Translate English to Chinese for suppliers, customers and teams
Ordering from a factory in Shenzhen or writing to a client in Taipei? Long English sentences and idioms get misread, and Taiwan readers expect Traditional characters. Your todo.is agent rewrites your message clearly, translates it into the right Chinese and gives you a back-translation so you know exactly what you sent.
The prompt
- Translate my message [PASTE THE TEXT OR ATTACH THE FILE] from English into [SIMPLIFIED CHINESE (MAINLAND) OR TRADITIONAL CHINESE (TAIWAN OR HONG KONG)]. It is for [WHO WILL READ IT]. First simplify any idioms or long sentences so nothing is ambiguous. Use a [TONE] tone. Keep model numbers, sizes and prices exactly as written, and write quantities with units (pcs, cartons, kg). Give me: the Chinese text ready to paste into email or WeChat, a back-translation into English, and a list of terms like MOQ or FOB with the Chinese you used. Save it as a Word file too.
What to change
- [PASTE THE TEXT OR ATTACH THE FILE]: An email, product spec, Word file or PDF.
- [SIMPLIFIED CHINESE (MAINLAND) OR TRADITIONAL CHINESE (TAIWAN OR HONG KONG)]: Simplified for Mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia; Traditional for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
- [WHO WILL READ IT]: E.g. "our packaging supplier in Shenzhen", "a distributor in Taipei" or "Chinese-speaking customers".
- [TONE]: E.g. "polite business", "friendly", "formal".
Example result
- Translation: email to Shenzhen Hongda Packaging
- English → Simplified Chinese · polite business tone
- English
- Hi Lily, we'd like to place a trial order of 2,000 gift boxes (model GB-20, 20x15x8 cm). Can you meet a lead time of 25 days? Please quote FOB Shenzhen and tell us your MOQ for the printed version. We're on a tight budget this quarter, so a sample first would help.
- Chinese (Simplified)
- Lily您好！我们想先下一个试订单：礼盒2,000个（型号GB-20，尺寸20x15x8厘米）。请问交期能否做到25天？请报FOB深圳价格，并告知印刷款的最小起订量（MOQ）。本季度我们预算有限，希望先寄样品确认。
- Back-translation
- Hello Lily! We would like to place a trial order first: 2,000 gift boxes (model GB-20, size 20x15x8 cm). Could the lead time be 25 days? Please quote the FOB Shenzhen price and tell us the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for the printed version. Our budget is limited this quarter, so we hope you can send a sample first to confirm.
- Terms used
- • trial order → 试订单
- • lead time → 交期
- • MOQ → 最小起订量
- • quote → 报价
- • sample → 样品
- • printed version → 印刷款
- Notes
- • "We're on a tight budget" became 预算有限 (budget is limited), which is clear and polite.
- • 您 is the respectful form of "you".
- • For Taiwan or Hong Kong the same email would use Traditional characters, for example 樣品, 報價 and 禮盒.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and choose Simplified (Mainland) or Traditional (Taiwan, Hong Kong).
- Paste your message or attach a file in todo.is, or send it to your agent on Telegram.
- Read the back-translation to confirm the meaning, then paste the Chinese into your email or WeChat.
- When the reply comes in Chinese, send it back to your agent for an English version and a draft answer.
Tips for a better result
- Write short sentences with one request each. Clear English gives clearer Chinese and fewer misunderstandings with suppliers.
- Always state units and currency: 2,000 pcs, 20 cartons, USD. Chinese counts large numbers in units of 10,000 (万), so double-check big figures.
- Mainland China uses Simplified characters; Taiwan and Hong Kong use Traditional, with some different vocabulary. Ask for the right one.
- Keep a back-translation of anything with prices or specs. It is your quick check that nothing changed.
translate English to Chinese: FAQ
- Should I use Simplified or Traditional Chinese? Use Simplified for Mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia. Use Traditional for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, where some vocabulary also differs.
- Is Mandarin the same as Chinese? Mandarin is the spoken standard. Written Chinese is mostly the same for Mandarin and Cantonese readers, though informal Hong Kong writing can include Cantonese words.
- Can I send the Chinese text on WeChat? Yes. Copy the Chinese from your agent's answer and paste it into WeChat or email. Your agent does not send WeChat messages itself.
- Can AI translate a Chinese contract accurately? It is useful to understand and draft, but contracts should be checked by a professional translator or a lawyer who reads Chinese.
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