Chinese Dishes in Chinese 中国菜
Zhōngguó cài
Chinese food in Chinese is 中国菜 (zhōng guó cài).
Also searched for as: chinese food names, popular chinese dishes, chinese food.
Food specifics: the classics. 15 essential Chinese dishes 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.
Chinese food is far more varied than most takeaway menus suggest, and knowing the classic dishes makes ordering much easier. 饺子 (jiǎo zi) are boiled dumplings, a New Year favourite in northern China, 火锅 (huǒ guō) is hotpot, and 烤鸭 (kǎo yā), roast duck, is Beijing's most famous dish. Many names describe the flavour or cooking method, like 糖醋 (táng cù), 'sweet and sour', and 红烧 (hóng shāo), 'red-braised'.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 中国菜 | Zhōng guó cài | Chinese food |
| 饺子 | jiǎo zi | dumplings |
| 包子 | bāo zi | steamed bun |
| 馒头 | mán tou | steamed bread |
| 炒饭 | chǎo fàn | fried rice |
| 炒面 | chǎo miàn | fried noodles |
| 火锅 | huǒ guō | hotpot |
| 烤鸭 | kǎo yā | roast duck |
| 宫保鸡丁 | gōng bǎo jī dīng | kung pao chicken |
| 麻婆豆腐 | má pó dòu fu | mapo tofu |
| 春卷 | chūn juǎn | spring roll |
| 小笼包 | xiǎo lóng bāo | soup dumplings |
| 粥 | zhōu | congee |
| 糖醋 | táng cù | sweet and sour |
| 红烧肉 | hóng shāo ròu | braised pork belly |
Usage tips
- 炒 (chǎo) means stir-fried, so 炒饭 (chǎo fàn) and 炒面 (chǎo miàn) are fried rice and fried noodles, while 烤 (kǎo) means roasted or grilled, as in 烤鸭.
- 包饺子 (bāo jiǎo zi), making dumplings by wrapping them, is often a family activity; 包 (bāo) means 'to wrap', which is also where 包子 (bāo zi) gets its name.
- Measure words: 一份炒饭 (yī fèn chǎo fàn) for a portion, 一盘饺子 (yī pán jiǎo zi) for a plate and 一笼小笼包 (yī lóng xiǎo lóng bāo) for a steamer basket.
Common mistakes
- Calling all dumplings 包子 (bāo zi): 包子 are fluffy steamed buns, 饺子 (jiǎo zi) have thin wrappers and are usually boiled, and 小笼包 (xiǎo lóng bāo) are small steamed dumplings filled with soup.
- Assuming 馒头 (mán tou) has a filling: it's plain steamed bread, often eaten instead of rice in the north. If you want a filling, ask for 包子.
Mini dialogue
- A你想吃什么？Nǐ xiǎng chī shén me?What do you fancy?
- B我想吃饺子，再来一个宫保鸡丁。Wǒ xiǎng chī jiǎo zi, zài lái yī gè gōng bǎo jī dīng.I'd like dumplings, and a kung pao chicken too.
- A好，我们再要一份炒饭吧。Hǎo, wǒ men zài yào yī fèn chǎo fàn ba.OK, let's get a fried rice as well.
- B麻婆豆腐也不错，你能吃辣吗？Má pó dòu fu yě bù cuò, nǐ néng chī là ma?Mapo tofu's good too. Can you handle spicy food?
- A能，没问题！Néng, méi wèn tí!Yes, no problem!
Example sentences
- 你会做中国菜吗？Can you cook Chinese food?
- 过年的时候我们一起包饺子。We make dumplings together at New Year.
- 楼下的包子特别好吃。The steamed buns downstairs are really good.
- 北方人很爱吃馒头。Northerners love steamed bread.
- 我点了一份鸡蛋炒饭。I ordered egg fried rice.
- 这家店的炒面很香。The fried noodles at this place are really tasty.
- 冬天吃火锅最舒服了。Hotpot is perfect in winter.
- 来北京一定要吃烤鸭。You must try roast duck when you come to Beijing.
- 我们来一个宫保鸡丁吧。Let's get a kung pao chicken.
- 麻婆豆腐有点儿辣。Mapo tofu is a bit spicy.
- 春卷外面很脆。Spring rolls are crispy on the outside.
- 吃小笼包要小心，汤很烫。Be careful eating soup dumplings, the soup is very hot.
- 生病的时候喝点儿粥吧。Have some congee when you're ill.
- 我最喜欢吃糖醋排骨。My favourite is sweet and sour ribs.
- 奶奶做的红烧肉最好吃。Grandma's braised pork belly is the best.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Chinese dishes speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Chinese dishes to prepare your own answers to.