Restaurant reservations Part 2 (Advanced): Specifying any dietary restrictions or special requests.

💬 The pattern is 对 + food + 过敏, and you can swap in any food. For example, 对海鲜过敏 "allergic to seafood"; put 我 in front to say it about yourself.

🇨🇳 Peanuts and peanut oil turn up in many Chinese dishes and sauces, so it's worth naming the allergy clearly. Ask about the cooking oil as well as the ingredients.

💬 The 上 after 备注 doesn't mean "up" here. It shows the note is actually being added to your booking, the same way 写上 means "write it down".

💬 会 before a verb here means "will", a promise about what's going to happen. It isn't the "can" meaning 会 has elsewhere.

💬 Everything before 的 describes the noun after it, so 炒菜用的 means "used for stir-frying" and describes 油. Try 喝的水 "water for drinking".

💬 Add 呢 to the end of a thing's name to ask "what about...?" For example, 那汤呢？ "what about the soup?"

💬 不会是...吧 voices a worry and asks to be reassured, much like "surely it isn't..., right?" For example, 不会很辣吧？ "it won't be very spicy, will it?"

💬 Put 成 after 换 to name what something becomes: swap A for B. Another example is 换成米饭 "switch to rice".

🇨🇳 Kitchens often cook from shared pans and sauces. Being offered a separate batch made just for you is real special treatment, and a thank-you is appropriate.

💬 一点 after an adjective means "a bit more". 稍微 in front softens it further, so 稍微慢一点 means "just a little slower".

🇨🇳 Staff often warn you in advance when a special request will slow things down. A simple 没关系 "no problem" is the usual reply.

🇨🇳 To many people in China, 吃素 suggests Buddhist-style eating, which can also mean no garlic or onion. Meat-based stock and lard can still sneak into dishes, so ask about them.

🇨🇳 A dish listed under 素菜 can still be cooked with meat broth or have bits of minced pork on top. Check if you're strictly vegetarian.

💬 Ending a statement with 吗 turns it into a yes/no question, and the word order stays the same. To answer, repeat the adjective: 多 "yes, many" or 不多 "not many".

💬 几 after a round number means "and a few more": 十几 is 11 to 19, and 二十几 is twenty-something. 道 is the counting word for dishes in a meal.

🇨🇳 麻烦你们 is a polite way to ask for a favour or thank someone for one. People use it all the time, and it makes requests sound gracious rather than demanding.

🇨🇳 This is a warm, polite way to wrap up a special request. It shows you appreciate the extra effort, and staff tend to respond well to it.

💬 好 after a verb means the action is finished and done properly, so 备注好了 means "noted, all set". You'll often hear 准备好了 "all ready" too.

💬 Start with 祝您 and add a wish to build polite good wishes. For example, 祝您旅途愉快 "have a pleasant trip".