bàoxiāo: 报销 - Reimburse, Submit an Expense Report, Write-off

• Keywords: baoxiao, 报销, reimburse Chinese, expense report in Chinese, Chinese business expenses, fapiao, how to get reimbursed in China, write-off meaning Chinese, bàoxiāo
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 报销 (bàoxiāo), meaning to get reimbursed for expenses, typically in a business context. This guide covers its core meaning of “to reimburse” or “submit an expense report,” its cultural significance tied to the Chinese receipt system (fāpiào), and its slang usage for something being “written off” or “done for.” Master this term to navigate daily office life and business travel in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bàoxiāo
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To apply for and receive reimbursement for money spent on official or business-related matters.
• In a Nutshell: 报销 (bàoxiāo) is the act of turning your work-related expenses back into cash. It's more than just “getting money back”; it's a formal process. Imagine taking a client to dinner, paying for a taxi on a business trip, or buying office supplies. The entire procedure of collecting the official receipts (`发票 fāpiào`), filling out a form, getting your manager's signature, and submitting it to the finance department is encompassed by the single, powerful verb: 报销.

• 报 (bào): To report, to announce, to declare. Think of it as formally declaring an expense. You see it in words like 报告 (bàogào), “to report,” and 报名 (bàomíng), “to sign up/register.”
• 销 (xiāo): To cancel, to write off, to eliminate. This character implies making something disappear. You see it in 取消 (qǔxiāo), “to cancel.”
• The characters combine to mean “to report and cancel.” You report an expense you paid with your own money so the company can pay you back, effectively “canceling out” your personal expenditure from the company's books.

In Western business culture, reimbursing expenses is common, but the process can be relatively flexible—a credit card statement or a simple store receipt often suffices. In China, 报销 is a much more rigid and significant part of business life, primarily due to one thing: the 发票 (fāpiào). A `fāpiào` is not just a receipt; it's an official, government-printed, and tracked invoice used for tax purposes. To 报销 any expense, you almost always need a proper `fāpiào`. This has profound cultural implications:

• The Fāpiào Hunt: After any business meal or taxi ride, the first question is always “可以开发票吗？” (Kěyǐ kāi fāpiào ma? - “Can you issue an official receipt?”). Forgetting to get the `fāpiào` means you likely can't get your money back.
• A Tool for Control: The `fāpiào` system is a way for the government to track transactions and prevent tax evasion. For companies, it's a way to enforce spending policies.
• Blurring the Lines: The system can sometimes be used flexibly. It's not uncommon for employees to use their `报销` quota (`报销额度 bàoxiāo édù`) to cover expenses that are not strictly for business, as long as they can provide a valid `fāpiào` for the total amount. This might involve collecting `fāpiào` from friends or personal dinners to meet a reimbursement target, a culturally specific practice that reflects a different understanding of company perks.

Compared to simply “expensing” something in the West, 报销 in China is a more bureaucratic, rule-bound, and universally understood ritual of professional life.

This is the most common context. The word 报销 is used daily in Chinese workplaces. It can refer to the entire process or a single step.

• Action: “I need to go get my expenses reimbursed.” (我要去报销 - Wǒ yào qù bàoxiāo.)
• Object: “Can this taxi fare be reimbursed?” (这个出租车费可以报销吗？- Zhège chūzūchē fèi kěyǐ bàoxiāo ma?)
• Status: “Have your expenses for the Shanghai trip been reimbursed yet?” (去上海出差的费用报销了吗？ - Qù Shànghǎi chūchāi de fèiyòng bàoxiāo le ma?)

The meaning of “write-off” extends to objects and even people in informal, colloquial speech. It means something is broken beyond repair, completely finished, or a total loss.

• For Objects: “I dropped my phone in the water, it's a complete write-off.” (我手机掉水里了，彻底报销了。- Wǒ shǒujī diào shuǐ lǐ le, chèdǐ bàoxiāo le.)
• For People/Situations: In a video game, if your character is killed, you might shout, “报销了!” (Bàoxiāo le! - “I'm done for! / I'm toast!”). It can also be used grimly or jokingly to mean someone has died.

