Breakfast in Chinese 早餐
zǎocān
Breakfast in Chinese is 早餐 (zǎo cān).
Also searched for as: breakfast food, chinese breakfast, morning meal.
What do you eat first thing? 15 essential breakfast words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
A Chinese breakfast, 早餐 (zǎo cān) or 早饭 (zǎo fàn), is often bought from a street stall on the way to work or school. Classic choices include 包子 (bāo zi), steamed buns, 油条 (yóu tiáo), fried dough sticks, and a cup of 豆浆 (dòu jiāng), soy milk, while 粥 (zhōu) is a gentle rice porridge eaten across the country. These words help you order breakfast confidently or explain what you usually eat.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 早餐 | zǎo cān | breakfast |
| 包子 | bāo zi | steamed bun |
| 油条 | yóu tiáo | fried dough stick |
| 豆浆 | dòu jiāng | soy milk |
| 粥 | zhōu | rice porridge |
| 鸡蛋 | jī dàn | egg |
| 煎饼 | jiān bǐng | Chinese crepe |
| 面包 | miàn bāo | bread |
| 吐司 | tǔ sī | toast |
| 果酱 | guǒ jiàng | jam |
| 麦片 | mài piàn | cereal; oats |
| 酸奶 | suān nǎi | yoghurt |
| 牛奶 | niú nǎi | milk |
| 来不及 | lái bu jí | not enough time |
| 早点 | zǎo diǎn | breakfast snacks |
Usage tips
- 早餐 (zǎo cān) sounds slightly more formal and appears on menus and hotel signs; 早饭 (zǎo fàn) is what most people say at home.
- Soy milk from a stall is often sweetened, so ask for 不加糖 (bù jiā táng) if you want it plain.
- 来不及 (lái bù jí) means there isn't enough time to do something: 来不及吃早饭了 (lái bù jí chī zǎo fàn le). The opposite is 来得及 (lái de jí).
Common mistakes
- Confusing 早点 (zǎo diǎn), breakfast snacks, with 早点儿 (zǎo diǎnr), 'a bit earlier': 早点儿来 means 'come a bit earlier', not 'come for breakfast'.
- Expecting oats when you order 粥 (zhōu): it's usually plain or savoury rice porridge. For oats or cereal, look for 麦片 (mài piàn).
Mini dialogue
- A你早上一般吃什么？Nǐ zǎo shang yī bān chī shén me?What do you usually have in the morning?
- B我常在楼下买包子和豆浆。Wǒ cháng zài lóu xià mǎi bāo zi hé dòu jiāng.I usually buy steamed buns and soy milk downstairs.
- A我喜欢油条，可是今天来不及吃了。Wǒ xǐ huan yóu tiáo, kě shì jīn tiān lái bù jí chī le.I love fried dough sticks, but I haven't got time today.
- B那带一个鸡蛋路上吃吧。Nà dài yī gè jī dàn lù shàng chī ba.Then take an egg to eat on the way.
Example sentences
- 你早餐吃什么？What do you have for breakfast?
- 我早上吃了两个包子。I had two steamed buns this morning.
- 豆浆配油条最好吃。Soy milk with a dough stick is the best.
- 一杯热豆浆，谢谢。A cup of hot soy milk, please.
- 生病的时候喝粥。You eat rice porridge when you're ill.
- 我每天早上吃一个鸡蛋。I eat an egg every morning.
- 楼下的煎饼特别好吃。The crepes downstairs are amazing.
- 面包上抹点儿黄油。Spread some butter on the bread.
- 我喜欢吃吐司配果酱。I like toast with jam.
- 这瓶草莓果酱是自己做的。This strawberry jam is homemade.
- 孩子们早上吃麦片。The kids eat cereal in the morning.
- 酸奶里加了水果。There's fruit in the yoghurt.
- 我喝了一杯牛奶。I drank a glass of milk.
- 来不及吃早饭了！No time for breakfast!
- 街边有很多卖早点的。Lots of stalls on the street sell breakfast.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Breakfast speaking island has 8 everyday questions about breakfast to prepare your own answers to.