Shopping in Chinese — Colors, Sizes and Trying Things On

Pointing is fine, but add one short question to make your intention clear. Almost every shopping exchange is the same four moves: browse, ask about the item, try it, pay. Learn one sentence for each and you can get through a shop without improvising.

Browsing without committing

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
我看一下。	Wǒ kàn yíxià.	I’m just having a look.
这个多少钱？	Zhège duōshao qián?	How much is this?
有别的颜色吗？	Yǒu bié de yánsè ma?	Do you have another color?
有大一点的吗？	Yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma?	Do you have a larger one?
可以试穿吗？	Kěyǐ shìchuān ma?	May I try it on?

The pattern 有…吗？ (Yǒu … ma?) — “do you have …?” — covers most of what you need. Drop in 大一点的 (dà yìdiǎn de, a bigger one), 小一点的 (xiǎo yìdiǎn de, a smaller one), 黑色的 (hēisè de, a black one) or 便宜一点的 (piányi yìdiǎn de, a cheaper one).

Basic dialogue

Customer: 这个有大一点的吗？
(Zhège yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma?)
Shop assistant: 有，你试穿一下。
(Yǒu, nǐ shìchuān yíxià.)

一下 (yíxià) after a verb softens it into “have a quick go at it”. 试穿一下 (shìchuān yíxià) is friendlier than a bare command, and you can use the same trick with 看一下 (kàn yíxià) and 等一下 (děng yíxià).

When trying on is not possible

Customer: 可以试穿吗？
(Kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)
Shop assistant: 不好意思，今天不能试穿。
(Bù hǎoyìsi, jīntiān bù néng shìchuān.)

If you cannot try it on, ask about returning it instead: 可以退换吗？ (Kěyǐ tuìhuàn ma?) — “can it be returned or exchanged?” Ask before you pay, not after.

Deciding and paying

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
我买这个。	Wǒ mǎi zhège.	I’ll take this one.
我再看看。	Wǒ zài kànkan.	I’ll think about it.
可以扫码吗？	Kěyǐ sǎomǎ ma?	Can I scan a QR code to pay?
可以刷卡吗？	Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?	Can I pay by card?
可以开发票吗？	Kěyǐ kāi fāpiào ma?	Could you issue an official receipt?

我再看看 (Wǒ zài kànkan) is the standard, no-offense way to walk away from something. It is more natural than translating “no thank you” directly, and no one expects a reason.

Ask about payment before you commit. In mainland China, QR-code payment through a mobile wallet is the default, and plenty of small shops do not take foreign cards at all — so 可以刷卡吗？ (Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?) is a genuine question, not a formality. 发票 (fāpiào) is the official tax receipt you would need to claim an expense; the slip handed to you automatically is 小票 (xiǎopiào), which is not the same thing.

Takeaway

Use 大一点 (dà yìdiǎn) and 小一点 (xiǎo yìdiǎn) for “a bit larger / smaller”; they attach to almost any adjective.
试穿 (shìchuān) is specifically for trying on clothes; for shoes you will also hear 试一下 (shì yíxià).
Point and ask one focused question at a time — color, size, price, or whether you can try it — and let the item in front of you carry the rest.

Related: practice numbers and prices in daily life Chinese, and if something is wrong with your purchase, see complaints and refunds.

By the end of this chapter, you can say

有别的颜色吗？可以试穿吗？ (Yǒu bié de yánsè ma? Kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)

Practical note for this chapter

Keep a daily exchange moving: small talk, plans, messages, shopping and visits. In this chapter, practice giving a short response and then checking what matters.

Use it in context

A: 您需要什么颜色和尺寸？ (Nín xūyào shénme yánsè hé chǐcùn?)
B: 有别的颜色吗？可以试穿吗？ (Yǒu bié de yánsè ma? Kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)

Phrase map for this chapter

Question or situation: 您需要什么颜色和尺寸？ (Nín xūyào shénme yánsè hé chǐcùn?)
Central response: 有别的颜色吗？可以试穿吗？ (Yǒu bié de yánsè ma? Kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)
Another natural way to say it: 这个可以试穿吗？ (Zhège kěyǐ shìchuān ma?); Use this variation in a situation you genuinely expect to handle.
How to use it: Listen to the model once, then say it again with one detail from your own situation.

Turn the model into three conversation turns

1. Open the situation您需要什么颜色和尺寸？ (Nín xūyào shénme yánsè hé chǐcùn?)
2. Say the central response有别的颜色吗？可以试穿吗？ (Yǒu bié de yánsè ma? Kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)
3. Add an alternative这个可以试穿吗？ (Zhège kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)

Before acting, check the point most likely to cause a misunderstanding. This dialogue is for practice. For important decisions, confirm official guidance as well.

A useful variation

Keep the same purpose, then change the person, time or place to make it your own.

这个可以试穿吗？ (Zhège kěyǐ shìchuān ma?)

Use this variation in a situation you genuinely expect to handle.

Listen to the model once, then say it again with one detail from your own situation.

A common trap

For important details, do not decide from what you think you heard; check written information when needed.

颜色、尺寸和是否能试用要分别确认。 (Yánsè, chǐcùn hé shìfǒu néng shìyòng yào fēnbié quèrèn.)

This dialogue is for practice. For important decisions, confirm official guidance as well.

Three-step practice

Open the situation in one short phrase
Say the central response
Add one detail of your own