How to Say ‘Let's eat first.’ in Simplified Chinese
先吃饭吧。
xiān chī fàn ba
[shyen chir-fahn bah]
💬 Usage Tip: 吧 at the end softens a suggestion into "let's": 走吧 "Let's go".
🇨🇳 In China: Hosts often cut the chat short to get everyone to the table. Food is central to a family visit, so go along with it happily.
Phrase Breakdown
先
xiān
[shyen]
first; for now
Used to say you want to do something before anything else.
我先看看特别菜单。
I'll first take a look at the special menu.
吃饭
chī fàn
[chir-fahn]
to eat a meal
A very common phrase meaning to eat, have a meal, or dine.
现在可以吃饭了吗？
Can we eat now?
吧
ba
[bah]
let's; suggestion particle
Softens the sentence and turns it into a friendly suggestion.
我们一起等比赛吧。
Let's wait for the match together.
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