I can say how many of us there are, order without spice, call the waiter, ask for the check, and take leftover food to go.
At a café: how many of you, spicy food, and the check
At a café: how many of you, spicy food, and the check
At the door the waiter (服务员) asks 几位？(Jǐ wèi?) — “how many of you?”. 位 is a polite measure word for guests; answer with a number: 两位 (liǎng wèi), 三位 (sān wèi). Then 这边请 (Zhèbiān qǐng) — “this way, please” — and the menu (菜单).
Order with the familiar 我们要……(Wǒmen yào……). Many dishes in China are spicy, so you'll be asked 要辣吗？(Yào là ma?). Answer: 不要辣 (búyào là) — “not spicy”, 微辣 (wēi là) — “mildly spicy”; about yourself, 我不吃辣 (Wǒ bù chī là) — “I don't eat spicy food”.
Call the waiter out loud: 服务员！(Fúwùyuán!) — this is polite. Ask for the check with 买单 (mǎidān); by the cash register there may be a sign 结账 (jiézhàng) — “checkout”. Leftovers are taken home: 打包 (dǎbāo) — “to go, please”, a normal thing to ask. There's no tipping in China.
Common mistakes:
• ×两位人 → 两位 (liǎng wèi) or 两个人 — 位 doesn't go with 人.
• ×几个位？ → 几位？(Jǐ wèi?) — a second measure word isn't needed.
• ×我不辣 (“I'm not spicy”) → 我不吃辣 (Wǒ bù chī là).
• ×这个菜是很辣 → 这个菜很辣 (Zhège cài hěn là) — no 是 before an adjective, though English says “is”.
At a café, step by step
This is how lunch at a café with a waiter usually goes: guests → menu → order → spicy food → the check.
| Step | Waiter | You |
|---|---|---|
| entrance | 几位？(Jǐ wèi?) | 三位。(Sān wèi.) |
| menu | 请看菜单。(Qǐng kàn càidān.) | 谢谢。(Xièxie.) |
| order | 您要什么？(Nín yào shénme?) | 两个包子。(Liǎng gè bāozi.) |
| spicy food | 要辣吗？(Yào là ma?) | 不要辣。(Búyào là.) |
| payment | 一共80块。(Yígòng bāshí kuài.) | 给您。(Gěi nín.) |
What's on the menu
You already know these words from the food lessons; the only new one here is 微辣.
| Characters | Pinyin | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 包子 | bāozi | steamed bun with a filling |
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | dumplings (jiaozi) |
| 面条儿 | miàntiáor | noodles |
| 米饭 | mǐfàn | cooked rice |
| 茶 | chá | tea |
| 微辣 | wēi là | mildly spicy |
Lesson notes
At a café: how many of you, spicy food, and the check
At the door the waiter (服务员) asks 几位？(Jǐ wèi?) — “how many of you?”. 位 is a polite measure word for guests; answer with a number: 两位 (liǎng wèi), 三位 (sān wèi). Then 这边请 (Zhèbiān qǐng) — “this way, please” — and the menu (菜单).
Order with the familiar 我们要……(Wǒmen yào……). Many dishes in China are spicy, so you'll be asked 要辣吗？(Yào là ma?). Answer: 不要辣 (búyào là) — “not spicy”, 微辣 (wēi là) — “mildly spicy”; about yourself, 我不吃辣 (Wǒ bù chī là) — “I don't eat spicy food”.
Call the waiter out loud: 服务员！(Fúwùyuán!) — this is polite. Ask for the check with 买单 (mǎidān); by the cash register there may be a sign 结账 (jiézhàng) — “checkout”. Leftovers are taken home: 打包 (dǎbāo) — “to go, please”, a normal thing to ask. There's no tipping in China.
Common mistakes:
• ×两位人 → 两位 (liǎng wèi) or 两个人 — 位 doesn't go with 人.
• ×几个位？ → 几位？(Jǐ wèi?) — a second measure word isn't needed.
• ×我不辣 (“I'm not spicy”) → 我不吃辣 (Wǒ bù chī là).
• ×这个菜是很辣 → 这个菜很辣 (Zhège cài hěn là) — no 是 before an adjective, though English says “is”.