How to Order Food in Chinese: A Guide for Beginners

Ordering food is one of the first things you’ll want to master when learning Chinese, especially if you’re a traveler or a resident eager to experience local dining without resorting to pointing and gesturing. Whether you’re dining Taiwan or any Chinese-speaking neighborhood, knowing how to order confidently can make your culinary experiences richer and more enjoyable. Here’s a breakdown of key phrases, vocabulary, and etiquette to help you order food in Chinese.

Phrases to Use When Ordering Food

Here are essential phrases to help you confidently order your meal.

Greeting and Seating

When you enter a restaurant, the staff may greet you and ask how many people are dining.

• 幾位？(ㄐㄧ ㄨㄟˋ ？) – How many people?
  • Respond with the number + 位 (ㄨㄟˋ ), which means “people.”
    • Example: 兩位 (ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄨㄟˋ) for “two people.”

Asking for the Menu

To ask for a menu, you can say:

• 請給我菜單 (ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄍㄟˇ ㄨㄛˇ ㄘㄞˋ ㄉㄢ) – Please give me the menu.

Ordering Dishes

Once you’re ready to order, you can use:

• 我要點… (ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ …) – I’d like to order…
• 我想點… (ㄨㄛˇ ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄉㄧㄢˇ …) – I would like to order…

For example:

• 我要點麻婆豆腐 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄇㄚˊ ㄆㄛˊ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨˇ) – I’d like to order mapo tofu.

These phrases work well for specific dishes. If you’re ordering more than one item, you can list them one after another.

Making Requests

For personalizing your dish, you can use the following:

• 不要太辣 (ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄞˋ ㄌㄚˋ) – Not too spicy, please.
• 多放一點辣 (ㄉㄨㄛ ㄈㄤˋ ㄧ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄚˋ) – Extra spicy, please.
• 請不要放味精 (ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄈㄤˋ ㄨㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄥ) – Please don’t add MSG.

Asking for Recommendations

If you’re not sure what to order, you can ask for suggestions from the staff:

• 你推薦什麼？(ㄋㄧˇ ㄊㄨㄟ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ？) – What do you recommend?
• 這裡有什麼特色菜？(ㄓㄜˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄊㄜˋ ㄙㄜˋ ㄘㄞˋ ？) – What’s the specialty here?

Asking for Vegetarian Options

If you follow a vegetarian diet, it’s important to ask about vegetarian options when ordering. Here are some useful phrases:

• 請問有素食的選項嗎？ (ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄨㄣˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄒㄩㄢˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄇㄚˊ ？) – Do you have vegetarian options?
• 我吃素 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄔ ㄙㄨˋ) – I am vegetarian.

To clarify your preferences further, you can specify:

• 我不吃肉和海鮮 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔ ㄖㄡˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄏㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄢ) – I don’t eat meat or seafood.
• 請問這道菜有肉嗎？ (ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄨㄣˋ ㄓㄜˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄘㄞˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄖㄡˋ ㄇㄚˊ ？) – Does this dish contain meat?

Asking to Take Away

If you’d like to take your food to go, knowing how to ask for takeout in Mandarin can be useful. Here are some key phrases:

• 我要外帶 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄨㄞˋ ㄉㄞˋ) – I want to take away.
• 請打包 (ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄠ) – Please pack it up.
• 可以外帶嗎？ (ㄎㄜˇ ㄧˇ ㄨㄞˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄇㄚˊ ？) – Is it possible to take it to go?

---

Understanding Portions and Sizing

In Chinese, you might notice specific words related to portion sizes, like:

• 一份 (ㄧ ㄈㄣˋ) – One portion
• 小份 (ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄈㄣˋ) – Small portion
• 大份 (ㄉㄚˋ ㄈㄣˋ) – Large portion

For example:

• 我要一份宮保雞丁 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄧ ㄈㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄅㄠˇ ㄐㄧ ㄉㄧㄥ) – I’d like one portion of Kung Pao Chicken.

