Restaurant Chinese is easier when you learn it as a sequence: get a table, ask about the menu, order, adjust the dish, ask for the bill and take the leftovers home. Each step below has phrases you can point to when speaking is difficult.
Getting a table
Staff may greet you with 几位？ (how many people?). Answer with the number: 两位 (two people), 三位 (three people). If you have a reservation, say 我订了位 or 我有预订. Without one, ask 有位置吗？ or 有空位吗？
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 几位？ | jǐ wèi? | How many people? |
| 两位。 | liǎng wèi. | Two people. |
| 有位置吗？ | yǒu wèizhi ma? | Do you have a table? |
| 我订了位。 | wǒ dìng le wèi. | I have a reservation. |
| 可以坐外面吗？ | kěyǐ zuò wàimiàn ma? | Can we sit outside? |
| 有空调吗？ | yǒu kōngtiáo ma? | Is there air conditioning? |
位 is the polite measure word for people in service settings. 个 also works in casual speech, but 两位 sounds more natural when staff are seating you. The word 桌子 means a table as an object; when you ask about seating, 位置 or 空位 is usually clearer.
Asking about the menu
菜单 means menu. Ask 有英文菜单吗？ if you need one, or 有什么推荐？ for a recommendation. 招牌菜 refers to a signature dish, and 特色菜 refers to a speciality. 今天的特色菜是什么？ asks what today's special is.
If you cannot read the menu, pointing is acceptable: 这个是什么？ asks what a dish is. 这个辣吗？ asks whether it is spicy. For a picture menu, 有图片吗？ is useful. Menus, dish names and availability vary by restaurant and region, so a phrase list cannot tell you what a kitchen actually serves.
Spice and flavour
Spice is the most common adjustment. 辣 means spicy; 不辣 means not spicy; 微辣 means mildly spicy; 很辣 means very spicy. 少辣 or 小辣 asks for less chilli. 不要辣 asks for no chilli at all.
Flavour words include 咸 salty, 甜 sweet, 酸 sour, 苦 bitter, 鲜 savoury or umami, 清淡 light and 油腻 greasy. 太辣了 means it is too spicy, and 有一点咸 means it is a little salty. If you want the kitchen to adjust a dish, say 可以少放盐吗？ (Could you use less salt?) or 不要太咸 (not too salty).
Chilli levels are not standardised. 微辣 in one restaurant may be 不辣 in another, so repeat what you need and confirm: 不要辣，可以吗？
Ordering dishes
点菜 means to order food. Common patterns use 来 (bring) or 要 (want): 来一份这个 (one portion of this), 我要这个 (I want this), 再来一个 (one more). 份 is a portion measure word; 碗 is a bowl; 杯 is a cup or glass; 盘 is a plate.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我要点菜。 | wǒ yào diǎn cài. | I would like to order. |
| 来一份这个。 | lái yí fèn zhège. | One portion of this, please. |
| 有什么推荐？ | yǒu shénme tuījiàn? | What do you recommend? |
| 不要辣。 | bú yào là. | No chilli, please. |
| 不要香菜。 | bú yào xiāngcài. | No coriander / cilantro, please. |
| 可以打包吗？ | kěyǐ dǎbāo ma? | Can I take this away? |
香菜 is coriander in British English and cilantro in American English. 葱 is spring onion or scallion, 蒜 is garlic and 姜 is ginger. 不要 means do not want; 不放 means do not put in. Both appear in ordering: 不要葱 and 不放葱 are understood, though usage varies by region.
Dietary needs and allergies
Dietary and allergy questions carry real risk. Say the restriction clearly and ask staff to confirm: 我对花生过敏 (I am allergic to peanuts), 我不能吃海鲜 (I cannot eat seafood), 我吃素 (I am vegetarian), 我不吃肉 (I do not eat meat).
Do not assume that 素 automatically means vegan, or that a dish is free from an ingredient because it looks plain. Sauces, stocks and cooking oil may contain fish, meat, dairy, nuts or gluten. If the allergy is serious, use a written card in Chinese, show it to the kitchen and confirm before ordering rather than relying on a translated sentence alone.
For religious or medical diets, the same rule applies: ask about the specific ingredient, not the label. 这里面有肉吗？ (Does this contain meat?) 里面有花生吗？ (Does this contain peanuts?) 可以不放吗？ (Can you leave it out?)
Drinks
Common drinks are 水 water, 热水 hot water, 冰水 ice water, 茶 tea, 啤酒 beer, 果汁 juice and 可乐 cola. 我要一杯水 asks for a glass of water. 不要冰 asks for no ice; 常温 means room temperature.
In many restaurants, tea or water is poured for the table rather than ordered per person, and what arrives by default varies. If you need something specific, say it directly: 我不喝茶，谢谢 (I do not drink tea, thank you). Alcohol rules, drinking age and availability differ by place; check local law rather than assuming.
Getting the bill
买单 and 结账 both mean to pay the bill. 服务员 (waiter/waitress) or 老板 can be used to get attention, but 不好意思，买单 is politer in many settings. 一起算 means all together on one bill; 分开算 means split the bill. 可以刷卡吗？ asks whether you can pay by card, and 可以扫码吗？ asks about scanning a code.
发票 is an official invoice in Mainland China used for reimbursement or tax purposes, not simply a payment receipt. If you only need proof of payment, ask 可以给我收据吗？ Payment methods, tipping expectations and service charges vary widely by country and restaurant type, so confirm locally instead of applying one rule everywhere.
Common mistakes to check
- Assuming 微辣 means the same chilli level in every restaurant.
- Treating 素 as automatically vegan without checking stock, oil or dairy.
- Relying on a spoken allergy sentence without confirming with the kitchen.
- Using 桌子 when asking for a table for people instead of 位置 or 空位.
- Asking for 发票 when a simple receipt is what is needed.
- Assuming tipping, card payment or split bills work the same way everywhere.