A very useful expressions when shopping in China is “Tài guì le” (That’s too expensive!). In a shopping mall it might not be so useful, but at least it gives you a chance to express your frustration.

However, in a shop or street market, the proprietor might just hand you a calculator and say “Nǐ shuō ba.” (meaning: type in the price that you will pay). At which point you offer 20% of the initial price … to guarantee room for negotiation.

Actually, “Duōshao qián?” (How much is it?) might be even more useful. Since it might be the only way to learn what the price is.

Here is a break down of the actual words