---

Common Drinks and Desserts

In many restaurants, you’ll also want to order beverages or dessert. Here are some helpful phrases:

• 茶 (ㄔㄚˊ) – Tea
  • 紅茶 (ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄔㄚˊ) – Black tea
  • 綠茶 (ㄌㄩ ㄔㄚˊ) – Green tea
• 啤酒 (ㄆㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ) – Beer
• 可樂 (ㄎㄜˇ ㄌㄜˋ) – Cola

And of course, we cannot be in Taiwan without mentioning Bubble Tea (珍珠奶茶 – ㄓㄣ ㄓㄨ ㄋㄞˇ ㄔㄚˊ) ! We have special article just for it!

For dessert:

• 我要甜點 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄉㄧㄢˇ) – I’d like dessert.
• 冰淇淋 (ㄅㄧㄥ ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄧㄣˊ) – Ice cream
• 蛋糕 (ㄉㄢˋ ㄍㄠ) – Cake

---

Asking for the Check

When you’re ready to pay, simply say:

• 買單 (ㄇㄞˇ ㄉㄢ) – The check, please.
• 可以刷卡嗎？(ㄎㄜˇ ㄧˇ ㄕㄨㄚ ㄑㄧㄚˇ ㄇㄚˊ ？) – Can I pay with a card?

In some regions, especially in local or smaller establishments, cash might be preferred, so it’s helpful to have some on hand just in case.

---

Sample Dialogue: Ordering in a Restaurant

Let’s look at a quick conversation in a restaurant setting to give you a sense of how these phrases can come together:

• Waiter: 您好！幾位？ (ㄋㄧㄣˊ ㄏㄠˇ ！ ㄐㄧ ㄨㄟˋ ？) Hello! How many people?
• Customer: 兩位。請給我菜單。 (ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄨㄟˋ 。 ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄍㄟˇ ㄨㄛˇ ㄘㄞˋ ㄉㄢ 。) Two people. Please give me the menu.
• Waiter: 這是我們的菜單。 (ㄓㄜˋ ㄕˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣˊ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄘㄞˋ ㄉㄢ 。) Here is our menu.
• Customer: 我要點一份麻婆豆腐和一份宮保雞丁。不要太辣。 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄧ ㄈㄣˋ ㄇㄚˊ ㄆㄛˊ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨˇ ㄏㄜˊ ㄧ ㄈㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄅㄠˇ ㄐㄧ ㄉㄧㄥ 。 ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄞˋ ㄌㄚˋ 。) I’d like one portion of mapo tofu and one portion of Kung Pao Chicken. Not too spicy, please.
• Waiter: 好的。請稍等。 (ㄏㄠˇ ㄉㄜ˙ 。 ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄕㄠ ㄉㄥˇ 。) Alright. Please wait a moment.

---

Basic Vocabulary

Restaurant and Table Settings

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
餐廳	ㄘㄢ ㄊㄧㄥ	cāntīng	Restaurant
桌子	ㄓㄨㄛ ㄗˇ	zhuōzi	Table
椅子	ㄧˇ ㄗˇ	yǐzi	Chair
餐具	ㄘㄢ ㄐㄩˋ	cānjù	Tableware (utensils)
刀叉	ㄉㄠ ㄔㄚ	dāo chā	Knife and fork
筷子	ㄎㄨㄞˋ ㄗˇ	kuàizi	Chopsticks
餐巾紙	ㄘㄢ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄓˇ	cānjīn zhǐ	Napkin
湯勺	ㄊㄤ ㄕㄠˊ	tāng sháo	Soup spoon
服務員	ㄈㄨˊ ㄨˋ ㄩㄢˊ	fúwùyuán	Waiter/Waitress

Meals and Courses

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
菜單	ㄘㄞˋ ㄉㄢ	càidān	Menu
早餐	ㄗㄠˇ ㄘㄢ	zǎocān	Breakfast
午餐	ㄨˇ ㄘㄢ	wǔcān	Lunch
晚餐	ㄨㄢˇ ㄘㄢ	wǎncān	Dinner
點菜	ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄘㄞˋ	diǎn cài	To order dishes
單點	ㄉㄢ ㄉㄧㄢˇ	dān diǎn	À la carte
自助餐	ㄗˋ ㄓㄨˋ ㄘㄢ	zìzhù cān	Buffet
點心	ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄒㄧㄣ	diǎnxīn	Dim sum or snack
甜點	ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄉㄧㄢˇ	tiándiǎn	Dessert

