Six kinds of numbers that go wrong in quote messages

A sentence that isn’t perfectly translated is usually still understood. A wrong number can cost real money. Worse, number mistakes rarely show up straight away: the buyer orders, pays and books shipping on the wrong figure, and the problem only appears at reconciliation or on delivery. These six kinds of numbers cause the most trouble in quotes sent to overseas buyers. For each one you’ll find a recommended way to write it and an example of how it goes wrong.

1. Thousands separators, decimal points and 万

Languages write numbers differently. Take “five thousand pieces at 2.35 each”:

To a German buyer, “2.350” means two thousand three hundred and fifty, not 2.35. Number formats should follow the target language and stay consistent throughout the message: don’t write 5.000 in one line and 5,000 in the next.

Chinese adds a trap of its own: 万 (wan), a unit of ten thousand. English and most European languages have no such unit, so 1.2万 has to become 12,000 and 30万 has to become 300,000. A zero gained or lost in that conversion is a very common mistake:

Tip: write key quantities in digits in the Chinese original, for example 12000 件. One conversion fewer is one chance fewer to get it wrong.

2. Currency symbols

• $ isn’t only the US dollar: Hong Kong, Singapore and Australian dollars use it too. Quote as USD 2.35 or US$2.35.
• ¥ can mean Chinese yuan or Japanese yen. For yuan, write CNY or RMB.
• Casual words such as 美金 or 块 should become an explicit currency before the message goes to a buyer.
• When one message mentions two currencies (say, goods in US dollars and the sample fee in yuan), put the currency in front of every amount.
• If your dollar price was converted from a yuan price, state how long the quote is valid, because exchange rates move.

3. Dates and times

05/11/2026 is 11 May in the US and 5 November in most of Europe. The safest choice is to write the month as a word, such as 5 Nov 2026, or to use 2026-11-05. Three more problems come up often:

• Pair relative dates with a real date. “Next Tuesday” depends on the day the buyer reads the message. “Tuesday 10 Nov” leaves no doubt.
• Give a time zone. When you set up a video call, is “3 pm” your afternoon or the buyer’s? Write 15:00 China time (UTC+8) and, where it helps, add the buyer’s local time. The 24-hour clock also removes any am/pm confusion.
• Give the quote an end date. “Valid until the end of the month” is weaker than “valid until 30 Nov 2026”.

4. Trade terms

FOB, CIF, EXW and DDP decide who pays for freight and insurance and who carries the risk. Don’t change the term, and always name the place. Writing CIF where you meant FOB changes the quote.

• For FOB, FCA and EXW, name the port of shipment or the place of delivery, for example FOB Ningbo. For CIF, CFR and DDP, name the destination, for example CIF Hamburg.
• Where it matters, add the version: FOB Ningbo, Incoterms 2020.
• Don’t let a translation “explain” the term in a long phrase. The buyer needs to see the three letters and the place.

5. Quantities and units

• 件 can mean pcs, sets or units, and 箱 means cartons. Say how many pieces are in a set.
• Cartons and pieces are easy to mix up: 每箱 24 件 is 24 pcs per carton, not 24 cartons.
• In US usage, “ton” can mean a short ton (about 907 kg). If you quote in metric tons, write metric ton or MT.
• Give units for sizes and weights: mm, cm or inches; kg or lb. For markets used to imperial units, you can give both.
• Name the container type, such as 20GP or 40HQ, rather than just “one container”.
• Say which unit the minimum order quantity (MOQ) is counted in.

6. Lead times

“Lead time 20 days” can be misread in at least two ways:

• Calendar days or working days?
• Counted from when: deposit received, sample approved, or order confirmed?

Lead time (leaving the factory or loading) and arrival at the port are also different things. Keep them apart.

A complete quote, before and after

Put the six points together. Here is a typical quote draft, typed in a hurry:

The rewritten Chinese is longer, but every item now has only one possible reading. The German version’s “5.000” and “2,35” look different from the Chinese, yet they are the same numbers: a rule-based comparison reads them the German way and treats them as the same numbers.

What a number check can and can’t do

Checking numbers by eye is tiring, especially when a message holds a dozen of them. That’s why, in Bridgyu’s plans, a deterministic set of rules (not AI) compares your original with the translation:

• What it can do: find and compare numbers (including 万 and 千, and local formats such as 5.000 vs 5,000), currencies, units, dates, times and Incoterms, and highlight anything that differs.
• What it can’t do: tell whether your price is calculated correctly, whether the lead time is achievable, or whether you chose the right trade term. It answers one question only: does the translation say the same as your Chinese original?
• What you didn’t write, it can’t add: if your original says 5千 without saying pieces, sets or cartons, the check can confirm that the translation also says 5,000, but it can’t supply the missing unit.

So a passed check means the translation didn’t change your numbers. Whether the numbers themselves are right is still for you to confirm.

A 30-second check before you send

1. Is the currency explicit, in front of every amount?
2. Do the number formats match the buyer’s language? Is every 万 converted correctly?
3. Are dates written in a format nobody can misread? Do times have a time zone?
4. Are the trade term and place correct?
5. Are the units clear? Have pieces, sets and cartons been kept apart?
6. Is it clear when the lead time starts and what event it ends with?
7. Has the number comparison highlighted anything, and have you looked at each item?