Working in finance means dealing with clients and stakeholders from all over the world, especially in a global hub like Singapore. If you regularly work with Chinese clients, learning business Chinese for finance can be a real game changer. Beyond communication, speaking Mandarin helps finance professionals build trust, understand clients’ needs more accurately, and open more doors for collaborations. In this article, you’ll learn why Mandarin is important in the finance industry, how it helps you in daily work, and the essential Chinese terms finance professionals should know.

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Many professionals working in the finance industry have taken note on how learning business Chinese can be a huge game changer. This belief stems from the fact that many finance professionals reach success through engaging communication in business Mandarin, especially when the other party comes from China. Although the fluency in speaking Mandarin is not the sole driving factor, mastering this can provide numerous benefits as Mandarin is prominent for the following reasons. 

Singapore’s Prospective Clients

Singapore is widely known for its constantly growing market. Many countries have sought financial services in Singapore due to its reputation, including China. Aside from locals, China is acknowledged as a major player in driving Singapore’s financial industry. Whether as an individual or a company, providing excellent services to these people is highly crucial to ensure long-term collaboration. Therefore, many financial companies have started training their employees to use business Chinese while speaking to Chinese clients.  

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Earn Competitive Advantage

As previously mentioned, Singapore has a significantly growing market, one of them being the financial services provided by the country. This opportunity is often utilized by people to start their own businesses in the finance industry, opening more doors for competitors to slip in. With this constantly growing competitiveness, it is important for companies to upgrade themselves. One of these improvements can be achieved by mastering Chinese in finance. This ability is not only important to ensure better communication with clients, but also serves as a competitive advantage to distinguish yourself from similar competitors. 

Opportunities for Global Connection

Aside from English that has long been used as an international language, Chinese has also gained its popularity as one of the most spoken languages. Given this information, the ability to master Mandarin for working purposes has grown more essential. This skill can help companies expand their connections with other countries, providing them with more options to collaborate in the future. This collaboration can help companies grow more reputable globally and attract more foreign investments. 

As discussed before, language holds a significant role in ensuring smooth communication. The same goes to the business environment, where effective communication will be the best key in unlocking trust and future business opportunities. In Singapore, China becomes one of the most common clients aside from locals. Therefore, learning Chinese may be necessary to help gain trust with these clients. Here are some benefits of learning Chinese finance language that you may encounter as someone working in the financial industry. 

Reach Better Understanding

To establish trust between one another, you need to first reach an understanding with your Chinese clients. This aspect can usually be achieved through active communication with your clients. In this context, the ability to converse in business Chinese can help you bridge any existing language barriers.Understanding business Chinese, especially financial terms, can be highly beneficial since technical terms can often be mistranslated while communicating. 

Build Personal Connection

As a professional working in the finance industry, it is important to not only provide services to Chinese clients, but also try to build a personal connection with them. Building a personal connection can help Chinese clients communicate their needs better and widen the opportunities of long-term partnership. To build this relationship, the ability to understand and speak fluently in business Chinese is essential. Many Chinese clients will be more delighted if they can communicate directly with Mandarin speakers as negotiations are often done better while using the same language. 

Leave Better Impressions

Another reason why learning business Chinese can help you as a finance professional is because this ability can leave a great impression on your upbringing. Chinese clients may interact with many professionals as part of their businesses, so leaving a lasting impression can help clients remember you better if they need any similar services in the future.  

There are many technical terms that are available to learn when you’re trying to understand business Chinese. However, an important thing to note is that the terms that you learn needs to be adjusted depending on your job responsibilities. For example, finance professionals that work daily with reading and writing reports will need an excellent understanding of Chinese characters. On the other hand, those who interact frequently with clients might need speaking skills more. In this article, we will discuss a few business Chinese terms that can help you communicate fluently as a finance professional. 

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Negotiating Terms in Chinese 

Finance professionals usually offer services and assistance to their clients which involve active communications to understand their needs. In this situation, the ability to speak Chinese fluently will help you convince Chinese clients to form an agreement with your company. Here are several negotiation terms that are commonly used among finance professionals. 

• 我们正在评估项目的可行性

wǒmen zhèngzài pínggū xiàngmù de kěxíngxìng
We are evaluating the feasibility of this project. 

• 我们可以稍微调整一下交货时间

wǒmen kěyǐ shāowēi tiáozhěng yíxià jiāohuò shíjiān
We can adjust the delivery time slightly. 

• 这个问题我们需要再商量一下

zhège wèntí wǒmen xūyào zài shāngliang yíxià
We need to further discuss this issue. 

• 我们可以安排一次线上会议讨论细节

wǒmen kěyǐ ānpái yí cì xiànshàng huìyì tǎolùn xìjié
We can arrange an online meeting to discuss the details. 

• 在开始之前，我想先了解一下贵方的需求

zài kāishǐ zhīqián, wǒ xiǎng xiān liǎojiě yīxià guìfāng de xūqiú
Before we start, I would like to understand your needs. 

Corporate Finance Terms in Chinese

Finance professionals are not only responsible to serve individual clients. Many people, especially Chinese clients, are actually representing a bigger company that needs an optimal financial service. Therefore, it is important for a finance professional to not only understand personal finance terms, but also corporate finance terms to assist them in serving Chinese companies. 

• 季度净利润比去年同期增长了 20%

jìdù jìng lìrùn bǐ qùnián tóngqī zēngzhǎngle èrshí fēnzhī
Quarterly net profit has increased by 20% compared to last year

• 年度审计将在下个月开始

niándù shěnjì jiāng zài xià gè yuè kāishǐ
The annual audit will begin next month.

• 资产负债表显示公司的财务状况稳定

zīchǎn fùzhài biǎo xiǎnshì gōngsī de cáiwù zhuàngkuàng wěndìng
The balance sheets show stable financial health.

Investment and Banking Terms in Chinese

Another important Chinese finance term that a working professional should master is  related to investment and banking. This ability is extremely important especially for bigger companies that invest in many places. Here are a few commonly used investment and banking terms that can help you provide better services to your Chinese clients. 

• 这个项目的投资回报率非常理想

zhège xiàngmù de tóuzī huíbào lǜ fēicháng lǐxiǎng
This project’s return on investment (ROI) is very favorable.

• 今年的投资收益超过去年的两倍

jīnnián de tóuzī shōuyì chāoguò qùnián de liǎng bèi
This year’s investment earnings are twice from last year’s.

• 公司今年将增加股东分红

gōngsī jīnnián jiāng zēngjiā gǔdōng fēnhóng
The company will increase dividends for shareholders this year. 

• 投资者对公司的股票表示强烈兴趣

tóuzīzhě duì gōngsī de gǔpiào biǎoshì qiángliè xìngqù
Investors showed strong interest in the company’s stock. 

• 公司计划发行新债券来筹集资金

gōngsī jìhuà fāxíng xīn zhàiquàn lái chóují zījīn
The company plans to issue new bonds to raise funds.