakery	早上我會去麵包店買早餐。	Zǎoshang wǒ huì qù miànbāodiàn mǎi zǎocān.	In the morning, I go to the bakery to buy breakfast.
水果店	shuǐguǒ diàn	fruit shop	這附近有一家水果店。	Zhè fùjìn yǒu yī jiā shuǐguǒ diàn.	There is a fruit shop nearby.
藥局	yào jú	pharmacy	我感冒了，所以去藥局買藥。	Wǒ gǎnmào le, suǒyǐ qù yào jú mǎi yào.	I caught a cold, so I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine.
醫院	yīyuàn	hospital	他今天去醫院看醫生。	Tā jīntiān qù yīyuàn kàn yīshēng.	He went to the hospital to see a doctor today.
診所	zhěnsuǒ	clinic	這間診所週六也有看診。	Zhè jiān zhěnsuǒ zhōuliù yě yǒu kànzhěn.	This clinic is also open for appointments on Saturdays.
銀行	yínháng	bank	我下午要去銀行辦事情。	Wǒ xiàwǔ yào qù yínháng bàn shìqíng.	I need to go to the bank this afternoon to take care of something.
郵局	yóujú	post office	我去郵局寄包裹。	Wǒ qù yóujú jì bāoguǒ.	I go to the post office to mail a package.
書店	shūdiàn	bookstore	那家書店有很多中文書。	Nà jiā shūdiàn yǒu hěn duō Zhōngwén shū.	That bookstore has many Chinese books.
洗衣店	xǐyīdiàn	laundromat; dry cleaner	我的外套送去洗衣店了。	Wǒ de wàitào sòng qù xǐyīdiàn le.	My coat was sent to the dry cleaner.
美髮店	měifǎ diàn	hair salon	我下週要去美髮店剪頭髮。	Wǒ xià zhōu yào qù měifǎ diàn jiǎn tóufǎ.	I am going to the hair salon next week for a haircut.
服飾店	fúshì diàn	clothing store	這間服飾店的衣服很便宜。	Zhè jiān fúshì diàn de yīfu hěn piányí.	The clothes in this clothing store are very cheap.
鞋店	xiédiàn	shoe store	我在鞋店買了一雙新鞋。	Wǒ zài xiédiàn mǎi le yī shuāng xīn xié.	I bought a new pair of shoes at the shoe store.
眼鏡行	yǎnjìng háng	optician; eyeglasses shop	我去眼鏡行配眼鏡。	Wǒ qù yǎnjìng háng pèi yǎnjìng.	I go to the optician to get glasses.
五金行	wǔjīn háng	hardware store	我去五金行買螺絲。	Wǒ qù wǔjīn háng mǎi luósī.	I went to the hardware store to buy screws.
花店	huādiàn	flower shop	情人節的時候花店很忙。	Qíngrénjié de shíhòu huādiàn hěn máng.	The flower shop is busy on Valentine’s Day.

