Hungry for Chinese? Today we’ll learn the essential words and simple phrases you need to read a menu, order food, and sound polite in Mandarin. We’ll keep it practical and beginner-friendly (A1), with bite-sized exercises to help you remember fast.

By the end, you’ll be able to say things like “I want a bowl of noodles,” ask prices, and request the bill—all with confidence.

Core food words you’ll use again and again

Let’s start with the most common items you’ll see on menus or say when ordering.

Measure words: ordering like a local

In Chinese, you use a measure word between a number and a noun. For food and drinks, these are super common when ordering.

• 碗 (wǎn) = bowl
• 杯 (bēi) = cup/glass
• 瓶 (píng) = bottle
• 份 (fèn) = portion
• 盘 (pán) = plate
• 个 (gè) = general measure word (OK for many things at A1)

Pattern: number + measure word + item. Example: 一碗面条 (one bowl of noodles), 两杯茶 (two cups of tea), 一份饺子 (one portion of dumplings).

我要 饺子。

请给我 水。

Small numbers to order

• 一 (yī) = one
• 两 (liǎng) = two (used before measure words)
• 三 (sān) = three

So you’ll say 两碗, 两杯, 两份—not 二碗.

Polite phrases that make ordering easy

These simple sentence starters work almost everywhere:

Useful questions and mini-answers

Want to ask about price, availability, or spiciness? Try these.

我要面条。 → 我要一碗面条。 Add a measure word: number + measure word + item. 个 is okay if unsure (我要一个面条), but 碗 is more natural for noodles.

Short restaurant dialogue

Practice a simple exchange you’ll hear often. Read the lines, then put them in order.

Culture bites: eating out in China

A few quick tips help you feel at home:

• Many restaurants serve tea or water; cold water isn’t always default—tea is common.
• It’s normal to share dishes. You can say 我们一起吃 (we’ll eat together) and order a few shared 菜.
• To get attention, you can say 服务员！ politely with a friendly tone.
• For spice, say 不要辣 (not spicy) or 微辣 (mildly spicy). Sichuan and Hunan cuisines are famous for 辣.
• Paying: 买单 at the end. In some places you pay at the counter; in others at the table.
• Chopstick etiquette: don’t stick chopsticks upright in rice; place them on the rest or plate.

Mini practice: build your order

Try combining a number + measure word + item with a polite starter.

• 我要一份饺子。 (I want one portion of dumplings.)
• 请给我两杯茶。 (Please give me two cups of tea.)
• 我想要一瓶水。 (I’d like one bottle of water.)
• 来一盘牛肉。 (Bring one plate of beef.)

Add a preference:

• 不要辣，谢谢。 (Not spicy, thank you.)
• 少盐。 (Less salt.)

Quick recap

• Core words: 米饭, 面条, 饺子, 水, 茶, 啤酒, 菜单.
• Ordering pattern: 我要 + number + measure word + item.
• Common measure words: 碗 (bowl), 杯 (cup/glass), 份 (portion), 瓶 (bottle), 盘 (plate).
• Polite starters: 我要…, 我想要…, 请给我…, 来….
• Key phrases: 这个多少钱？ 买单。 不要辣。

You’ve got the basic menu power now. Next time you’re hungry, try a simple order in Chinese—you’ll be surprised how far these A1 phrases take you. 加油！