Restaurant Chinese

Posted on by tiffany

Restaurant Ordering · Mandarin Travel Phrases
MANDARIN TRAVEL PHRASES · SCENE 04 BOARDING PASS TO MANDARIN

Restaurant Ordering

餐厅点餐cāntīng diǎncān

Getting seated, reading the menu, ordering, handling allergies, and paying the bill — everything you’ll need to say at a restaurant.

Seated Order Dietary Pay
Region
Pinyin
Translation
01

Getting a Table

Traveler
请问qǐngwèn，两位liǎng wèi。
Excuse me, table for two.
Staff
好hǎo，这边zhè biān请qǐng。
Sure, this way please.
Traveler
请问qǐngwèn有yǒu英文yīngwén菜单càidān吗ma？
Do you have an English menu?
Staff
不好意思bù hǎoyìsi，没有méiyǒu。
Sorry, we don’t.
Must-Know 请问qǐngwèn两位liǎng wèiTable for two — swap the number for however many are in your group
Read more: how to read a Chinese menu →
02

Ordering

Traveler
这道菜zhè dào cài辣là吗ma？
Is this dish spicy?
Staff
有一点yǒu yìdiǎn辣là。
It’s a little spicy.
Traveler
可以kěyǐ不要bú yào辣là吗ma？
Could you make it not spicy?
Traveler
我wǒ要yào一碗yì wǎn牛肉面niúròu miàn。
I’ll have a bowl of beef noodle soup.
Staff
好hǎo，还要hái yào别的bié de吗ma？
Sure, anything else?
Traveler
这样zhèyàng就好jiù hǎo，谢谢xièxie。
That’s all, thank you.
Read more: essential restaurant vocabulary →
03

Dietary Restrictions

Traveler
我wǒ吃素chī sù。
I’m vegetarian.
Traveler
我wǒ对duì花生huāshēng过敏guòmǐn。
I’m allergic to peanuts.
Staff
好hǎo，我会wǒ huì跟gēn厨房chúfáng说shuō。
Okay, I’ll let the kitchen know.
Substitution Drill 我wǒ对duì____过敏guòmǐnSwap in shellfish, dairy, gluten — this pattern covers any allergy
04

Paying the Bill

Traveler
买单mǎidān，谢谢xièxie。
Check, please.
Staff
一共yígòng三百五十sānbǎi wǔshí元yuán。
That’s 350 total.
Traveler
可以kěyǐ用yòng支付宝zhīfùbǎo或huò微信wēixìn吗ma？
Can I pay by mobile payment?
Staff
可以kěyǐ，也yě可以kěyǐ刷卡shuākǎ。
Yes, you can also pay by card.
Traveler
可以kěyǐ分开fēnkāi付fù吗ma？
Can we split the bill?
Also Useful 结账jiézhàngTaiwan uses 結帳 jiézhàng and 買單 mǎidān interchangeably for “check, please” — mainland China mainly says 买单 mǎidān
💡

Culture Note

  • Among younger diners, splitting the bill evenly (AA制) is common in both Taiwan and mainland China. Among older or middle-aged diners, though, it’s common to see people insist on treating — sometimes even grabbing the bill out of each other’s hands to be the one who pays.
  • Tea is often served free and refilled continually at Chinese restaurants without being asked — no need to flag someone down for it.
  • When sharing family-style dishes, many households use separate serving chopsticks and spoons (公筷母匙) instead of everyone’s own chopsticks reaching into the same plate — worth doing if your host doesn’t set them out.
  • Slurping noodles or making some noise while eating isn’t considered rude — and among many older diners, a burp or picking your teeth at the table after a meal is taken as a sign you enjoyed it, not bad manners.

Emergency Phrase Card

Screenshot or print to keep on hand

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