SkarpChapter 6 of 9
Eating Out: Ordering Food and Drinks
Practice the language needed to order food and drinks, handle menus, and manage simple restaurant interactions.
New Words and Phrases (in English)
In this step you will learn key words and phrases for ordering food and drinks in a restaurant. You will see how to say menu, order, not spicy, and how to ask for the bill politely.
| Word | Pronunciation | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 菜单 | cài-dān (tsai-dahn) | menu | 请给我菜单。(Please give me the menu.) |
| 点菜 | diǎn-cài (dyen-tsai) | to order dishes / to order food | 我们现在可以点菜吗？(Can we order now?) |
| 想 | xiǎng (shyang) | to want; would like to (polite when ordering) | 我想要一杯水。(I would like a glass of water.) |
| 不辣 | bú-là (boo-lah) | not spicy | 这道菜可以不辣吗？(Can this dish be not spicy?) |
| 少 | shǎo (shao, as in 'sh-ow') | less; a little (when asking for less of something) | 请放少一点儿盐。(Please put a little less salt.) |
| 水 | shuǐ (shway) | water | 我想要一瓶水。(I would like a bottle of water.) |
| 啤酒 | pí-jiǔ (pee-jyo) | beer | 他想要一杯啤酒。(He would like a glass of beer.) |
| 买单 | mǎi-dān (my-dahn) | to pay the bill; the bill please | 服务员，买单！(Waiter, the bill please!) |
Language Pattern (in English)
Using 想 (xiǎng) for polite requests
In a restaurant, 想 (xiǎng) is very useful. It literally means "to want" or "to think", but when ordering it works like "would like", which is softer and more polite than just "want".
Basic pattern:
- Subject + 想 + (要) + thing you want
Example:
- 我想要一杯水。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi shuǐ.
"I would like a glass of water."
You can often drop 要 (yào) and just say 想 + noun:
- 我想菜单。
Wǒ xiǎng cài-dān.
"I would like the menu." (More natural: 请给我菜单。 Qǐng gěi wǒ cài-dān. "Please give me the menu.")
For ordering food or drinks, these are very common:
- 我想点菜。
Wǒ xiǎng diǎn-cài.
"I would like to order."
- 他想要一杯啤酒。
Tā xiǎng yào yì bēi pí-jiǔ.
"He would like a glass of beer."
Expressing preferences: spicy / not spicy, more / less
To say not spicy, use:
- 不辣
bú-là – "not spicy"
Example:
- 这道菜可以不辣吗？
Zhè dào cài kě-yǐ bú-là ma?
"Can this dish be not spicy?"
To ask for less of something, use 少 (shǎo):
- 少 + something
"less (of) something"
Common structure:
- 请 + verb + 少一点儿 + noun。
Examples:
- 请放少一点儿盐。
Qǐng fàng shǎo yì-diǎnr yán.
"Please put a little less salt."
You can combine these with 想 for polite requests:
- 我想要不辣的。
Wǒ xiǎng yào bú-là de.
"I would like the non-spicy one."
Asking for the bill: 买单 (mǎidān)
In many restaurants you simply say:
- 服务员，买单！
Fú-wù-yuán, mǎi-dān!
"Waiter/Server, the bill please!"
To be softer, you can add 一下 (yí-xià) or 可以吗 (kě-yǐ ma):
- 可以买单吗？
Kě-yǐ mǎi-dān ma?
"Can I pay the bill now?"
Practice Dialogue (in English)
You are at a small restaurant in China with a friend. You ask for the menu, order food and drinks, ask for not spicy food, and finally ask for the bill.
At a small restaurant, ordering food and drinks
你好，请问几位？
Hello, may I ask how many people?
两位，谢谢。
Two people, thank you.
请给我们菜单。
Please give us the menu.
我想要一瓶水，他想要一杯啤酒。
I would like a bottle of water, he would like a glass of beer.
我们现在可以点菜吗？
Can we order now?
这道菜可以不辣吗？请放少一点儿盐。
Can this dish be not spicy? Please put a little less salt.
好的。还有别的吗？
Okay. Anything else?
没有了，谢谢。可以买单吗？
Nothing else, thanks. Can I have the bill, please?
Check Your Understanding (in English)
Answer this question to review how to use 想 (xiǎng) politely when ordering.
How do you say "I would like a glass of beer" in Mandarin, using 想 (xiǎng) for a polite request?
- 我想要一杯啤酒。
- 我要啤酒。
- 我喜欢啤酒。
- 我点菜啤酒。
Show Answer
Answer: A) 我想要一杯啤酒。
The correct answer is "我想要一杯啤酒。" (*Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi pí-jiǔ.*). 想要 (xiǎng yào) means "would like to have," and 一杯啤酒 (yì bēi pí-jiǔ) means "a glass of beer." "我要啤酒" is more direct ("I want beer"), "我喜欢啤酒" means "I like beer," and "我点菜啤酒" is not a correct structure.
Key Terms
- 少
- less; a little – used to ask for less of something (salt, sugar, etc.)
- 想
- to want; would like – polite way to say you would like something when ordering
- 水
- water – basic drink; can be 一杯水 (a glass) or 一瓶水 (a bottle)
- 不辣
- not spicy – useful if you do not eat spicy food
- 买单
- to pay the bill; the bill – what you say when you are ready to pay
- 啤酒
- beer – common alcoholic drink; can be 一杯啤酒 (a glass of beer)
- 点菜
- to order dishes / food – what you do when telling the waiter what you want
- 菜单
- menu – the list of food and drinks in a restaurant