Taobao (淘宝) in English
Complete Chinese-to-English interface translation guide. Know what every button does before you tap it.
📖 Quick Reference: Taobao Button Dictionary
The 30+ most important buttons, grouped by where you'll find them.
📍 Bottom Tab Bar (Always Visible)
| 中文 (Chinese) | English | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| 首页 | Home | Main feed — scroll for recommendations |
| 消息 | Messages | Chats with sellers, order updates |
| 购物车 | Cart | Items saved — ⚠️ not reserved, prices change! |
| 我的淘宝 | My Taobao | Orders, refunds, profile, settings |
🔍 Search Area
| 中文 (Chinese) | English | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| 搜索 | Search | Type keywords (use English — Taobao shows results) |
| 扫一扫 | Scan | QR code scanner — also used for login on PC |
| 拍照 / 拍立淘 | Photo Search | Take a photo to find similar products — VERY useful! |
📄 Product Page
| 中文 (Chinese) | English | ⚠️ Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 立即购买 | Buy Now | ⚠️ Charges immediately. Only tap if ready! |
| 加入购物车 | Add to Cart | Safe — just saves the item |
| 收藏 | Favorite / Wishlist | Bookmark for later |
| 分享 | Share | Share link to WeChat, WhatsApp, etc. |
| 客服 | Customer Service | Chat with seller — type English, they use translation |
| 店铺 | Store / Shop | View all products from this seller |
| 销量 | Sales Volume | Shows how many units sold (higher = more reliable) |
| 评价 | Reviews | Customer ratings and photo reviews |
| 商品参数 | Product Specs | Detailed dimensions, materials, etc. |
🎨 Specs & Options ⚠️ MUST READ
| 中文 (Chinese) | English | ⚠️ Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 规格 | Specifications | ⚠️ You MUST select before buying — e.g. size, flavor |
| 颜色分类 | Color / Variant | Choose color or version |
| 尺码 | Size | ⚠️ Clothing: Chinese sizes run SMALL. Check size chart! |
| 数量 | Quantity | How many you want to buy |
| 库存 | Stock | Shows how many left — "现货" = In Stock |
💳 Checkout / Payment Page
| 中文 (Chinese) | English | ⚠️ Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 结算 | Checkout | Go to payment |
| 提交订单 | Submit Order | ⚠️ This charges your card. Confirm carefully! |
| 合计 | Total | Final amount in ¥ (CNY) |
| 运费 | Shipping Fee | Delivery cost — often free above ¥XX |
| 优惠券 | Coupon / Voucher | Discount codes — check before paying! |
| 满减 | Spend X, Save Y | Automatic discount if you spend enough |
| 确认支付 | Confirm Payment | ⚠️ Final confirmation — money goes out! |
| 支付方式 | Payment Method | Choose Alipay, WeChat Pay, card, etc. |
📦 Orders & After-Sales
| 中文 (Chinese) | English | ⚠️ Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 我的订单 | My Orders | View all your purchases |
| 待付款 | Awaiting Payment | Orders not yet paid — they auto-cancel in 24h |
| 待发货 | Awaiting Shipment | Seller hasn't sent yet |
| 待收货 | Awaiting Delivery | Item is on its way to you |
| 待评价 | Awaiting Review | Rate the product after receiving |
| 查看物流 | Track Shipping | See where your package is |
| 确认收货 | Confirm Receipt | 🚨🚨 DANGER: This releases payment to seller! Only tap if you have the item and it's OK! |
| 申请退款 | Request Refund | Start a refund process |
| 退货退款 | Return & Refund | Return item for refund |
| 仅退款 | Refund Only (No Return) | Keep item, get money back (for defective items) |
| 延长收货 | Extend Receipt Time | Give yourself more time before auto-confirm |
📱 Screen-by-Screen Walkthrough (with wireframe visuals)
🏠 Screen 1: Home Page (首页)
When you open Taobao, this is what you see:
- Top bar — 淘宝 logo + 搜索 (search bar). Tap and type what you want (English works!)
- Category row — 服饰(Clothing), 手机(Phones), 美妆(Beauty), etc.
- Large banner — Promotions and sales (scroll left/right)
- Product feed — Endless scroll of recommended items. Taobao learns your taste over time.
- Bottom tab bar — 首页(Home, highlighted red) / 消息 / 购物车 / 我的淘宝
🔍 Screen 2: Search Results
After you search, you'll see a list of products:
- Search bar at top — Shows your search term. Tap ✕ to clear.
