Chinese Phrases for Ordering Food in China
Eating out in China is cheap and fun, but menus are usually Chinese-only and many staff do not speak English. These phrases get you from the door to the bill. Pair them with our full annotator to read any menu item.
| When you want to say | 中文 | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| I would like to order | 我想点餐 | wǒ xiǎng diǎn cān | I’d like to order, please |
| Do you have an English menu? | 有英文菜单吗 | yǒu yīng wén cài dān ma | Do you have an English menu? |
| Is this dish spicy? | 这个辣吗 | zhè gè là ma | Is this spicy? |
| Not spicy, please | 不要辣 | bù yào là | No spice, please |
| Mildly spicy | 微辣 | wēi là | A little spicy |
| I don’t eat pork | 我不吃猪肉 | wǒ bù chī zhū ròu | I don’t eat pork |
| A glass of water, please | 一杯水 | yī bēi shuǐ | One glass of water |
| Can I pay with WeChat? | 可以用微信支付吗 | kě yǐ yòng wēi xìn zhī fù ma | Can I pay with WeChat Pay? |
| The bill, please | 买单 | mǎi dān | The check, please |
| Pack it to go | 打包 | dǎ bāo | Wrap it up / doggy bag |
In casual restaurants you often order by scanning a QR code on the table (扫码点餐) and pay on your phone before leaving. The bill is called 买单 (mǎi dān). If you need an English menu, just ask.
Try it yourself
Paste any sentence from this page into the tool below to see pinyin above each character and an English meaning for every word. Handy for real forms, notices, or chats.
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Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to tip in China?
- No. Tipping is not expected in Chinese restaurants, and many places do not accept tips at all.
- What if the menu has no English?
- Open the Chinese Text Annotator on this page, paste the dish name, and it shows pinyin and a meaning for each word.
- How do I order if no one speaks English?
- Show the dishes you want on your phone, or point at what others are eating. 这个 (zhè gè, ‘this one’) works well.