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B2 verb 3 min read

置办

zhìbàn

置办 (zhìbàn) means to purchase or procure things, often with the implication of preparing for something specific.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

置办 in 30 Seconds

buy things
procure items
make purchases

§ Understanding 置办 (zhìbàn)

Alright, let's talk about 置办 (zhìbàn). This word means 'to purchase' or 'to procure'. Think of it as buying or acquiring something, often with a bit of effort or for a specific purpose. It's a B2 level word, so it's good to get familiar with it.

DEFINITION: To purchase; to procure. To buy or acquire something.

§ Basic Sentence Structure

The basic structure for using 置办 (zhìbàn) is pretty straightforward: Subject + 置办 (zhìbàn) + Object. Let's look at a few examples.

他们打算置办一套新家具。

Here, 他们 (tāmen) is the subject, 置办 (zhìbàn) is the verb, and 一套新家具 (yī tào xīn jiājù) is the object. Simple, right? (They plan to purchase a new set of furniture.)

我需要置办一些年货。

This means: I need to buy some New Year's goods. Again, subject, verb, object.

§ Using with Time and Purpose

You can also specify when or why you are procuring something. The structure remains similar, just add your time phrase or purpose phrase before or after the verb.

为了结婚，他们置办了很多东西。

Here, 为了结婚 (wèile jiéhūn) means 'for the wedding', indicating the purpose. (For the wedding, they purchased many things.)

今年，他想置办一套新房。

今年 (jīnnián) sets the time frame to 'this year'. (This year, he wants to purchase a new house.)

§ Emphasizing the Effort

置办 (zhìbàn) often implies a significant purchase or the effort involved in getting something. You might see it used for larger items or collections of items.

商店正在置办各种节日商品。

This suggests the store is actively preparing and acquiring a variety of festive goods. (The store is procuring various holiday goods.)

§ Common Objects of 置办 (zhìbàn)

What kind of things do people usually 置办 (zhìbàn)? Here are some common categories:

新房 (xīnfáng): a new house
家具 (jiājù): furniture
年货 (niánhuò): New Year's goods
嫁妆 (jiàzhuang): a dowry
设备 (shèbèi): equipment

他们正在为新公司置办办公设备。

This sentence clearly shows a more substantial acquisition of items (office equipment) for a new company. (They are procuring office equipment for the new company.)

§ Putting it all together

When you use 置办 (zhìbàn), remember it's about buying or getting things, often with a sense of purpose or for a bigger occasion. Practice using it with different objects and in various contexts to make it stick.

为了迎接春节，家家户户都在忙着置办年货。

This example shows a common use of 置办 (zhìbàn) in the context of preparing for a major festival. (To welcome the Spring Festival, every household is busy procuring New Year's goods.)

Pronunciation Guide

UK /dʒiˈbæn/

US /dʒiˈbæn/

zhìbàn (first syllable of each character stressed)

Rhymes With

办 (bàn) rhymes with 饭 (fàn) and 慢 (màn)

Common Errors

Confusing 'zhì' with 'zì' (like in 自己 zìjǐ)
Incorrect tone for 'bàn' (it's a fourth tone, not a first or second)

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Two common characters, but '置' might be less frequent for beginners.

Writing 2/5

Two common characters, but '置' can be slightly complex to write accurately.

Speaking 1/5

Straightforward pronunciation.

Listening 1/5

Clear pronunciation.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

买 (mǎi) - to buy 购买 (gòumǎi) - to purchase (more formal than 买) 准备 (zhǔnbèi) - to prepare

Learn Next

采购 (cǎigòu) - to purchase, to procure (often for business/large quantities) 购置 (gòuzhì) - to purchase (often for property or large items) 添置 (tiānzhì) - to add new items to one's possessions

Advanced

置产 (zhìchǎn) - to purchase property 置业 (zhìyè) - to purchase property; to set up a business

Grammar to Know

置办 (zhìbàn) implies a degree of effort or formality in the purchasing process, often for significant or multiple items. It's not typically used for simple, everyday purchases.

他们正忙着置办新房的家具和电器。 (Tāmen zhèng mángzhe zhìbàn xīnfáng de jiājù hé diànqì.) They are busy procuring furniture and appliances for their new house.

It can be used for acquiring property, equipment, or even services that require a deliberate process.

公司最近置办了一批先进的生产设备。 (Gōngsī zuìjìn zhìbàn le yī pī xiānjìn de shēngchǎn shèbèi.) The company recently purchased a batch of advanced production equipment.

While similar to 买 (mǎi - to buy), 置办 suggests a more extensive or planned acquisition rather than a simple transaction.

为了这次旅行，她置办了许多新衣服。 (Wèile zhè cì lǚxíng, tā zhìbàn le xǔduō xīn yīfu.) For this trip, she bought (procured) a lot of new clothes.

It can be used reflexively, meaning to purchase something for oneself, or for someone else.

他每年都会置办一些年货。 (Tā měi nián dōu huì zhìbàn yīxiē niánhuò.) He buys some New Year's goods every year (for himself/his family).

