Street Food
intermediate街头小吃
Explore the vibrant world of Chinese street food — order snacks, navigate night markets, and talk about your favorite flavors.
38 words12 phrases2 dialogues~30 min study time
Vocabulary
38 words — click any row for an example sentence
Snacks
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 烤串 | kǎochuàn | grilled skewers; kebabs | noun |
| 煎饼 | jiānbing | Chinese savory crepe | noun |
| 臭豆腐 | chòu dòufu | stinky tofu | noun |
| 糖葫芦 | tánghúlu | candied hawthorn on a stick | noun |
| 肉夹馍 | ròujiāmó | Chinese meat sandwich; pork in a bun | noun |
| 烤红薯 | kǎo hóngshǔ | roasted sweet potato | noun |
| 包子 | bāozi | steamed stuffed bun | noun |
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | dumpling | noun |
| 烤鱿鱼 | kǎo yóuyú | grilled squid | noun |
| 炸鸡 | zhájī | fried chicken | noun |
| 凉皮 | liángpí | cold skin noodles | noun |
| 麻辣烫 | málàtàng | spicy hot pot soup (pick your own ingredients) | noun |
| 油条 | yóutiáo | fried dough stick | noun |
| 小吃 | xiǎochī | snack; street food | noun |
| 串串香 | chuànchuànxiāng | skewer hot pot (pick skewers, cook in shared pot) | noun |
Interaction
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 来一个 | lái yī gè | give me one | phrase |
| 多少钱一个 | duōshao qián yī gè | how much for one | phrase |
| 打包 | dǎbāo | to pack up; to go | verb |
| 带走 | dàizǒu | to take away | verb |
| 这里吃 | zhèlǐ chī | eat here; dine in | phrase |
| 要辣吗 | yào là ma | do you want it spicy? | phrase |
| 排队 | páiduì | to line up; to queue | verb |
| 加辣 | jiā là | to add spice; extra spicy | verb |
| 不要香菜 | bú yào xiāngcài | no cilantro | phrase |
Descriptions
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 好吃 | hǎochī | delicious; tasty | adjective |
| 香 | xiāng | fragrant; smells good | adjective |
| 辣 | là | spicy; hot | adjective |
| 脆 | cuì | crispy; crunchy | adjective |
| 烫 | tàng | scalding hot; burning hot | adjective |
| 臭 | chòu | stinky; smelly | adjective |
| 甜 | tián | sweet | adjective |
| 咸 | xián | salty | adjective |
Night Market
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夜市 | yèshì | night market | noun |
| 摊位 | tānwèi | stall; booth | noun |
| 特色 | tèsè | specialty; unique feature | noun |
| 逛 | guàng | to stroll; to browse | verb |
| 热闹 | rènao | lively; bustling | adjective |
| 味道 | wèidào | taste; flavor | noun |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
老板，来五串烤肉！
Lǎobǎn, lái wǔ chuàn kǎoròu!
Boss, give me five meat skewers!
Ordering a specific number of skewers at a street food stall.
多少钱一份？
Duōshao qián yī fèn?
How much per serving?
Asking the price of a street food item.
这个是什么做的？
Zhège shì shénme zuò de?
What is this made of?
Asking about the ingredients of an unfamiliar street food.
要辣还是不辣？
Yào là háishì bú là?
Spicy or not spicy?
A vendor asking the customer about spiciness preference.
帮我多放点辣椒。
Bāng wǒ duō fàng diǎn làjiāo.
Put extra chili for me.
Requesting extra spice on your street food.
打包带走。
Dǎbāo dàizǒu.
Pack it up to go.
Telling the vendor you want to take the food with you.
这家的口碑很好。
Zhè jiā de kǒubēi hěn hǎo.
This place has a great reputation.
Recommending a popular street food stall to a friend.
排了半天队才买到。
Pái le bàntiān duì cái mǎi dào.
I stood in line for ages before I could buy it.
Describing the long wait at a popular stall.
我们每样来一个尝尝。
Wǒmen měi yàng lái yī gè chángchang.
Let us get one of each and try them.
Suggesting to sample different items at a night market.
太好吃了，我还要再来一份！
Tài hǎochī le, wǒ hái yào zài lái yī fèn!
So delicious, I want another serving!
Expressing that the food is so good you want more.
小心烫，刚做好的。
Xiǎoxīn tàng, gāng zuòhǎo de.
Careful, it is hot; just freshly made.
A vendor warning the customer that the food is still very hot.
你吃过这个吗？很有特色。
Nǐ chīguo zhège ma? Hěn yǒu tèsè.
Have you tried this before? It is very unique.
Introducing an interesting street food to a friend.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Buying Snacks at the Night Market
Two friends (A and B) are exploring a night market and trying different street foods.
Speaker A
哇，这个夜市好热闹！你想先吃什么？
Speaker B
我闻到烤串的味道了，我们先去那边看看。
Speaker A
老板，烤串多少钱一串？
Speaker B
羊肉串三块一串，鸡翅五块一个。
Speaker A
来十串羊肉，两个鸡翅。要辣的！
Speaker B
好嘞！稍等一下，马上就好。
Speaker A
吃完这个我们去买臭豆腐，我看那边排队的人好多。
Speaker B
好啊，排队的肯定好吃！
Cultural note: In China, a long queue at a food stall is generally considered a sign of quality. Chinese people often follow the principle of "排队的一定好吃" (if people are lining up, it must be good). Popular stalls can have 30-minute waits, and many people happily wait because the food is considered worth it.
Ordering a Jianbing for Breakfast
A customer (A) orders a jianbing from a street vendor (B) on their way to work in the morning.
Speaker A
老板，来一个煎饼。
Speaker B
好的，要加鸡蛋吗？加一个还是两个？
Speaker A
加两个鸡蛋，再加一根油条。
Speaker B
要辣酱吗？
Speaker A
要的，多放一点。不要香菜。
Speaker B
好嘞。一共十块。
Speaker A
扫码，谢谢老板。
Speaker B
好的，拿好了，慢走！
Cultural note: The jianbing (煎饼) is one of China's most beloved breakfast street foods. It consists of a thin crepe spread on a round griddle, topped with a cracked egg, crispy crackers or fried dough sticks (油条), and various sauces. Cilantro is a common but divisive topping — the phrase "不要香菜" (no cilantro) is heard constantly at Chinese food stalls.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Street Food Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
11 of 38 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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