Definition

1. Verb:
   • To sell wholesale: The act of selling goods in large quantities, typically to retailers or other businesses rather than directly to individual consumers. This is the primary and standard meaning.
   • (Dialectal) To sell retail: In some regional dialects, particularly in Southern Vietnam, "bán sỉ" can paradoxically mean to sell retail. This usage is considered non-standard in formal contexts and is a notable regional variation.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Standard meaning - wholesale):

  • Công ty này chỉ bán sỉ cho các đại lý. (This company only sells wholesale to distributors.)
  • Giá bán sỉ thấp hơn nhiều so với giá bán lẻ. (The wholesale price is much lower than the retail price.)

• Verb (Dialectal meaning - retail):

  • Ở miền Nam, một số người lớn tuổi vẫn dùng "bán sỉ" để chỉ bán lẻ. (In the South, some older people still use "bán sỉ" to mean retail selling.)
  • Cửa hàng đó bán sỉ hay bán buôn vậy? (Context-dependent: In the North, this asks "Does that store sell retail or wholesale?" In the South, it could be confusing as it might ask "Does that store sell retail or wholesale?" using "bán sỉ" for retail.)

Advanced Usage

• "Bán theo hình thức sỉ": To sell under a wholesale model/form.

  • Sản phẩm này chúng tôi chỉ bán theo hình thức sỉ. (We only sell this product under a wholesale model.)

• "Giá sỉ": Wholesale price.

  • Bạn có thể cho tôi xem bảng giá sỉ được không? (Can you show me the wholesale price list?)

Variants and Related Words

• Bán buôn (Verb): To sell wholesale. This is the more formal and universally understood synonym for the standard meaning of "bán sỉ".

  • Họ kinh doanh mặt hàng điện tử theo hình thức bán buôn. (They deal in electronic goods on a wholesale basis.)

• Bán lẻ (Verb): To sell retail. This is the direct antonym of the standard meaning of "bán sỉ" and the synonym of its dialectal meaning.

  • Cửa hàng tiện lợi chủ yếu bán lẻ. (Convenience stores mainly sell retail.)

• Sỉ (Noun/Adjective): Wholesale. Can be used as a noun ("the wholesale trade") or adjective ("wholesale price").

  • Anh ấy làm nghề sỉ. (He works in the wholesale trade.)

Synonyms

• Phân phối số lượng lớn: To distribute in large quantities. (More formal/business term)

Notes on Usage

• Regional Awareness: It is crucial to be aware of the speaker's region. In Northern and Central Vietnam, "bán sỉ" exclusively means "to sell wholesale". In Southern Vietnam, the dialectal use meaning "to sell retail" exists, especially in casual speech among older generations. In formal writing and national business contexts, the standard meaning (wholesale) is always used.
• Clarity: To avoid confusion, especially in writing or with interlocutors from different regions, it is often better to use the unambiguous terms "bán buôn" (wholesale) and "bán lẻ" (retail).

1. như bán buôn
2. (địa phương) như bán lẻ