How to Order Food in Chinese: 我要这个, 推荐 and 买单

To order food in Chinese, point at the menu and say 我要这个 (wǒ yào zhège, "I'd like this one"), or say 来一个… (lái yí ge…, "I'll have a…") followed by the dish. Call the server with 服务员 (fúwùyuán), ask 有什么推荐的吗？ (yǒu shénme tuījiàn de ma?, "What do you recommend?"), and finish with 买单 (mǎidān, "the bill, please").

Those four will get you through most meals. Below are 38 phrases in the order you'll need them, from getting a table to taking the leftovers home, each with audio. After them come the words for food itself, how to sound polite, and what to expect in a restaurant in China.

Tap a play button to hear each phrase. Pinyin is shown with dictionary tones, except 一 and 不, which are marked the way they're said (一个 yí ge, 不要 bú yào). Two third tones together are said as second + third, as our guide to tone sandhi explains, and the recordings do this for you.

Phrases for Ordering Food in Chinese, From Table to Bill

Getting a Table

You can also just hold up fingers. Many busy restaurants give you a number and a seat by the door; when it's called, you're in.

Calling the Server and Getting the Menu

Ordering

The pattern behind most orders is 来 (lái, literally "come") + number + measure word + dish. 个 (gè) is the all-purpose measure word; 份 (fèn) is a portion, 碗 (wǎn) a bowl, 盘 (pán) a plate, 杯 (bēi) a glass or cup, 瓶 (píng) a bottle and 壶 (hú) a pot. Two is 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr), before a measure word: 两碗米饭 (liǎng wǎn mǐfàn), two bowls of rice. Our guide to numbers in Chinese covers the rest, including prices.

Spice, Allergies and What You Don't Eat

Vegetable dishes are sometimes cooked with a little meat or in meat stock, so say 我吃素 as well as asking for a vegetable dish. For an allergy, say the phrase but also show the staff the words written down in characters, so there's no doubt.

Drinks and Extras

Paying the Bill

Takeaway and Leftovers

Taking leftovers home is normal, even after a smart dinner, so don't be shy about 打包. Food delivered to your door is 外卖 (wàimài).

How to Ask for Recommendations in Chinese

"Recommend" in Chinese is 推荐 (tuījiàn), and the same word is also the noun, "a recommendation". The easiest way to ask is 有什么推荐的吗？ (yǒu shénme tuījiàn de ma?), "Is there anything you recommend?", from the table above. These are the other ways you'll hear it asked and answered:

Help the server help you: say how many of you there are and how much spice you can take, for example 我们两个人，不太能吃辣 (wǒmen liǎng ge rén, bú tài néng chī là), "There are two of us, and we can't eat very spicy food." You may hear 这个卖得最好 (zhège mài de zuì hǎo, "this one sells best"), and menus often flag dishes as 推荐 or 店长推荐 (diànzhǎng tuījiàn, "the manager recommends").

To recommend something yourself, use the same word: 我推荐这个 (wǒ tuījiàn zhège), "I recommend this one." For a suggestion or advice rather than a dish, the word is 建议 (jiànyì): 你有什么建议？ (nǐ yǒu shénme jiànyì?), "What would you suggest?"

Food in Chinese: 吃的, 菜, 饭 and Other Basic Words

The everyday word for food is 吃的 (chī de, literally "things to eat"), as in 有吃的吗？ (yǒu chī de ma?), "Is there anything to eat?" 食物 (shíwù) is the general word you'll see written, on signs and packaging. In a restaurant, the two words you'll use most are 菜 (cài), a dish (it also means "vegetables"), and 饭 (fàn), which means cooked rice but also a meal.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner also have more formal names, 早餐 (zǎocān), 午餐 (wǔcān) and 晚餐 (wǎncān), which you'll see on hotel signs and menus. Western food is 西餐 (xīcān). To say something's good, 很好吃 (hěn hǎochī) or 太好吃了 (tài hǎochī le, "so good!") will please any cook. For when you eat each meal, see daily routine in Chinese.

A Few Dishes to Know

Dumplings are also the classic Chinese New Year food in the north (see Chinese New Year in Chinese). For fast food, our McDonald's menu in China post translates the menu item by item.

Reading a Chinese Menu

Menus in mainland China are usually in characters only, sometimes with English and often with photos. They're split into sections:

• 凉菜 (liángcài): cold dishes and starters
• 热菜 (rècài): hot dishes, the main part of the meal
• 汤 (tāng): soups
• 主食 (zhǔshí): staples such as rice, noodles, dumplings and buns
• 饮料 (yǐnliào): drinks

Dish names often start with the way they're cooked: 炒 (chǎo, stir-fried), 炸 (zhá, deep-fried), 蒸 (zhēng, steamed), 烤 (kǎo, roasted or grilled) and 红烧 (hóngshāo, braised in soy sauce). Spot one of those and the main ingredient, and you'll have a good idea what you're ordering.

