At a Restaurant
beginner在餐厅
Order food, ask about dishes, and pay the bill like a pro — everything you need for dining out in Chinese.
50 words18 phrases2 dialogues~30 min study time
Vocabulary
50 words — click any row for an example sentence
Restaurant Basics
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 餐厅 | cāntīng | restaurant | noun |
| 饭店 | fàndiàn | restaurant; hotel | noun |
| 服务员 | fúwùyuán | waiter; waitress | noun |
| 菜单 | càidān | menu | noun |
| 点菜 | diǎncài | to order food | verb |
| 座位 | zuòwèi | seat | noun |
| 预订 | yùdìng | to reserve; to book | verb |
| 排队 | páiduì | to queue; to line up | verb |
| 包间 | bāojiān | private dining room | noun |
| 大厅 | dàtīng | main hall; dining hall | noun |
Ordering
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 推荐 | tuījiàn | to recommend | verb |
| 招牌菜 | zhāopáicài | signature dish; house special | noun |
| 主食 | zhǔshí | staple food (rice, noodles, etc.) | noun |
| 配菜 | pèicài | side dish | noun |
| 汤 | tāng | soup | noun |
| 甜点 | tiándiǎn | dessert | noun |
| 饮料 | yǐnliào | beverage; drink | noun |
| 啤酒 | píjiǔ | beer | noun |
| 白酒 | báijiǔ | Chinese grain liquor | noun |
| 加菜 | jiācài | to order more dishes | verb |
Flavors
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 辣 | là | spicy; hot | adjective |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | adjective |
| 酸 | suān | sour | adjective |
| 咸 | xián | salty | adjective |
| 苦 | kǔ | bitter | adjective |
| 清淡 | qīngdàn | light (flavor); bland | adjective |
| 油腻 | yóunì | greasy; oily | adjective |
| 新鲜 | xīnxiān | fresh | adjective |
| 好吃 | hǎochī | delicious; tasty | adjective |
| 难吃 | nánchī | bad-tasting; unpleasant | adjective |
Tableware
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 筷子 | kuàizi | chopsticks | noun |
| 勺子 | sháozi | spoon | noun |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl | noun |
| 盘子 | pánzi | plate | noun |
| 杯子 | bēizi | cup; glass | noun |
| 纸巾 | zhǐjīn | napkin; tissue | noun |
| 牙签 | yáqiān | toothpick | noun |
Paying
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 买单 | mǎidān | to pay the bill | verb |
| 结账 | jiézhàng | to settle the bill | verb |
| 发票 | fāpiào | receipt; official invoice | noun |
| 现金 | xiànjīn | cash | noun |
| 扫码 | sǎomǎ | to scan a QR code | verb |
| 打折 | dǎzhé | to give a discount | verb |
| 小费 | xiǎofèi | tip; gratuity | noun |
| 找零 | zhǎolíng | to give change | verb |
Dietary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 过敏 | guòmǐn | allergy; to be allergic | noun |
| 素食 | sùshí | vegetarian food | noun |
| 忌口 | jìkǒu | food restrictions; dietary taboo | noun |
| 不辣 | bú là | not spicy | phrase |
| 少盐 | shǎo yán | less salt | phrase |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
请问几位？
Qǐngwèn jǐ wèi?
How many in your party?
A host or waiter greets you at the entrance.
我们两个人。
Wǒmen liǎng gè rén.
There are two of us.
Telling the host how many people are dining.
有没有靠窗的位子？
Yǒu méiyǒu kào chuāng de wèizi?
Is there a seat by the window?
Requesting a specific seating preference.
请问你们有什么推荐的？
Qǐngwèn nǐmen yǒu shénme tuījiàn de?
What do you recommend?
Asking the waiter for suggestions.
这道菜辣不辣？
Zhè dào cài là bú là?
Is this dish spicy?
Checking whether a dish is spicy before ordering.
我要一份宫保鸡丁。
Wǒ yào yī fèn gōngbǎo jīdīng.
I would like one serving of kung pao chicken.
Ordering a specific dish by name.
米饭多少钱一碗？
Mǐfàn duōshao qián yī wǎn?
How much is a bowl of rice?
Asking about the price of rice.
菜可以少放点辣椒吗？
Cài kěyǐ shǎo fàng diǎn làjiāo ma?
Can you put less chili in the dish?
Making a special request about spice level.
我吃素，不吃肉。
Wǒ chī sù, bù chī ròu.
I am vegetarian; I do not eat meat.
Informing the waiter about dietary restrictions.
菜还没上来呢。
Cài hái méi shànglái ne.
The food has not arrived yet.
Politely reminding the waiter about a delayed order.
能再给我们加双筷子吗？
Néng zài gěi wǒmen jiā shuāng kuàizi ma?
Can you give us an extra pair of chopsticks?
Requesting additional tableware.
我吃饱了。
Wǒ chībǎo le.
I am full.
Expressing that you have eaten enough.
可以打包吗？
Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma?
Can I get this to go?
Asking to take leftovers home.
买单，谢谢！
Mǎidān, xièxie!
Bill, please! Thank you!
Calling the waiter to pay.
可以用微信支付吗？
Kěyǐ yòng Wēixìn zhīfù ma?
Can I pay with WeChat Pay?
Asking about mobile payment options.
今天我请客！
Jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè!
Today is my treat!
Offering to pay for everyone.
我们AA吧。
Wǒmen AA ba.
Let's split the bill.
Suggesting to divide the cost equally.
请开一张发票。
Qǐng kāi yī zhāng fāpiào.
Please give me an official receipt.
Requesting an invoice for reimbursement.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Ordering Food
A customer (A) arrives at a Chinese restaurant and orders food with the help of a waiter (B).
Speaker B
欢迎光临！请问几位？
Speaker A
两位。有靠窗的位子吗？
Speaker B
有的，这边请。这是菜单。
Speaker A
你们的招牌菜是什么？
Speaker B
我们的招牌菜是红烧肉和糖醋鱼，都很受欢迎。
Speaker A
好，来一份红烧肉，一个西红柿炒鸡蛋，再来两碗米饭。
Speaker B
好的。请问要喝点什么饮料吗？
Speaker A
来两杯柠檬水就行了，谢谢。
Cultural note: In Chinese restaurants, one person usually orders dishes for the whole table to share, rather than each person ordering an individual meal. Dishes are placed in the center for everyone.
Paying the Bill
Two friends (A and B) have finished their meal and are deciding how to pay.
Speaker A
吃得真饱！我来买单吧。
Speaker B
不行不行，今天我请客，你别跟我抢。
Speaker A
那下次一定我请。服务员，买单！
Speaker B
一共多少钱？可以扫码付款吗？
Speaker A
可以的，微信和支付宝都可以。一共一百二十八块。
Speaker B
好，我扫了。走吧！
Cultural note: In China, it is common for friends to playfully argue over who gets to pay the bill. This is called 抢着买单 (qiǎngzhe mǎidān). Letting someone treat you graciously and offering to pay next time is a polite way to handle this.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the At a Restaurant Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
28 of 50 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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