Food Types and Specific Dishes

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
菜	ㄘㄞˋ	cài	Dish/Food
米飯	ㄇㄧˇ ㄈㄢˋ	mǐfàn	Rice
麵條	ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄧㄠˊ	miàntiáo	Noodles
湯	ㄊㄤ	tāng	Soup
小吃	ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄔ	xiǎochī	Snack/Appetizer
沙拉	ㄕㄚ ㄌㄚ	shālā	Salad
套餐	ㄊㄠˋ ㄘㄢ	tàocān	Set meal

Common Ingredients and Types of Meat

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
素食	ㄙㄨˋ ㄕˊ	sùshí	Vegetarian
無肉	ㄨˊ ㄖㄡˋ	wú ròu	No meat
魚	ㄩˊ	yú	Fish
蝦	ㄒㄧㄚ	xiā	Shrimp
牛肉	ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄖㄡˋ	niúròu	Beef
雞肉	ㄐㄧ ㄖㄡˋ	jīròu	Chicken
豬肉	ㄓㄨ ㄖㄡˋ	zhūròu	Pork
羊肉	ㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄡˋ	yángròu	Lamb
海鮮	ㄏㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄢ	hǎixiān	Seafood

Drink and Beverage Vocabulary

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
飲料	ㄧㄣˇ ㄌㄧㄠˋ	yǐnliào	Beverage
茶	ㄔㄚˊ	chá	Tea
紅茶	ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄔㄚˊ	hóngchá	Black tea
綠茶	ㄌㄩ ㄔㄚˊ	lǜchá	Green tea
啤酒	ㄆㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ	píjiǔ	Beer
可樂	ㄎㄜˇ ㄌㄜˋ	kělè	Cola
珍珠奶茶	ㄓㄣ ㄓㄨ ㄋㄞˇ ㄔㄚˊ	zhēnzhūnǎichá	Bubble tea
冰的	ㄅㄧㄥ ㄉㄜ˙	bīng de	Cold (food/drink)
熱的	ㄖㄜˋ ㄉㄜ˙	rè de	Hot (food/drink)

Taste and Flavor Descriptions

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
甜的	ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄉㄜ˙	tián de	Sweet
鹹的	ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄉㄜ˙	xián de	Salty
苦的	ㄎㄨˇ ㄉㄜ˙	kǔ de	Bitter
酸的	ㄙㄨㄢ ㄉㄜ˙	suān de	Sour
辣的	ㄌㄚˋ ㄉㄜ˙	là de	Spicy
新鮮	ㄒㄧㄣ ㄒㄧㄢ	xīnxiān	Fresh

Other Useful Dining Expressions

Chinese	Bopomofo	Pinyin	English
幾位？	ㄐㄧ ㄨㄟˋ ？	jǐ wèi?	How many people?
一盤	ㄧ ㄆㄢˊ	yī pán	A plate of
一碗	ㄧ ㄨㄢˇ	yī wǎn	A bowl of
吃飽了	ㄔ ㄅㄠˇ ㄌㄧㄠˇ	chī bǎo le	I’m full
餓	ㄜˋ	è	Hungry
渴	ㄎㄜˇ	kě	Thirsty
慢慢吃	ㄇㄢˋ ㄇㄢˋ ㄔ	màn màn chī	Enjoy your food slowly

---

With these phrases and tips, you’ll feel more comfortable navigating a Chinese menu and making requests. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bowl of noodles or sitting down for a banquet, knowing the basics of ordering food in Chinese will open doors to authentic culinary experiences. Enjoy your meal, or as they say in Chinese, 慢慢吃 (ㄇㄢˋ ㄇㄢˋ ㄔ) — “Enjoy your food slowly!”