Practice a Mandarin Business Meeting
Business meetings in Mandarin require precision: agreeing, disagreeing, summarising, and proposing next steps without coming across too aggressive or too vague. This scenario rehearses the meeting verbs ('I propose', 'I disagree respectfully', 'Let's circle back', 'Action item:'), and the polite-but-firm register most Mandarin-speaking corporate cultures expect. You'll practise turn-taking, interrupting tactfully, and closing a meeting with clear ownership of next steps. By the end, you'll contribute meaningfully in a Mandarin meeting instead of staying silent.
Sample Mandarin conversation
早上好，各位。我们开始吧。议程的第一项是季度业绩。要开始吗？
Good morning, everyone. Let's get started. The first item on the agenda is the quarterly results. Would you like to begin?当然。我准备了关键数据的总结。
Of course. I've prepared a summary of the key figures.感谢你的汇报。本季度收入增长了12%。你觉得是什么因素带来了这个增长？
Thank you for the overview. Revenue is up 12% this quarter. What do you think contributed to this growth?本季度我们签了三个大客户。
We signed three new major clients this quarter.很好。下个季度的目标是什么？有什么新策略需要考虑吗？
Excellent. What are the goals for next quarter? Any new strategies we should consider?我建议我们拓展两个新市场。
I propose we expand into two new markets.
Vad du lär dig
- Open and close a meeting with the right etiquette
- Agree, disagree, and propose alternatives politely
- Interrupt without being rude
- Summarise discussion and assign action items
- Take notes in Mandarin and follow up
Vanliga frågor
How do I disagree politely in a Mandarin meeting?
Use the formula 'I see your point, but I'd suggest…' — softer than the bare 'I disagree'. The scenario rehearses several variants.
What's the Mandarin for 'action item' or 'next steps'?
There's a specific business term in Mandarin — increasingly an English loanword in some countries. We include both forms.
How formal is Mandarin in business meetings?
Quite formal — formal 'you', complete sentences, avoid slang. The scenario uses corporate register throughout.
How do I close a Mandarin meeting cleanly?
Summarise decisions, assign owners, set a follow-up date. The scenario teaches the closing phrases for each step.