Chinese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 2 of 12
Work in depth
工作中的沟通Gōngzuò zhōng de gōutōng
Talk business in Chinese: soften bad news with 恐怕 and 未必, give and take feedback, negotiate with 除非…否则… and pick the right register at work.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Soften what you say with 恐怕, 未必, 不一定 and 毕竟
- Give and react to feedback politely
- Set conditions with 除非…否则…
- Address a manager and a colleague in the right register
Listen
At a tech company in Shenzhen, manager Zeng Hua and junior designer Xiao Lin discuss a client's feedback and a new deadline. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Zeng Hua
小林，来，坐。客户对我们的设计方案有反馈了，我们一起看看。
Xiǎo Lín, lái, zuò. Kèhù duì wǒmen de shèjì fāng'àn yǒu fǎnkuì le, wǒmen yìqǐ kànkan.
Xiao Lin, come and sit down. The client has sent feedback on our design proposal. Let's look at it together.
Xiao Lin
好的，曾总。他们怎么说？是不是不太满意？
Hǎo de, Zēng zǒng. Tāmen zěnme shuō? Shì bu shì bú tài mǎnyì?
Sure, Mr Zeng. What did they say? Aren't they very happy with it?
Zeng Hua
总的来说，他们觉得设计不错，不过颜色太深了，有些细节也需要调整。还有，他们希望截止日期提前到下周五。
Zǒng de lái shuō, tāmen juéde shèjì búcuò, búguò yánsè tài shēn le, yǒuxiē xìjié yě xūyào tiáozhěng. Háiyǒu, tāmen xīwàng jiézhǐ rìqī tíqián dào xià zhōuwǔ.
On the whole they like the design, but the colours are too dark and some details need adjusting. And they'd like to bring the deadline forward to next Friday.
Xiao Lin
下周五？恐怕来不及。改颜色不难，可是调整细节至少要两个星期。您看能不能跟客户沟通一下，把时间推迟一点儿？
Xià zhōuwǔ? Kǒngpà lái bu jí. Gǎi yánsè bù nán, kěshì tiáozhěng xìjié zhìshǎo yào liǎng ge xīngqī. Nín kàn néng bu néng gēn kèhù gōutōng yíxià, bǎ shíjiān tuīchí yìdiǎnr?
Next Friday? I'm afraid there won't be enough time. Changing the colours isn't hard, but the details will take at least two weeks. Do you think you could talk to the client and push the date back a little?
Zeng Hua
推迟？他们未必同意。毕竟钱是他们出的，他们也有自己的压力。
Tuīchí? Tāmen wèibì tóngyì. Bìjìng qián shì tāmen chū de, tāmen yě yǒu zìjǐ de yālì.
Push it back? They won't necessarily agree. After all, they're the ones paying, and they're under pressure too.
Xiao Lin
我明白。可是除非他们增加预算，让我们多找一个人，否则下周五肯定做不完。要不这样：我们先把颜色改好，下周五交，细节以后再慢慢调整。您看是不是可以这样跟他们谈？
Wǒ míngbai. Kěshì chúfēi tāmen zēngjiā yùsuàn, ràng wǒmen duō zhǎo yí ge rén, fǒuzé xià zhōuwǔ kěndìng zuò bu wán. Yàobù zhèyàng: wǒmen xiān bǎ yánsè gǎihǎo, xià zhōuwǔ jiāo, xìjié yǐhòu zài mànmàn tiáozhěng. Nín kàn shì bu shì kěyǐ zhèyàng gēn tāmen tán?
I understand. But unless they increase the budget so we can bring in one more person, we definitely won't finish by next Friday. How about this: we fix the colours first and hand that in next Friday, then adjust the details afterwards. Do you think we could put it to them like that?
Zeng Hua
这个主意不错，客户也能早点儿看到东西。对了，你别老叫我“您”了，也别叫曾总，叫我曾华就行。我们这儿大家都这么叫。
Zhège zhǔyi búcuò, kèhù yě néng zǎo diǎnr kàndào dōngxi. Duìle, nǐ bié lǎo jiào wǒ “nín” le, yě bié jiào Zēng zǒng, jiào wǒ Zēng Huá jiù xíng. Wǒmen zhèr dàjiā dōu zhème jiào.
Good idea. The client gets to see something sooner too. By the way, you don't need to keep saying “nín” to me or calling me Mr Zeng. Just call me Zeng Hua. Everyone here does.
Xiao Lin
好，曾华。那我今天下午就把颜色改好，发给你看看。
Hǎo, Zēng Huá. Nà wǒ jīntiān xiàwǔ jiù bǎ yánsè gǎihǎo, fā gěi nǐ kànkan.
OK, Zeng Hua. Then I'll fix the colours this afternoon and send them to you to have a look.
Zeng Hua
好。另外，你上次做的那一版我看了。总的来说很好，就是字有点儿小，再大一点儿的话会更好。
Hǎo. Lìngwài, nǐ shàng cì zuò de nà yì bǎn wǒ kàn le. Zǒng de lái shuō hěn hǎo, jiùshì zì yǒudiǎnr xiǎo, zài dà yìdiǎnr dehuà huì gèng hǎo.
Great. And I looked at the version you did last time. On the whole it's very good; it's just that the text is a bit small. It would be even better a little bigger.
