Ordering for a table, sharing dishes and fighting over the bill: the Chinese, and the manners, of a Chinese meal.
31 sentences · 3 dialogues · 18 words
In China food is how people meet, celebrate and do business. Dishes are shared from the middle of the table, the host orders and pays, and a meal can say more about a relationship than any conversation.
A few sentences go a long way: what you can and cannot eat, whether a dish is spicy, and the right thing to say when you are full or when the bill arrives. This page shows them in restaurants, at home and at a formal dinner.
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18 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.
Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.
Four of you arrive at a busy restaurant in the evening.
欢迎光临！几位？Welcome! How many of you?
四位。有包间吗？Four. Do you have a private room?
包间满了，大堂可以吗？The private rooms are full — is the main room all right?
可以。我们现在点菜。Fine. We’d like to order now.
好的。您想吃点儿什么？Certainly. What would you like?
来一个招牌菜，再来两个青菜，少放辣。Your signature dish, and two vegetable dishes — go easy on the chilli.
好的，马上就来。Right away.
A friend has cooked for you.
饭做好了，快来吃吧！Dinner’s ready — come and eat!
哇，这么多菜！太麻烦你了。Wow, so many dishes! You’ve gone to so much trouble.
不麻烦。多吃点儿！No trouble at all. Eat up!
这个鱼太好吃了！This fish is delicious!
喜欢就多吃点儿。If you like it, have some more.
我已经吃饱了，谢谢！I’m already full, thank you!
At the end of a meal with a friend, the bill is on its way.
服务员，结账！Excuse me, could we pay?
别，今天我请客。No, no — today’s on me.
那怎么行？你是客人！How could I let you? You’re the guest!
上次是你请的，这次该我了。You paid last time, so it’s my turn.
好吧，那下次我再请你。All right — then next time it’s on me again.
一言为定！It’s a deal!
The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.
这个菜很好吃！This dish is delicious!
我要一碗米饭。I’d like a bowl of rice.
我不吃肉。I don’t eat meat.
请给我一杯茶。A cup of tea, please.
你喜欢吃面条吗？Do you like noodles?
中国菜很好吃。Chinese food is delicious.
我想喝一点儿水。I’d like a little water.
我们去吃饭吧。Let’s go and eat.
我饿死了！I’m starving!
服务员，请给我们菜单。Excuse me, could we have the menu, please?
我吃饱了。I’m full.
这个菜辣不辣？Is this dish spicy?
我不会用筷子。I can’t use chopsticks.
我们一起包饺子吧。Let’s make dumplings together.
多吃点儿！Have some more!
再来一瓶啤酒。Another bottle of beer, please.
请不要放香菜。No coriander, please.
你们这儿有什么好吃的？What’s good here?
我们可以点菜了吗？Can we order now?
这个味道有点儿咸。This tastes a bit salty.
剩下的菜帮我们打包一下。Could you pack up the leftovers for us?
今天我请客，你们别跟我抢！Today it’s my treat — don’t you dare fight me for the bill!
冬天吃火锅最舒服了。Hot pot is the best thing to eat in winter.
太晚了，我们叫外卖吧。It’s too late — let’s order a delivery.
夜市上有很多小吃。There are lots of snacks at the night market.
主人给你夹菜是表示热情。When the host puts food on your plate, it’s a sign of warmth.
中国人吃饭一般是大家一起分着吃。Chinese people usually share their dishes when they eat together.
南方菜比较清淡，北方菜口味重一些。Southern cooking is fairly light; northern cooking is more strongly flavoured.
这家店的烤鸭很地道。The roast duck here is the real thing.
别人给你倒茶的时候，可以用手指轻敲桌子表示感谢。When someone pours you tea, you can tap the table lightly with your fingers to say thank you.
在饭局上，晚辈一般先给长辈敬酒。At a formal dinner, the younger people usually toast the older ones first.
6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.
Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Chinese, then open it to compare.
这个菜很好吃！
我们去吃饭吧。
多吃点儿！
今天我请客，你们别跟我抢！
Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.