• Example 1:
  • 你出差的机票和酒店费用都可以报销。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ chūchāi de jīpiào hé jiǔdiàn fèiyòng dōu kěyǐ bàoxiāo.
  • English: Your flight tickets and hotel costs from the business trip can all be reimbursed.
  • Analysis: A straightforward example in a business context, explaining which items are eligible for reimbursement.
• Example 2:
  • 别忘了跟司机要发票，不然没法报销。
  • Pinyin: Bié wàngle gēn sījī yào fāpiào, bùrán méi fǎ bàoxiāo.
  • English: Don't forget to ask the driver for the official receipt, otherwise you can't get it reimbursed.
  • Analysis: This highlights the critical link between `发票` (fāpiào) and `报销`. “没法” (méi fǎ) means “no way” or “can't.”
• Example 3:
  • 我要把这个月的餐费和交通费都报销一下。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yào bǎ zhège yuè de cānfèi hé jiāotōngfèi dōu bàoxiāo yíxià.
  • English: I need to submit my meal and transportation expenses for this month for reimbursement.
  • Analysis: Uses the `把 (bǎ)` structure to emphasize what is being acted upon (the expenses). `一下 (yíxià)` softens the tone, making it sound like a routine action.
• Example 4:
  • 请填写这张报销单，然后让你的经理签字。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng tiánxiě zhè zhāng bàoxiāodān, ránhòu ràng nǐ de jīnglǐ qiānzì.
  • English: Please fill out this reimbursement form, and then have your manager sign it.
  • Analysis: This sentence introduces the related noun `报销单 (bàoxiāodān)`, the reimbursement form, showing a key step in the process.
• Example 5:
  • 我的电脑摔坏了，我看是彻底报销了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo shuāi huài le, wǒ kàn shì chèdǐ bàoxiāo le.
  • English: My computer fell and broke, I think it's a total write-off.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the slang usage. `彻底 (chèdǐ)` means “completely” or “thoroughly,” emphasizing that the computer is beyond repair.
• Example 6:
  • 这个季度的报销额度你用了多少了？
  • Pinyin: Zhège jìdù de bàoxiāo édù nǐ yòngle duōshǎo le?
  • English: How much of your reimbursement quota for this quarter have you used?
  • Analysis: Introduces the concept of `额度 (édù)` or “quota/limit,” a common constraint in corporate reimbursement policies.
• Example 7:
  • 公司的规定是，超过两百块的招待费才能报销。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī de guīdìng shì, chāoguò liǎng bǎi kuài de zhāodàifèi cái néng bàoxiāo.
  • English: The company rule is that entertainment expenses over 200 yuan can be reimbursed.
  • Analysis: Shows a conditional use. `才 (cái)` emphasizes that the condition (over 200 yuan) must be met for the action (reimbursement) to be possible.
• Example 8:
  • 哎呀，我的游戏角色又报销了！
  • Pinyin: Āiyā, wǒ de yóuxì juésè yòu bàoxiāo le!
  • English: Oh no, my game character got killed again!
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the informal, slang usage in the context of gaming. It's equivalent to saying “I'm dead!” or “I'm toast!”
• Example 9:
  • 你把所有发票整理好，一起交给财务去报销。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bǎ suǒyǒu fāpiào zhěnglǐ hǎo, yìqǐ jiāogěi cáiwù qù bàoxiāo.
  • English: Organize all your receipts and submit them together to the finance department for reimbursement.
  • Analysis: This sentence outlines the final step of the process: submitting everything to `财务 (cáiwù)`, the finance department.
• Example 10:
  • 个人购物的费用是不能报销的。
  • Pinyin: Gèrén gòuwù de fèiyòng shì bùnéng bàoxiāo de.
  • English: Expenses for personal shopping cannot be reimbursed.
  • Analysis: A clear negative example that clarifies the boundaries of what is and isn't a valid business expense.

• `报销 (bàoxiāo)` vs. `退款 (tuìkuǎn)` - The Biggest Mistake: This is the most common pitfall for learners.
  • 报销 (bàoxiāo): Reimbursement from an organization (your employer) for money you spent on their behalf. The money does not come from the original seller.
  • 退款 (tuìkuǎn): A refund from a seller for a returned item or canceled service.
  • Incorrect: 我买的这件衣服太大了，我要去商店报销。(Wǒ mǎi de zhè jiàn yīfu tài dà le, wǒ yào qù shāngdiàn bàoxiāo.) → “This shirt I bought is too big, I want to go to the store to get it reimbursed.”
  • Correct: 我买的这件衣服太大了，我要去商店退款。(Wǒ mǎi de zhè jiàn yīfu tài dà le, wǒ yào qù shāngdiàn tuìkuǎn.) → “This shirt I bought is too big, I want to go to the store to get a refund.”
• Forgetting the `发票 (fāpiào)`: Remember, in China, no `fāpiào`, no `bàoxiāo`. A simple credit card slip or hand-written note is almost never enough for official reimbursement. You must ask for the official, government-approved invoice.

• 发票 (fāpiào) - The official receipt/invoice that is absolutely essential for `bàoxiāo`.
• 退款 (tuìkuǎn) - Refund. The crucial distinction to make with `bàoxiāo`.
• 财务 (cáiwù) - The finance or accounting department that processes reimbursement requests.
• 出差 (chūchāi) - A business trip, which is one of the most common reasons to `bàoxiāo` expenses.
• 补贴 (bǔtiē) - A subsidy or allowance (e.g., a meal or transport allowance). This is often a fixed amount, whereas `bàoxiāo` is for a specific, incurred cost.
• 预算 (yùsuàn) - Budget. Your ability to `bàoxiāo` is often limited by a departmental or project budget.
• 报销单 (bàoxiāodān) - The reimbursement form you need to fill out.
• 费用 (fèiyòng) - Expenses, costs. The general term for the money you are trying to `bàoxiāo`.