- Sort bar — 综合(Default) / 销量(Sales) / 价格(Price) / 筛选(Filter)
- Product cards — Each shows thumbnail, title, price in red, sales count
- 店铺类型 — ⭐ Look for 天猫(Tmall) icon = official brand store
📄 Screen 3: Product Detail Page
The most important screen — where you decide to buy:
- Top nav — 商品(Product) / 详情(Details) / 评价(Reviews). Swipe between tabs.
- Product image — Swipe left/right to see more photos. Pinch to zoom.
- Price area — ¥128 with original price ¥199 crossed out. Shows sales volume.
- Specs selection — 颜色(Color/Size) — MUST select before buying!
- Action buttons — ⚠️ 加入购物车(Add to Cart, safe) vs 立即购买(Buy Now, charges immediately!)
🛒 Screen 4: Cart (购物车)
Your saved items — but prices are not locked!
- Checkbox (✓) — Select which items to buy. Tap the orange box.
- 编辑 (Edit) — Top right. Tap to delete items or change quantities.
- Total area — Shows 合计(total). Only selected items are counted.
- 结算 (Checkout) — Orange button. Proceed to payment for selected items.
💳 Screen 5: Checkout (结算页)
This is where the money happens. Double-check everything!
- Shipping address (收货地址) — Blue box. Confirm this is correct! Must be in Chinese.
- Order summary — Item list with quantities and individual prices.
- Totals — 商品金额(Subtotal) + 运费(Shipping) = 合计(Total)
- 备注 (Notes) — Optional: "Leave at reception" etc.
- 提交订单 (Submit Order) — ⚠️ FINAL — this charges your payment method!
📦 Screen 6: Order Tracking (订单追踪)
Go to 我的淘宝 → 我的订单 (My Orders) to find your purchases:
- Status tabs — 待付款(Awaiting Payment) / 待发货(To Ship) / 待收货(To Receive) / 评价(Review)
- 查看物流 (Track Shipping) — See real-time tracking with the courier company
- 提醒发货 (Remind to Ship) — Nudge the seller if they haven't sent your item
- 延长收货 (Extend Receipt) — ⭐ Gives you 3-5 more days before auto-confirm
🚨 Danger Zone: Don't Tap These Carelessly!
确认收货 (Confirm Receipt)
This RELEASES PAYMENT to the seller permanently. Once you tap this, getting a refund becomes much harder. NEVER tap this until you have physically received the item AND inspected it.
Taobao auto-confirms after ~10-15 days anyway, so there's no need to manually do it.
立即购买 (Buy Now)
This takes you directly to checkout — it SKIPS the cart. If you're not 100% ready to pay, tap 加入购物车 (Add to Cart) instead.
默认地址 (Default Address)
Taobao remembers your last address. Check the shipping address EVERY TIME before submitting — it might default to a previous address!
直播间 (Live Stream) Buttons
Live stream sellers bounce around rapidly. The 下单链接 (Buy Link) in a live room often has a countdown timer that creates urgency. Don't panic-buy — the same item is usually available on the store page at the same or lower price.
💡 Pro Tips for Taobao
🔍 Use Photo Search
Tap the camera icon in the search bar to take a photo or upload an image. Taobao will find visually similar products. ⭐ Most useful feature for foreigners!
🏷️ Sort by Sales Volume
Always sort search results by 销量(Sales). High sales = reliable seller. Avoid items with 0 sales unless you know what you're doing.
📏 Check Sizes Carefully
Chinese sizing runs SMALL. For clothes, check the 尺码表(Size Chart) and measure yourself. Don't rely on "L" or "XL" labels alone.
🛡️ Look for 天猫 (Tmall)
Items sold on 天猫 (Tmall) are from official/authorized stores. More reliable than regular 淘宝 (Taobao) stores. Look for the Tmall logo in search results.
💬 Chat in English
Tap 客服(Customer Service) and type in English. Sellers use translation apps. Be polite and patient — they want your business.
⏰ Extend Receipt Time
If your package is delayed, tap 延长收货(Extend Receipt) in order details. This gives you extra days before Taobao auto-confirms and releases payment.
🎫 Check for Coupons
Before checkout, tap 优惠券(Coupon) to see if the store has discounts. Many stores give welcome coupons for first-time buyers.
🔄 How to Request a Refund
Go to 我的订单 → Select the item → Tap 申请退款/仅退款. If the item is defective, select 仅退款(Refund Only) — you keep the item, get money back.
🔗 Related Guides & Tools
⚠️ Important Notes
Taobao's interface changes frequently. This guide covers the most common and stable elements (as of mid-2026). Specific button positions may vary slightly by app version, but the Chinese characters remain the same.
International users: Taobao now accepts international Visa/Mastercard for some accounts. If your card doesn't work, use Alipay or WeChat Pay as intermediate payment methods.
Last updated: June 1, 2026