Top 50 phrases to get by China (Advanced): Dining out

🇨🇳 Rice often isn't served automatically. You order it separately, and it may arrive at the end of the meal unless you ask for it with your dishes.

🇨🇳 Dumplings are usually ordered by weight, in 两 (liǎng), or by plate, rather than one at a time. Ask how many come in a serving.

💬 肉 (ròu) means "meat", so you add it to an animal's name to get the food: 鸡 (jī) "chicken" becomes 鸡肉 "chicken meat". The same pattern gives 牛肉 and 猪肉.

🇨🇳 If a menu just says 肉 with no animal named, it usually means pork, the default meat in most of China.

🇨🇳 Fish is often served whole, head included, and priced by weight. Some places let you pick a live one from a tank.

🇨🇳 Never stand your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. It looks like incense at a funeral.

💬 碗 (wǎn) also works as a counting word for anything served in a bowl: 一碗面 (yì wǎn miàn) "a bowl of noodles", 一碗汤 (yì wǎn tāng) "a bowl of soup".

💬 一 is read (yí) here, because it comes before 个 (gè), which has a falling tone. The whole phrase sounds like (zài lái yí gè).

💬 来 (lái) literally means "come", but in a restaurant it's the everyday way to order: 来 + amount + item. Swap in any dish, as in 来一盘饺子 (lái yì pán jiǎo zi) "a plate of dumplings".

💬 瓶 (píng) is the counting word for bottles, and it slots into the same ordering pattern: 来两瓶水 (lái liǎng píng shuǐ) "two bottles of water". 一 is read (yì) here because it comes before a rising tone.

💬 招牌 (zhāo pái) literally means "shop sign", so 招牌菜 is the dish a restaurant would put on its sign. You'll often see it marked on menus.

💬 Chinese questions keep normal word order: 什么 (shén me) "what" sits right where the answer would go. Ask 这是什么？ "what is this?" the same way.

💬 辣 (là) works as a full sentence with no word for "is": 太辣了 (tài là le) means "it's too spicy".

🇨🇳 In Sichuan or Hunan restaurants, even "not spicy" may still have some heat. 微辣 "mildly spicy" is the usual compromise.

🇨🇳 In places like Sichuan or Hunan, "a little spicy" can still be quite hot by Western standards. If you want none at all, say 不辣 (bú là) "not spicy".

💬 Chinese often asks yes/no questions by just adding 吗 to a statement: 这个辣 → 这个辣吗？ You can do the same with other descriptions: 这个热吗？ 这个贵吗？

🇨🇳 Cooks may still treat meat broth, lard, or small bits of meat as fine for vegetarians. It helps to add 不要肉 (bú yào ròu) "no meat" or ask about the broth.

💬 Put 不 (bù) right before the action to say you don't do it. Swap in other foods, as in 我不吃辣 (wǒ bù chī là) "I don't eat spicy food".

💬 The pattern is 对 (duì) + the thing + 过敏 (guò mǐn), so the allergen goes in the middle. Swap it out, as in 我对海鲜过敏 (wǒ duì hǎi xiān guò mǐn) "I'm allergic to seafood".

🇨🇳 Allergies are less widely understood in China, and peanut oil is common in cooking. Writing it down for the kitchen can help.

💬 不要放 (bú yào fàng) means "don't put in", and you can swap in anything: 不要放辣椒 (bú yào fàng là jiāo) "no chili", 不要放香菜 (bú yào fàng xiāng cài) "no cilantro". 不 is read (bú) here because 要 has a falling tone.

🇨🇳 Hosts often keep piling food onto your plate. You may need to say this a few times with a smile before they believe you.

💬 好 + a verb often makes an adjective for how pleasant something is: 好吃 "tasty", 好看 "good-looking", 好喝 "tasty (drinks)".

💬 好吃 (hǎo chī) literally means "good to eat". The same shape gives 好喝 (hǎo hē) "tasty", for drinks. 很 (hěn) here is closer to just completing the sentence than a strong "very".

🇨🇳 干杯！ is stronger than casual English "cheers" and often implies everyone drinks right then. In more formal or business meals, people may expect you to raise your glass and join in.

🇨🇳 Many restaurants don't put napkins on the table. Packs of tissues may cost a little, so locals often carry their own.

💬 麻烦 (má fan) literally means "trouble". Starting a request with it works like "sorry to bother you": 麻烦给我一杯水 (má fan gěi wǒ yì bēi shuǐ) "a glass of water, please".

🇨🇳 Taking leftovers home is completely normal in China, even at nice restaurants. It's seen as sensible, not stingy.

🇨🇳 Call it out to staff with 服务员，买单！ "waiter, the bill!". Calling out to staff like this is perfectly normal, and there's no tipping.

💬 买单 (mǎi dān) is said with a low tone then a flat tone, so it sounds like (mǎi dān), not (mài dān). (mài) with a falling tone means "sell".

🇨🇳 In China you usually ask for the bill yourself, since it won't come automatically. Friends often compete to pay, and tipping isn't expected.

💬 多少 is the common "how much / how many," so 多少钱？ is literally "how much money?" The same pattern works in 多少人？ "how many people?"

🇨🇳 Mobile payment is the default almost everywhere. You either scan the shop's QR code or let them scan yours, and both apps now let foreigners link overseas cards.

💬 Add 吗 (ma) to the end of any statement to turn it into a yes/no question. To say yes, repeat the verb: 可以 (kě yǐ) "you can".

🇨🇳 Mobile payment is the norm almost everywhere, and some small places barely handle cash. Usually you scan a QR code at the counter or on your table.

💬 用 (yòng) means "use", and it's left out after 可以 here because it's understood. You could also say 可以用支付宝吗？ in full.

🇨🇳 再见 is standard and polite, but in everyday situations people often also use shorter goodbyes depending on context. It won't sound stiff, so it's a safe default for learners.