More Useful Business Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
早餐店	zǎocān diàn	breakfast shop	我每天早上都去早餐店。	Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dōu qù zǎocān diàn.	I go to a breakfast shop every morning.
夜市	yèshì	night market	我們晚上去夜市吃東西。	Wǒmen wǎnshàng qù yèshì chī dōngxi.	We go to the night market to eat at night.
小吃店	xiǎochī diàn	snack shop; small eatery	這家小吃店的滷肉飯很有名。	Zhè jiā xiǎochī diàn de lǔròufàn hěn yǒumíng.	This snack shop is famous for its braised pork rice.
早餐店	zǎocān diàn	breakfast shop	早餐店通常很早開門。	Zǎocān diàn tōngcháng hěn zǎo kāimén.	Breakfast shops usually open very early.
炸雞店	zhàjī diàn	fried chicken shop	下課後我想去炸雞店買點心。	Xiàkè hòu wǒ xiǎng qù zhàjī diàn mǎi diǎnxīn.	After class, I want to buy a snack from the fried chicken shop.
手搖飲店	shǒuyáo yǐn diàn	bubble tea shop; drink shop	台灣到處都有手搖飲店。	Táiwān dàchù dōu yǒu shǒuyáo yǐn diàn.	There are bubble tea shops everywhere in Taiwan.
冰店	bīngdiàn	dessert shop; shaved ice shop	夏天我最愛去冰店吃剉冰。	Xiàtiān wǒ zuì ài qù bīngdiàn chī cuòbīng.	In summer, I love going to a shaved ice shop.
旅館	lǚguǎn	hotel; inn	我們在車站附近找到一家旅館。	Wǒmen zài chēzhàn fùjìn zhǎodào yī jiā lǚguǎn.	We found a hotel near the station.
民宿	mínsù	guesthouse; homestay	這間民宿很適合家庭旅行。	Zhè jiān mínsù hěn shìhé jiātíng lǚxíng.	This guesthouse is great for family travel.
旅行社	lǚxíng shè	travel agency	我跟旅行社訂了行程。	Wǒ gēn lǚxíng shè dìng le xíngchéng.	I booked the itinerary with a travel agency.
房仲	fángzhòng	real estate agent	我想先問問房仲租金。	Wǒ xiǎng xiān wènwen fángzhòng zūjīn.	I want to ask the real estate agent about the rent first.
房地產公司	fángdìchǎn gōngsī	real estate company	他在房地產公司工作。	Tā zài fángdìchǎn gōngsī gōngzuò.	He works at a real estate company.
保險公司	bǎoxiǎn gōngsī	insurance company	她在保險公司上班。	Tā zài bǎoxiǎn gōngsī shàngbān.	She works at an insurance company.
科技公司	kējì gōngsī	tech company	這家科技公司很有名。	Zhè jiā kējì gōngsī hěn yǒumíng.	This tech company is very famous.
貿易公司	màoyì gōngsī	trading company	他以前在貿易公司工作。	Tā yǐqián zài màoyì gōngsī gōngzuò.	He used to work at a trading company.
廣告公司	guǎnggào gōngsī	advertising company	廣告公司常常很忙。	Guǎnggào gōngsī chángcháng hěn máng.	Advertising companies are often busy.
設計公司	shèjì gōngsī	design company	我朋友在設計公司當設計師。	Wǒ péngyǒu zài shèjì gōngsī dāng shèjìshī.	My friend works as a designer at a design company.
律師事務所	lǜshī shìwùsuǒ	law firm	他在律師事務所工作。	Tā zài lǜshī shìwùsuǒ gōngzuò.	He works at a law firm.
會計師事務所	kuàijìshī shìwùsuǒ	accounting firm	她在會計師事務所上班。	Tā zài kuàijìshī shìwùsuǒ shàngbān.	She works at an accounting firm.
工廠	gōngchǎng	factory	這個工廠生產鞋子。	Zhège gōngchǎng shēngchǎn xiézi.	This factory produces shoes.
倉庫	cāngkù	warehouse	貨物先放在倉庫裡。	Huòwù xiān fàng zài cāngkù lǐ.	The goods are first stored in the warehouse.
辦公室	bàngōngshì	office	我們的辦公室在三樓。	Wǒmen de bàngōngshì zài sān lóu.	Our office is on the third floor.
公司	gōngsī	company	這間公司有很多員工。	Zhè jiān gōngsī yǒu hěn duō yuángōng.	This company has many employees.
店	diàn	shop; store; business place	這家店週日休息。	Zhè jiā diàn zhōurì xiūxí.	This shop is closed on Sundays.
攤位	tānwèi	stall; booth	夜市裡有很多攤位。	Yèshì lǐ yǒu hěn duō tānwèi.	There are many stalls in the night market.

Everyday Phrases You’ll Actually Hear

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
開店	kāidiàn	to open a shop	他想自己開店。	Tā xiǎng zìjǐ kāidiàn.	He wants to open his own shop.
關門	guānmén	to close the shop	這家店很早關門。	Zhè jiā diàn hěn zǎo guānmén.	This shop closes early.
營業	yíngyè	to be open for business	請問你們現在營業嗎？	Qǐngwèn nǐmen xiànzài yíngyè ma?	Excuse me, are you open now?
休息	xiūxí	to be closed; to rest	這間餐廳週一休息。	Zhè jiān cāntīng zhōuyī xiūxí.	This restaurant is closed on Mondays.
上班	shàngbān	to go to work	我每天早上八點上班。	Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang bā diǎn shàngbān.	I go to work at 8 a.m. every day.
下班	xiàbān	to get off work	他下班後會去買晚餐。	Tā xiàbān hòu huì qù mǎi wǎncān.	After work, he will go buy dinner.
工作	gōngzuò	work; job	我在一家小公司工作。	Wǒ zài yī jiā xiǎo gōngsī gōngzuò.	I work at a small company.
老闆	lǎobǎn	boss; owner	老闆今天不在店裡。	Lǎobǎn jīntiān bù zài diàn lǐ.	The boss is not in the shop today.
員工	yuángōng	employee	這家公司有很多員工。	Zhè jiā gōngsī yǒu hěn duō yuángōng.	This company has many employees.
分店	fēndiàn	branch store	這家連鎖店在台北有很多分店。	Zhè jiā liánsuǒ diàn zài Táiběi yǒu hěn duō fēndiàn.	This chain store has many branches in Taipei.
連鎖店	liánsuǒ diàn	chain store	便利商店通常是連鎖店。	Biànlì shāngdiàn tōngcháng shì liánsuǒ diàn.	Convenience stores are usually chain stores.
小店	xiǎodiàn	small shop	這是一家很溫暖的小店。	Zhè shì yī jiā hěn wēnnuǎn de xiǎodiàn.	This is a very cozy little shop.
老字號	lǎozìhào	old-established business	這間店是台北的老字號。	Zhè jiān diàn shì Táiběi de lǎozìhào.	This shop is a long-established Taipei business.
招牌	zhāopái	signboard; shop sign	那家店的招牌很大。	Nà jiā diàn de zhāopái hěn dà.	That shop’s sign is very big.
地址	dìzhǐ	address	請給我你的店地址。	Qǐng gěi wǒ nǐ de diàn dìzhǐ.	Please give me your shop address.

