How to Say ‘12% off’ in Simplified Chinese
打八八折
dǎ bā bā zhé
[dǎ bābā zhé]
💬 Usage Tip: A 折 discount tells you what you pay, not what you save, so 八八折 means you pay 88%. Likewise, 打九折 means you pay 90%, which is 10% off.
🇨🇳 In China: Eights are popular in discounts because 八 (bā) sounds like 发 (fā) "to prosper".
Phrase Breakdown
打
dǎ
[dǎ]
to give (a discount)
Used with 折 to express giving a discount.
这件衣服打九折。
This piece of clothing is 10% off.
八八
bā bā
[bābā]
eighty-eight (percent)
Used with 折 it means paying 88% of the price, i.e. 12% off.
全场八八折。
Everything is 12% off.
折
zhé
[zhé]
discount (in tenths)
Unit of discount; the number before it shows the share of the price paid.
这件衣服打五折。
This garment is 50% off.
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