HSK 1 · Article · 219 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-order-food-in-a-chinese-restaurant

怎么点菜？

How to order food in a Chinese restaurant

Name: ________________ Date: ________

在zài中国zhōngguó吃饭chīfàn，点菜diǎncài的de时候shíhou说shuō什么shénme？我们wǒmen一个yígè一个yígè来lái看kàn。

第一dìyī个gè：“服务员fúwùyuán！”你nǐ坐下zuòxià了le，想xiǎng点菜diǎncài，可以kéyǐ说shuō“服务员fúwùyuán”，也yě可以kéyǐ说shuō“你好níhǎo”。

第二dì’èr个gè：“有yǒu什么shénme好吃hǎochī的de？”菜cài太tài多duō了le，不bù知道zhīdào吃chī什么shénme？问问wènwen服务员fúwùyuán吧ba。

第三dìsān个gè：“我wǒ要yào这个zhège。”不bù知道zhīdào菜cài的de名字míngzi？没关系méiguānxi。那边nàbiān的de人rén吃chī的de菜cài，你nǐ也yě想xiǎng吃chī？说shuō“我wǒ要yào那个nàge”。

第四dìsì个gè：“再zài来lái一个yígè。”包子bāozi太tài好吃hǎochī了le？说shuō“再zài来lái一个yígè”！

第五dìwǔ个gè：“买单mǎidān！”吃chī好hǎo了le，说shuō“买单mǎidān”。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，你nǐ和hé韩hán先生xiānsheng、黎lí先生xiānsheng去qù吃饭chīfàn。吃chī好hǎo了le，你nǐ说shuō：“买单mǎidān！”

黎lí先生xiānsheng说shuō：“不bù，不bù，不bù，今天jīntiān我wǒ请qǐng！”你nǐ说shuō：“不bù，今天jīntiān我wǒ请qǐng你们nǐmen！”他tā说shuō：“我wǒ请qǐng！我wǒ请qǐng！”

你们nǐmen说shuō了le十shí分钟fēnzhōng。韩hán先生xiānsheng呢ne？他tā不见bújiàn了le。

服务员fúwùyuán来lái了le：“韩hán先生xiānsheng买单mǎidān了le。”

你nǐ看kàn，在zài中国zhōngguó，买单mǎidān的de人rén不bù说shuō“买单mǎidān”。

Key words

Eating out in China: what do you say when you order? Let's take it one at a time.

Number one: “Fúwùyuán!” Once you've sat down and want to order, you can say fúwùyuán (waiter), or you can say nǐ hǎo (hello).

Number two: “What's good here?” Too many dishes, and you don't know what to eat? Ask the waiter.

Number three: “I'll have this.” Don't know the name of the dish? No problem. Want what the people over there are eating? Say, “I'll have that.”

Number four: “One more.” The buns are too good? Say, “One more!”

Number five: “Mǎidān — the bill!” When you've finished, say mǎidān.

One day you go out to eat with Mr Han and Mr Li. When you've finished, you say, “The bill!”

Mr Li says, “No, no, no, today it's on me!” You say, “No, today I'm treating you!” He says, “My treat! My treat!”

You go on like this for ten minutes. And Mr Han? He's gone.

The waiter comes over: “Mr Han has paid.”

You see: in China, the one who pays the bill doesn't say mǎidān.