Chinese word

水货

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuǐ huò

Meaning

  • nounparallel import

Example

这台相机是水货，比国内便宜。zhè tái xiàng jī shì shuǐ huò bǐ guó nèi pián yi

This camera is a parallel import and costs less than one sold in China.

Illustration for 水货 (parallel import)

More examples

很多店家把翻新机当成水货出售。hěn duō diàn jiā bǎ fān xīn jī dàng chéng shuǐ huò chū shòu

Many stores sell refurbished phones as parallel imports.

Core concept

A genuine product reaches local buyers through an independent international supply path rather than the brand's approved domestic pipeline.

Common phrases

  • 辨别水货biàn bié shuǐ huò

    identify parallel imports

  • 进口水货jìn kǒu shuǐ huò

    imported parallel imports

Similar words

行货háng huò: Goods supplied through the brand's approved local channels with its local warranty.
平行进口píng xíng jìn kǒu: Genuine goods bought in a foreign market and legally imported for local sale.
走私货zǒu sī huò: Imported goods hidden from customs and brought into the country unlawfully.
假货jiǎ huò: Imitation goods falsely presented as genuine and worth less than the real ones.

Definition in Chinese

指由个人或商家通过海外渠道引进、未经过品牌在国内授权经销体系出售的商品，这类商品属于并行进口或其他非正规渠道商品，可能没有国内发票和保修。zhǐ yóu gè rén huò shāng jiā tōng guò hǎi wài qú dào yǐn jìn wèi jīng guò pǐn pái zài guó nèi shòu quán jīng xiāo tǐ xì chū shòu de shāng pǐn zhè lèi shāng pǐn shǔ yú bìng xíng jìn kǒu huò qí tā fēi zhèng guī qú dào shāng pǐn kě néng méi yǒu guó nèi fā piào hé bǎo xiū

Word origin

水 (shuǐ, "water") + 货 (huò, "goods") originally named merchandise carried in by water through unofficial trade, and the term later applied more broadly to non-authorized imports.

Usage tips

  • A product can be genuine yet still lack local after-sales service, making the seller's warranty information more important than the brand name alone.

Other meanings

  • smuggled goodsnoun
  • unauthorized goodsnoun

Opposites

  • 行货háng huòauthorized goodsnoun

Word lists with this word