Restaurant words are the most complicated ones in Chinese. Since eating and food are an essential part of the cultures in China, each area has developed their customs. The way people serve food and order food also becomes diverse. Therefore, if you travel around China, you may hear some different expressions. No need to worry! Because using your finger to point to what you want to eat can solve 95 percent of problems 🙂
In the following sentences, I am going to use color to express the country
Blue for Taiwan
Red for China
Black for both
Restaurant People
Waiter and waitress
服務員/服务员
fúwùyuán
先生(waiter) 小姐(waitress)
xiānshēng xiǎojiě
伙計
huǒjì（in Guangdong）
Owner
老闆/老板
lǎobǎn （male）
老闆娘/老板娘
lǎobǎnniáng（female）
Enter the Restaurant
How many people (in your party)?
幾位/几位？
Jǐwèi？
Do you have a reservation?
有訂位嗎/有订位吗？
Yǒu dìngwèi ma？
- Reservation: 訂位/订位 dìngwèi
Are any seats available?
還有位子嗎？ Hái yǒu wèizi ma？
有空位吗？ Yǒu kòng wèi ma?
Take away
我要外帶/我要外带
Wǒ yào wàidài.
Can we sit here?
可以坐這嗎/可以坐这吗？
Kěyǐ zuò zhè ma?
Table for six?
有六個人的位子嗎？ Yǒu liù ge rén de wèizi ma?
有六人桌吗？ Yǒu liùrén zhuō ma?
Do you have a private room?
有沒有包廂？ Yǒu méi yǒu bāoxiāng？
有没有单间？ Yǒu méi yǒu dānjiān？
- Private room: 包廂bāoxiāng/单间dānjiān
Give me a table near the window.
請給我靠窗的位子 Qǐng gěi wǒ kào chuāng de wèizi.
给我靠窗户的桌子 Gěi wǒ kào chuānghù de zhuōzi.
This seat is not good, may I change?
不好意思，我可以換別的位子嗎？
Bùhǎo yìsi，wǒ kěyǐ huàn biéde wèizi ma？
这位子不好，可以换吗？
Zhè wèizi bùhǎo, kěyǐ huàn ma?
Order Food in Chinese
Please give me the menu.
不好意思，請問有菜單嗎？
Bùhǎo yìsi，qǐngwèn yǒu càidān ma？
请拿菜单来。
Qǐng ná càidān lái.
- Menu: 菜單/菜单 càidān
Do you have an English menu?
有英文的菜單嗎？ Yǒu yīngwén de càidān ma?
有英语的菜单吗？ Yǒu yīng yǔ de càidān ma?
Do you have any recommendations?
你們有推薦的嗎？ Nǐmen yǒu tuījiàn de ma？
你们有什么招牌菜吗？ Nǐmen yǒu shénme zhāopáicài ma？
- Recommendation: 推薦/推荐 tuījiàn
- Signature dish: 招牌菜 zhāopáicài
Do you serve vegetarian food?
有素食餐點嗎？ Yǒu sùshí ma?
有素菜吗？Yǒu sùcài ma?
- Vegetarian food: 素食sùshí / 素菜sùcài
- Vegetarian but milk and egg ok: 蛋奶素 dànnǎi sù
- Vegan and no garlic, no onion, no green onion, no ginger, no leek: 全素 quánsù
- Vegan: 五辛素 wǔxīnsù
I am allergic to seafood.
我對海鮮過敏/我对海鲜过敏
Wǒ duì hǎixiān guòmǐn.
- Allergic: 過敏/过敏 guòmǐn
- Seafood: 海鮮/海鲜 hǎixiān
- Shellfish: 貝類/贝类 bèilèi
- Crustacean: 甲殼類/甲壳类 jiǎkélèi
- Egg: 雞蛋/鸡蛋 jīdàn
- Gluten: 麩質/麸质 fūzhí/fūzhì
Would that be dinner, or a la carte?
請問是套餐還是單點？
Qǐngwèn shì tàocān háishì dāndiǎn？
你想吃套餐还是单点？
Nǐ xiǎng chī tàocān háishì dāndiǎn？
I would like a Mapo tofu.
我要一個麻婆豆腐 Wǒ yào yíge mápó dòufǔ.
来一个麻婆豆腐 Lái yí ge mápó dòufu.
That will be all for now.
先這樣就好了 Xiān zhè yàng jiù hǎo le
就要这些 Jiù yào zhè xiē
During the Meal in Chinese
May I have a refill (tea)？
不好意思，我要加茶 Bùhǎo yìsi，wǒ yào jiā chá.
帮我添加茶水 Bāng wǒ tiānjiā cháshuǐ.
Please give me a chopsticks
請給我一雙筷子/请给我一双筷子
Qǐng géi wǒ yìshuāng kuàizi.
- Paper napkin: 衛生紙wèishēngzhǐ/纸巾zhǐjīn
- Wet tissue: 濕紙巾/湿纸巾 shī zhǐ jīn
- Spoon: 湯匙/汤匙 tāngchí
- Fork: 叉子 chāzi
My order hasn’t come out yet.
我點的菜還沒來 Wǒ diǎn de cài háiméi lái.
我点的菜还没上 Wǒ diǎn de cài háiméi shàng.
Any idea how much longer it will be?
大概還要多久/大概还要多久？
Dàgài háiyào duōjiǔ？
I did not order this one.
這不是我點的菜 Zhè búshì wǒ diǎn de cài.
我没点这个菜 Wǒ méi diǎn zhè ge cài.
This dish is too spicy.
這道菜太辣了/这道菜太辣了
Zhè dào cài tài là le.
- Too salty: 太鹹了/太咸了tài xián le
- Is cold: 冷了 lěngle
- Overcooked: 太老了tài lǎo le
F.Y.I. I strongly recommend you do not complain about the food in a local restaurant, the waiter might take your food into the kitchen and spit on your dish….
Can you put my leftovers into a to-go box?
可以打包嗎/可以打包吗？
Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma？
Pay the Bill in Chinese
Bill, please
買單/买单
Mǎi dān
It’s my treat！
我請客/我请客
Wǒ qǐngkè.
Let’s go Dutch
我們各付各的吧/我们各付各的吧
Wǒmen gè fù gè de ba！
Do you take credit cards?
收信用卡嗎/收信用卡吗？
Shōu xìnyòngkǎ ma？
- Credit card: 信用卡 xìnyòngkǎ
- Cash: 現金/现金 xiànjīn
We would like to pay separately
我們分開付/我们分开付款
Wǒ men fēn kāi fù (kuǎn)
There is a mistake here！
這個好像不太對 Zhège hǎoxiàng bútài duì.
这儿算错了 zhè’er suàn cuò le.
May I have a receipt, please
有發票嗎？ Yǒu fāpiào ma.
请开张发票 Qǐng kāi zhāng fāpiào.