The object of 置办 is usually a noun phrase referring to the items being purchased or acquired.

节日期间，超市里挤满了置办年货的人。 (Jiérì qíjiān, chāoshì lǐ jǐmǎnle zhìbàn niánhuò de rén.) During the festival, the supermarket was crowded with people buying New Year's goods.

Examples by Level

她最近置办了一套新公寓，准备搬家。

She recently bought a new apartment and is preparing to move.

Here, '置办' is followed by a direct object '一套新公寓' (a new apartment).

为了迎接新年，家里置办了许多年货。

To welcome the New Year, the family purchased a lot of New Year's goods.

'置办' is used here to describe the act of acquiring various items.

公司计划置办一批新设备，以提高生产效率。

The company plans to procure a batch of new equipment to improve production efficiency.

This sentence shows '置办' in a more formal business context, indicating procurement.

他辛辛苦苦攒钱，终于置办了一辆属于自己的汽车。

He worked hard to save money and finally bought a car of his own.

'置办' emphasizes the effort involved in acquiring something significant.

老王退休后，置办了一个小农场，过上了田园生活。

After Lao Wang retired, he acquired a small farm and started a rural life.

Here, '置办' refers to acquiring property or a business.

为了孩子的教育，他们置办了许多书籍和学习用品。

For their children's education, they purchased many books and study supplies.

This example shows '置办' used for acquiring multiple items related to a specific purpose.

这栋房子已经年久失修，需要重新置办家具和电器。

This house has been in disrepair for a long time and needs new furniture and appliances.

'重新置办' implies replacing old items with new ones.

政府每年都会置办大量的物资，用于救灾和扶贫。

The government procures a large amount of supplies annually for disaster relief and poverty alleviation.

This example demonstrates '置办' in the context of large-scale, official procurement.

How to Use It

Use 置办 when referring to significant purchases, like property, large assets, or preparing for a major event like a wedding or starting a business. It implies a more deliberate and substantial act of acquiring than a simple everyday purchase. It’s not for buying groceries or a coffee. You’ll often see it used in contexts like 置办年货 (to buy New Year's goods) or 置办家具 (to buy furniture).

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using 置办 for everyday, small-scale shopping. For instance, you wouldn't say 我去置办一些水果 (I went to purchase some fruit). For daily shopping, use verbs like 买 (mǎi) or 购买 (gòumǎi). Another mistake is using it as a direct synonym for 'to prepare' in a general sense. While it implies preparation through procurement, it doesn't replace general verbs for preparation like 准备 (zhǔnbèi). It specifically means to acquire things.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine you are '**zhi**ng' (正, meaning 'in the middle of') '**ban**' (办, meaning 'doing' or 'handling') the process of buying something big. So, '置办' is 'getting things handled' by buying them.

Visual Association

Picture a bustling market or a large department store. You see people actively '置办' (zhìbàn) items: a family '置办' (zhìbàn) new clothes for a festival, someone '置办' (zhìbàn) groceries for a big dinner, or a company '置办' (zhìbàn) new computers. The image should convey purposeful, active buying or acquiring.

Word Web

购买 (gòumǎi) - to buy (general) 采购 (cǎigòu) - to purchase (often for an organization/business) 添置 (tiānzhì) - to add new items to one's possessions 准备 (zhǔnbèi) - to prepare (often implies acquiring things needed for preparation) 购置 (gòuzhì) - to purchase (formal, often for large items like property)

Challenge

Think about a recent time you or someone you know '置办' (zhìbàn) something. Was it furniture, clothes, groceries, or something for work? Try to form a sentence in Chinese using '置办' to describe that situation. For example, '我上周为我的生日派对置办了饮料和零食。' (Last week, I purchased drinks and snacks for my birthday party.)

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Buying furniture for a new house.

为新家置办家具。
我需要置办一些家具。
你打算置办什么新家具？

Procuring equipment for an office.

公司置办新设备。
我们正在置办办公用品。
置办这些设备需要多少钱？

Purchasing gifts for the holidays.

为家人置办礼物。
她正在置办圣诞礼物。
你置办好礼物了吗？

Acquiring supplies for a special event.

置办活动所需物品。
我们需要置办更多的食材。
置办这些东西花了不少时间。

Buying clothes for a new season.

置办新衣服。
我要去置办一些冬装。
你置办的衣服真好看。

Conversation Starters

"你最近置办了什么新东西吗？"

"为搬新家，你准备置办些什么？"

"公司最近有没有置办什么新设备？"

"节日快到了，你打算置办什么礼物？"

"如果你有钱，你会置办什么？"

Journal Prompts

写下你最近置办的一件物品，并描述你为什么购买它。

想象一下你正在为一场大型派对置办所有必需品，列出你会买什么。

你认为在置办重要物品时，最重要的是什么？价格、质量还是品牌？

回忆一次你为某人置办礼物或必需品的经历，并写下你的感受。

如果你有一个梦想中的家，你会置办哪些家具和装饰品？