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Scene illustrating a Simplified Chinese-language ordering a coffee part 2 conversation

Key Phrases

一杯咖啡

yī bēi kā fēi

A cup of coffee

听起来不错

tīng qǐ lái bù cuò

Sounds good

过敏

guò mǐn

Allergic

Skills You'll Learn

Making a drink order

点饮料

diǎn yǐn liào

Discussing dietary restrictions

讨论饮食限制

tǎo lùn yǐn shí xiàn zhì

Asking about ingredients

询问成分

xún wèn chéng fèn

Lesson Roleplay

Imagine you are at a coffee shop in China. You start by ordering a cup of coffee and are asked about your milk preference. Since you're allergic to regular milk, the server offers soy milk as an alternative. You inquire about the ingredients in soy milk before deciding to go ahead with it. The server then confirms your order and lets you know it will be ready soon.

你好,我要一杯咖啡。

nǐ hǎo wǒ yào yī bēi kā fēi

Hello, I would like a cup of coffee.

好的。你喜欢什么牛奶?我们有普通牛奶、豆奶和杏仁奶。

hǎo de nǐ xǐ huān shén me niú nǎi wǒ men yǒu pǔ tōng niú nǎi dòu nǎi hé xìng rén nǎi

Sure. What kind of milk do you prefer? We have regular milk, soy milk, and almond milk.

我对牛奶过敏。有没有椰奶?

wǒ duì niú nǎi guò mǐn yǒu méi yǒu yē nǎi

I'm allergic to milk. Do you have coconut milk?

对不起,我们没有椰奶。你想试试豆奶吗?

duì bù qǐ wǒ men méi yǒu yē nǎi nǐ xiǎng shì shì dòu nǎi ma

Sorry, we don't have coconut milk. Would you like to try soy milk?

豆奶可以吗?豆奶里有什么成分?

dòu nǎi kě yǐ ma dòu nǎi lǐ yǒu shén me chéng fèn

Is soy milk okay? What's in soy milk?

Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases

👤

You

💬 Use [你] casually among friends or equals.

🇨🇳 In formal situations, [您] is used as a polite form.

See breakdown →
👍

hǎo

Good

💬 Combines with [你] to form a common greeting.

🇨🇳 You'll hear [好] often as a sign of agreement or affirmation.

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👋

你好

nǐ hǎo

Hello

💬 A universal greeting. Pronounce: 'nee how'.

🇨🇳 Always a safe way to address someone when meeting them.

See breakdown →
🙋

I

💬 [我] is pronounced like 'wo' in 'wonder'.

🇨🇳 Chinese culture values humility; use with care when asserting oneself.

See breakdown →
🙏

yào

Want

💬 Can be a polite demand if used in a sentence.

🇨🇳 Tone matters: with the right context and tone, it's not pushy.

See breakdown →
🙏

我要

wǒ yào

I would like

💬 Use [我要] politely in cafés or restaurants.

🇨🇳 Chinese often indirectly express wants to avoid appearing needy.

See breakdown →
1️⃣

One

💬 In Chinese, [一] (one) is usually pronounced 'yee'.

🇨🇳 [一] can be used for emphasis, as in 'just one'.

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bēi

Cup

💬 Use [杯] as a measure word for beverages.

🇨🇳 In Chinese culture, sharing tea or coffee is a sign of camaraderie.

See breakdown →

咖啡

kā fēi

Coffee

💬 Pronounced as 'kah-fay'.

🇨🇳 Coffee culture is rising in China, especially in urban areas.

See breakdown →
🚀

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