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How to Say ‘What dishes are there?’ in Simplified Chinese

有什么菜?

yǒu shén me cài

[yoe shuhn-muh cài]

💬 Usage Tip: 什么 goes in the same spot where the answer will go, and the word order doesn't change. The answer is simply 有鱼 "there's fish", with 鱼 replacing 什么.

Phrase Breakdown

有

yǒu

[yoe]

have; there is/are

Used to show existence or availability of something.

Example

门口有停车位,很方便。

There are parking spaces at the entrance, which is very convenient.

什么

shén me

[shuhn-muh]

what

A question word used to ask about things, details, or specific information.

Example

你想知道什么时候可以取消,就先问“什么”规则。

If you want to know when you can cancel, first ask what the rules are.

菜

cài

[cài]

dish

A prepared dish of food served at a meal.

Example

这个菜很辣。

This dish is very spicy.

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