Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To buy in bulk / to purchase wholesale: The primary meaning of "mua sỉ" is to buy goods in large quantities, typically from a distributor or manufacturer, for the purpose of resale or commercial use. This contrasts with retail purchasing ("mua lẻ").
   • To buy retail (regional/dialectal): In some regional dialects of Vietnamese, particularly in the northern regions, "mua sỉ" can paradoxically mean the opposite: to buy in small quantities for personal use, synonymous with "mua lẻ". This usage is noted as dialectal.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase (primary meaning: wholesale):

  • Cửa hàng của tôi thường mua sỉ hoa quả từ nông trại. (My shop usually buys fruit in bulk from the farm.)
  • Giá mua sỉ bao giờ cũng rẻ hơn giá lẻ. (The wholesale price is always cheaper than the retail price.)

• Verb phrase (dialectal meaning: retail):

  • Ở đây, người ta hay nói "mua sỉ" khi mua một hai cái bánh. (Here, people often say "mua sỉ" when buying one or two cakes.) [Note: This illustrates the dialectal usage.]

Advanced Usage

• The meaning of "mua sỉ" is highly context and region-dependent. In standard commercial contexts nationwide, it unambiguously means wholesale. Clarifying the intended meaning is often necessary in communication.
• "Giá sỉ": wholesale price.
  • Bạn có thể cho tôi biết giá sỉ không? (Can you tell me the wholesale price?)

Variants and Related Words

• Mua buôn (verb phrase): to buy wholesale. This is a direct synonym for the primary meaning of "mua sỉ".

  • Họ mua buôn vải về may quần áo. (They buy fabric wholesale to make clothes.)

• Mua lẻ (verb phrase): to buy retail, to buy in single units.

  • Khách hàng thường mua lẻ tại siêu thị. (Customers usually buy retail at the supermarket.)

Synonyms

• Purchase wholesale: the standard commercial term.
• Buy in bulk: emphasizes the large quantity.
• Stock up: implies buying a large supply for future use.

Related Terms and Phrases

• Bán sỉ (verb phrase): to sell wholesale.

  • Công ty này chỉ bán sỉ, không bán lẻ. (This company only sells wholesale, not retail.)

• Nhà bán sỉ / Đại lý phân phối (noun): wholesaler / distributor.

  • Chúng tôi là nhà bán sỉ cà phê. (We are a coffee wholesaler.)

1. như mua buôn