Useful Taiwan Notes

In Taiwan, some business words feel more natural than others. For example, 眼鏡行 yǎnjìng háng is very common for an eyeglasses shop, and 五金行 wǔjīn háng is a normal way to say hardware store. Also, people often say 便利商店 biànlì shāngdiàn or simply 超商 chāoshāng for convenience store.

If you want to see more everyday signs and business-related words in context, the page on Traditional Chinese signs and signage is a helpful next stop. Because, let’s be honest, learning vocabulary is one thing; reading the world around you is where it starts paying rent.

店 diàn is a very flexible word. It can mean “shop,” “store,” or even “business place” in many everyday situations. Mandarin loves a word that can do a lot without complaining.

Common Word Patterns

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
X + 店	shop for X	麵包店	miànbāodiàn	bakery
X + 行	shop or trade business	眼鏡行	yǎnjìng háng	optician
X + 公司	company in the X field	科技公司	kējì gōngsī	tech company
X + 事務所	office or firm	律師事務所	lǜshī shìwùsuǒ	law firm
X + 廳	hall; place for a service	咖啡廳	kāfēitīng	café

When you see these patterns again and again, business vocabulary starts feeling much less random. Tiny miracle, right?

Practice: Match The Business To The Place

超市 chāoshì — where do you buy groceries?
藥局 yào jú — where do you buy medicine?
郵局 yóujú — where do you mail a package?
書店 shūdiàn — where do you buy books?
餐廳 cāntīng — where do you eat a meal?
美髮店 měifǎ diàn — where do you cut your hair?
銀行 yínháng — where do you deal with money?
夜市 yèshì — where do you go for snacks and street food?

Practice: Change The Sentence

Swap the business word and make a new sentence.

我去便利商店 biànlì shāngdiàn 買飲料。
Wǒ qù biànlì shāngdiàn mǎi yǐnliào.
I go to the convenience store to buy a drink.
我去咖啡廳 kāfēitīng 看書。
Wǒ qù kāfēitīng kàn shū.
I go to the café to read.
我去藥局 yào jú 買藥。
Wǒ qù yào jú mǎi yào.
I go to the pharmacy to buy medicine.
我去書店 shūdiàn 買中文書。
Wǒ qù shūdiàn mǎi Zhōngwén shū.
I go to the bookstore to buy Chinese books.

Common Mistakes And Fixes

Mistake	Why It’s Wrong	Better Version
Using Simplified characters by accident	This article is for Traditional Chinese only.	Use 便利商店, not simplified forms.
Saying 店子 like in some dialects	Not standard Mandarin in Taiwan.	Use 店 diàn.
Using 公司 for every business	Not every place is a company.	Use 商店, 餐廳, 診所, or 工廠 when needed.
Mixing up 診所 and 醫院	They are different sizes and services.	診所 = clinic, 醫院 = hospital.
Saying 眼鏡店 when locals usually say 眼鏡行	Not always wrong, but less natural in Taiwan.	Use 眼鏡行 yǎnjìng háng in Taiwan.

For more job-related wording that often connects to business types, visit jobs vocabulary in Traditional Chinese. If you want food-related places too, the guide to Traditional Chinese food vocabulary is a good companion.

Quick Reference Summary

店 diàn = shop/store
公司 gōngsī = company
事務所 shìwùsuǒ = office/firm
行 háng = trade shop, especially in Taiwan business names
廳 tīng = hall/place, often in cafés and service places
夜市 yèshì = night market
便利商店 biànlì shāngdiàn = convenience store
診所 zhěnsuǒ = clinic
銀行 yínháng = bank
餐廳 cāntīng = restaurant

If you want a boring but reliable reference for business-related terms and standard Chinese usage, check Moedict or the Taiwan Ministry of Education. Yes, it is delightfully unexciting. That is exactly the point.

Yak Takeaway: In Taiwanese Mandarin, business words often follow patterns like X + 店, X + 行, and X + 公司. Learn those patterns, and suddenly signs, maps, and daily errands stop looking like a chaotic parade of rectangles.