The concentrations of dissolved monosaccharides (MCHO), polysaccharides (PCHO), and total carbohydrates (TCHO) were determined by 2,4,6-tripyridyl-s-triazine (TPTZ) method in the Dafeng River Estuary (DRE) during December 2022, and their distribution characteristics and influence factors were studied. The results showed that average (range) concentrations of MCHO, PCHO and TCHO in surface seawater of the DRE were 24.78 (8.52~43.71), 14.75 (9.96~21.01) and 39.53 (19.54~61.72) μmol C·L ^-1, respectively. TCHO accounted for an average of 52.8% ± 17.3% of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, indicating that TCHO was a significant component of DOC in the study area. MCHO contributed an average of 59.1% ± 15.5% to TCHO, suggesting that MCHO was the dominant form of TCHO. The concentrations of MCHO and TCHO exhibited a gradual decreasing trend along the river-estuary-bay continuum, while PCHO showed the opposite distribution pattern. Both MCHO and TCHO were significantly negatively correlated with salinity and pH (P<0.01), indicating that terrestrial inputs and freshwater-seawater mixing processes were key factors controlling the distribution of dissolved carbohydrates in the DRE, and seawater acidification indirectly regulated the spatial distribution of dissolved carbohydrates in the study area by modulating biological processes. This study will provide baseline data on dissolved carbohydrates in the river-estuary-bay continuum of the Qinzhou Bay prior to the construction of the Pinglu Canal, a century-long project. These findings are of great significance for deepening our understanding of coastal carbon cycling processes and their mechanisms in the Guangxi Beibu Gulf.