Ordering food is one of the most useful and rewarding skills you can learn in Chinese. Whether you’re at a Restaurant (餐厅, cān tīng), a street stall, or even a Hotel (酒店, jiǔ diàn), being able to order confidently makes your experience much more enjoyable.
The best part is that food conversations are predictable. Once you learn a few key patterns, you can order almost anything.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to order food in Chinese, step by step, with practical examples you can use right away.
Basic Flow of Ordering Food
A typical food-ordering conversation follows this structure:
Greeting
Asking for a table
Looking at the menu
Ordering dishes
Asking for drinks
Paying the bill
Let’s go through each step.
Step 1: Getting a Table
When you enter a restaurant, you may hear:
几位？(jǐ wèi?) – How many people?
Your response:
两位 (liǎng wèi) – Two people
三位 (sān wèi) – Three people
You can also say:
我们两位 (wǒmen liǎng wèi) – We are two people
Example:
A: 几位？(jǐ wèi?) – How many people?
B: 两位。(liǎng wèi.) – Two people.
Step 2: Asking for the Menu
To ask for the menu:
菜单 (cài dān) – menu
请给我菜单 (qǐng gěi wǒ cài dān) – Please give me the menu
Or simply:
可以看一下菜单吗？(kěyǐ kàn yīxià cài dān ma?) – Can I see the menu?
Example:
请给我菜单。(qǐng gěi wǒ cài dān.) – Please give me the menu.
Step 3: Understanding Common Menu Words
Here are some useful food-related words:
米饭 (mǐfàn) – rice
面条 (miàntiáo) – noodles
鸡肉 (jīròu) – chicken
牛肉 (niúròu) – beef
水 (shuǐ) – water
茶 (chá) – tea
Example:
我要牛肉面 (wǒ yào niúròu miàn) – I want beef noodles
Step 4: Ordering Food
The most important phrase:
我要 + food
我要 (wǒ yào) – I want
Examples:
我要米饭 (wǒ yào mǐfàn) – I want rice
我要鸡肉 (wǒ yào jīròu) – I want chicken
You can also say:
来一份 + food
来一份炒饭 (lái yī fèn chǎofàn) – One fried rice
Example:
A: 你要什么？(nǐ yào shénme?) – What do you want?
B: 我要一份牛肉面。(wǒ yào yī fèn niúròu miàn.) – I want one beef noodle.
Step 5: Asking for Recommendations
If you don’t know what to order:
你推荐什么？(nǐ tuījiàn shénme?) – What do you recommend?
This is very useful, especially in new places.
Example:
A: 你推荐什么？(nǐ tuījiàn shénme?) – What do you recommend?
B: 这个很好吃。(zhège hěn hǎo chī.) – This is very delicious.
Step 6: Ordering Drinks
To order drinks:
我要水 (wǒ yào shuǐ) – I want water
我要茶 (wǒ yào chá) – I want tea
You can also specify:
热水 (rè shuǐ) – hot water
冰水 (bīng shuǐ) – cold water
Example:
我要一杯茶 (wǒ yào yī bēi chá) – I want a cup of tea
Step 7: Special Requests
Sometimes you want to adjust your order.
不要辣 (bú yào là) – no spicy
少一点盐 (shǎo yī diǎn yán) – less salt
Example:
我要牛肉面，不要辣 (wǒ yào niúròu miàn, bú yào là) – I want beef noodles, not spicy
Step 8: Asking for the Bill
When you finish eating:
买单 (mǎi dān) – to pay the bill
买单 (mǎi dān) – Check, please
Or more politely:
请买单 (qǐng mǎi dān) – Please bring the bill
Example:
服务员，买单 (fúwùyuán, mǎi dān) – Waiter, check please
Step 9: Full Example Conversation
Let’s put everything together.
A: 几位？(jǐ wèi?) – How many people?
B: 两位。(liǎng wèi.) – Two people.
A: 请给我菜单。(qǐng gěi wǒ cài dān.) – Please give me the menu.
A: 你要什么？(nǐ yào shénme?) – What do you want?
B: 我要一份牛肉面。(wǒ yào yī fèn niúròu miàn.) – I want one beef noodle.
A: 要喝什么？(yào hē shénme?) – What do you want to drink?
B: 我要茶。(wǒ yào chá.) – I want tea.
A: 好的。(hǎo de.) – Okay.
After eating:
B: 服务员，买单。(fúwùyuán, mǎi dān.) – Waiter, check please.
Useful Food Places Vocabulary
Here are some common places where you may order food:
Restaurant (餐厅, cān tīng)
Cafe (咖啡店, kā fēi diàn)
Food stall (小吃摊, xiǎo chī tān)
Hotel (酒店, jiǔ diàn)
Example:
我在餐厅吃饭 (wǒ zài cān tīng chī fàn) – I eat at a restaurant
我在咖啡店喝咖啡 (wǒ zài kā fēi diàn hē kāfēi) – I drink coffee at a cafe
Tips for Ordering Food Confidently
Use simple phrases
Point at the menu if needed
Speak slowly and clearly
Don’t worry about mistakes
Even saying just “我要这个 (wǒ yào zhège) – I want this” while pointing is perfectly okay.
Practice Exercise
Try saying these sentences:
我要一份米饭 (wǒ yào yī fèn mǐfàn) – I want one rice
我要一杯水 (wǒ yào yī bēi shuǐ) – I want one glass of water
不要辣 (bú yào là) – Not spicy
Repeat them until they feel natural.
New Words from This Blog Post
菜单 (cài dān) – menu
米饭 (mǐfàn) – rice
面条 (miàntiáo) – noodles
牛肉 (niúròu) – beef
鸡肉 (jīròu) – chicken
推荐 (tuījiàn) – recommend
好吃 (hǎo chī) – delicious
服务员 (fúwùyuán) – waiter
买单 (mǎi dān) – to pay the bill
辣 (là) – spicy
盐 (yán) – salt
热 (rè) – hot
冰 (bīng) – ice or cold
一杯 (yī bēi) – a cup
一份 (yī fèn) – a portion
