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How to Say ‘Buy groceries’ in Simplified Chinese

买菜

mǎi cài

[my-eye-tsigh]

💬 Usage Tip: [买菜] literally means "buy vegetables," but in everyday Chinese it often means "buy groceries/food ingredients" more generally.

🇨🇳 In China: Traditional fresh markets are still popular in many parts of China, so [买菜] often brings to mind daily cooking and neighborhood life.

Phrase Breakdown

买菜

mǎi cài

[my-eye-tsigh]

buy groceries

Literally 'buy vegetables,' but commonly means to shop for food or groceries.

Example

我下午去买菜。

I’m going to buy groceries this afternoon.

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