Intermediate - A Business Lunch Invitation (C1774)

A: 快12点了,你说要不要请这个客户吃饭?
kuài shí èr diǎn le, nǐ shuō yào bu yào qǐng zhè ge kèhù chīfàn?
It's almost noon. Do you think we should ask this client out to lunch?
B: 他对我们的产品有兴趣吗?
tā duì wǒmen de chǎnpǐn yǒu xìngqù ma?
Is he interested in our products?
A: 他今天是来参观的,有兴趣,但不一定会下单。
tā jīntiān shì lái cānguān de, yǒu xìngqù, dàn bùyīdìng huì xiàdān.
He came today to check them out. He's interested but isn't necessarily going to place an order.
B: 正好是午餐时间,不请客户吃饭不太礼貌吧?
zhènghǎo shì wǔcān shíjiān, bù qǐng kèhù chīfàn bùtài lǐmào ba?
It's lunchtime now. It's a bit impolite not to take clients out to eat, isn't it?
A: 哦,那就请吧。
ò, nà jiù qǐng ba.
Oh. Ask him, then.
B: 其实在中国,很多生意都是在饭桌上做成的。
qíshí zài Zhōngguó, hěn duō shēngyi dōu shì zài fànzhuō shàng zuòchéng de.
Actually, a lot of business in China is accomplished over meals.
A: 我明白了。
wǒ míngbai le.
I understand.
C: 潘经理,谢谢你带我参观。我下午还有别的事,先走了。
Pān jīnglǐ, xièxie nǐ dài wǒ cānguān. wǒ xiàwǔ hái yǒu bié de shì, xiān zǒu le.
Manager Pan, thanks for showing me around. I have some other things to take care of this afternoon. I'll be going now.
A: 我们一起吃个饭再走吧。
wǒmen yīqǐ chī ge fàn zài zǒu ba.
Let's eat together first.
C: 不用了,谢谢!
bùyòng le, xièxie!
No, that's OK. Thank you!

Key Vocabulary

kuài almost
客户 kèhù client
duì towards
产品 chǎnpǐn merchandise
兴趣 xìngqù interest
参观 cānguān to visit
不一定 bùyīdìng not necessarily
下单 xiàdān to place an order
正好 zhènghǎo exactly
午餐 wǔcān lunch
礼貌 lǐmào polite
其实 qíshí actually
生意 shēngyi business
饭桌 fànzhuō dining table
做成 zuòchéng to successfully complete
Pān Pan (name)
经理 jīnglǐ manager
dài to bring
别的 bié de other

Supplementary Vocabulary

一定 yīdìng definitely, certainly
单子 dānzi bill, invoice
午饭 wǔfàn lunch
成功 chénggōng successful
谈成 tánchéng to negotiate successfully
谈生意 tán shēngyi to discuss business
产品经理 chǎnpǐn jīnglǐ product manager
潜在客户 qiánzài kèhù potential client

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