Xiao Lin
谢谢你的反馈，我会注意的。那客户那边，你来跟他们谈？
Xièxie nǐ de fǎnkuì, wǒ huì zhùyì de. Nà kèhù nàbian, nǐ lái gēn tāmen tán?
Thanks for the feedback, I'll bear it in mind. So will you talk to the client?
Zeng Hua
对，我今天就给他们打电话。只要东西做得好，晚几天他们应该能接受。
Duì, wǒ jīntiān jiù gěi tāmen dǎ diànhuà. Zhǐyào dōngxi zuò de hǎo, wǎn jǐ tiān tāmen yīnggāi néng jiēshòu.
Yes, I'll call them today. As long as the work is good, they should be able to accept a few days' delay.
Xiao Lin
好的，那我先去忙了。
Hǎo de, nà wǒ xiān qù máng le.
Great. I'll get back to work, then.
Understand
Softening: 恐怕, 未必, 不一定, 毕竟
At work, bad news and disagreement are usually wrapped up. You know (kǒngpà bù xíng) from A2. (kǒngpà), I'm afraid, goes before almost any statement: (kǒngpà lái bu jí), I'm afraid there isn't enough time.
(wèibì) and (bù yídìng) both mean “not necessarily”. (wèibì) is a little more formal and firmer. (bìjìng), after all, gives a reason the other person can hardly argue with: (bìjìng qián shì tāmen chū de), after all, they're the ones paying.
| Chinese | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (kǒngpà) | I'm afraid (that) | (Kǒngpà lái bu jí.) I'm afraid it's too late. |
| (wèibì) | not necessarily | (Tāmen wèibì tóngyì.) They won't necessarily agree. |
| (bù yídìng) | not necessarily, not sure to | (Guì de bù yídìng hǎo.) Expensive isn't necessarily good. |
| (bìjìng) | after all | (Bìjìng tā shì xīnrén.) After all, he's new. |
Feedback, suggestions and conditions
Good feedback starts with the positive and adds the problem gently: (zǒng de lái shuō hěn hǎo, jiùshì zì yǒudiǎnr xiǎo), on the whole it's very good, it's just that the text is a bit small. (… dehuà huì gèng hǎo), it would be even better if …, turns criticism into a suggestion.
To suggest something to a boss, ask instead of telling: (shì bu shì kěyǐ …?), might we …?, or (yàobù …?), how about …? (chúfēi … fǒuzé …) means “unless …, (otherwise) …”: (chúfēi tāmen zēngjiā yùsuàn, fǒuzé wǒmen zuò bu wán), unless they increase the budget, we can't finish. In speech (bùrán) often replaces (fǒuzé).
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (zǒng de lái shuō …, búguò …) | on the whole …, but … |
| … (… dehuà huì gèng hǎo) | it would be better if … |
| (Nín kàn shì bu shì kěyǐ …?) | Do you think we might …? |
| (Yàobù zhèyàng: …) | How about this: … |
| (chúfēi …, fǒuzé …) | unless …, (otherwise) … |
| (Xièxie nǐ de fǎnkuì, wǒ huì zhùyì de.) | Thanks for the feedback, I'll bear it in mind. |
Register at work
Colleagues are usually addressed by surname plus title: (Zēng zǒng), short for (zǒngjīnglǐ), general manager, or any senior boss, (Liú jīnglǐ), (Wáng lǎoshī) for a teacher or respected expert. A manager calls a younger colleague (xiǎo) + surname: (Xiǎo Lín).
A junior uses (nín) with a boss at first. Many companies, especially in tech, are informal, and a manager may say (jiào wǒ Zēng Huá jiù xíng), just call me Zeng Hua. Then switch to (nǐ): staying with (nín) after that would sound stiff.
More in the grammar: Modal verbs: 会, 能, 可以, 要, 想, 应该 · Joining sentences: connectors
New words
- 客户kèhùclient, customer · a business client; (mǎnyì), satisfied
- 方案fāng'ànplan, proposal · (shèjì fāng'àn), design proposal
- 反馈fǎnkuìfeedback; to give feedback · (yǒu fǎnkuì le), feedback has come in
- 细节xìjiédetail
- 调整tiáozhěngto adjust; adjustment
- 截止日期jiézhǐ rìqīdeadline · (tíqián), to bring forward
- 恐怕kǒngpàI'm afraid (that), probably · softens bad news
- 沟通gōutōngto communicate, to talk things through · (gēn kèhù gōutōng yíxià)
- 推迟tuīchíto postpone, to push back
- 未必wèibìnot necessarily · more formal than (bù yídìng)
- 毕竟bìjìngafter all
- 除非chúfēiunless · (chúfēi … fǒuzé …); (kěndìng), definitely
- 预算yùsuànbudget · (zēngjiā yùsuàn), to increase the budget
- 否则fǒuzéotherwise · spoken: (bùrán)
Practise
1.Your boss asks whether the client will agree. You think probably not, but you're not sure. What do you say?
2.Make a condition. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Unless they increase the budget, we can't finish.
3.Match the Chinese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.You want to suggest a change to a colleague's design gently. Which sentence is best?
5.Your new manager says (jiào wǒ Zēng Huá jiù xíng). What should you do from now on?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
恐怕时间来不及。
Kǒngpà shíjiān lái bu jí.
I'm afraid there isn't enough time.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.