How to Order Politely in Chinese

我要… (wǒ yào…, "I want…") is not rude. It's the normal way to order, just as "I'll have…" is in English. Chinese politeness in a restaurant comes from a friendly tone of voice and a 谢谢, not from long, careful sentences, and very formal phrasing can sound stiff. If you want to soften a request, three small words do it:

• 请问 (qǐngwèn), "excuse me, may I ask", before a question: 请问，有菜单吗？ (qǐngwèn, yǒu càidān ma?)
• 麻烦你 (máfan nǐ), "sorry to trouble you", before a request: 麻烦你，再来一碗米饭 (máfan nǐ, zài lái yì wǎn mǐfàn), "One more bowl of rice, please."
• 谢谢 (xièxie), "thank you", when the food arrives and when you leave.

请 (qǐng) on its own is more for inviting someone to do something (请坐, qǐng zuò, "please sit down") than for asking for things; our post on how to say please in Chinese explains the difference. 我想要… (wǒ xiǎng yào…, "I'd like…") is a touch softer than 我要 if you prefer it.

Calling 服务员！ across a busy restaurant is normal in mainland China. In a quieter place, catch someone's eye or raise a hand first. You'll also hear people call staff 美女 (měinǚ, "pretty girl") or 帅哥 (shuàigē, "handsome"): friendly and very common, but casual, so 你好 is the safe choice for a learner.

Short phrases said clearly beat long ones said nervously, and the tones matter more than the grammar. If you want to rehearse out loud before you go, the Chunking Chinese fluency trainer teaches everyday sentence chunks like these and gives feedback on the tone and pronunciation of each character as you speak.

What Happens in a Chinese Restaurant

• You might order on your phone. Many restaurants have a QR code on the table: you scan it, order from a picture menu on your phone and often pay there too. This is 扫码点餐 (sǎomǎ diǎncān). If it won't work for you, ask 可以用菜单点吗？ (kěyǐ yòng càidān diǎn ma?), "Can I order from a menu?"
• Dishes are shared. Everyone orders for the table, the dishes go in the middle, and each person has a bowl of rice. Use the serving chopsticks or spoons (公筷, gōngkuài) if there are some, and don't stand your chopsticks upright in the rice: it looks like incense at a funeral.
• You call the server; they don't hover. Staff usually leave you alone until you call them over, so say 服务员 whenever you need something, including the bill.
• Tea is topped up for you. When someone pours you tea, you can tap two fingers on the table to say thanks. The custom is most common in southern China, as in Cantonese dim sum (Wikipedia: Chinese tea culture).
• Paying is mostly by phone. Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate, and both accept Visa and Mastercard cards from abroad (Beijing government guide to payment). The same guide says every merchant has to accept cash in yuan, so carry a little as a back-up. Our post on travel phrases in Chinese has more on setting up payments.
• Tipping isn't expected in ordinary restaurants, and many high-end restaurants add a 10% service charge instead (Cathay Pacific's tipping guide).
• Someone usually pays for everyone. Friends often take turns treating each other: 我请客 means "it's on me". Splitting the bill is called AA制 (AA zhì), and it's common among younger people.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say "I Would Like to Order" in Chinese?

我想点菜 (wǒ xiǎng diǎncài) is "I'd like to order", and 我要点菜 (wǒ yào diǎncài) is "I want to order". Both are fine. In practice, most people just call 服务员，点菜！ (fúwùyuán, diǎncài!) to get someone to take the order. To order a particular thing, point and say 我要这个 (wǒ yào zhège), "I'd like this one", or 我想要… (wǒ xiǎng yào…), "I'd like…".

What Is "Order" in Chinese?

In a restaurant, "to order" is 点 (diǎn): 点菜 (diǎncài, to order dishes) or 点餐 (diǎncān, to order a meal), so a waiter may ask 点好了吗？ (diǎn hǎo le ma?), "Are you ready to order?" Ordering online is 下单 (xiàdān), and booking a table is 订位 (dìngwèi).

How Do You Order Food in Chinese Politely?

Use the normal phrases, 我要… or 来一个…, with a friendly tone, and add 谢谢 (xièxie). Put 请问 (qǐngwèn) before a question or 麻烦你 (máfan nǐ) before a request if you want to be extra courteous. See "How to Order Politely in Chinese" above.

How Do You Ask for the Bill in Chinese?

Say 买单 (mǎidān) or 结账 (jiézhàng), often after calling the server: 服务员，买单！ Both are used all over China. Then ask 可以扫码吗？ (kěyǐ sǎomǎ ma?) to pay by phone.

Can You Give Me a Simple Ordering Dialogue?

Server: 您好，几位？ (nín hǎo, jǐ wèi?) Hello, how many of you?
You: 两位。 (liǎng wèi.) Two.
Server: 想吃点什么？ (xiǎng chī diǎn shénme?) What would you like?
You: 来一份宫保鸡丁，一碗米饭。 (lái yí fèn gōngbǎo jīdīng, yì wǎn mǐfàn.) One kung pao chicken and a bowl of rice, please.
Server: 还要别的吗？ (hái yào bié de ma?) Anything else?
You: 就这些，谢谢。 (jiù zhèxiē, xièxie.) That's all, thanks.

For everyday phrases beyond the restaurant, see our list of essential phrases in Chinese.

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