Restaurant & Eating Out in Chinese 餐厅
cāntīng
Restaurant in Chinese is 餐厅 (cān tīng).
Also searched for as: restaurant, ordering food, menu, bill please.
Where do you eat when you go out? 20 essential eating out 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.
Eating out is one of the best ways to practise Chinese, because every meal involves real conversation. 餐厅 (cān tīng) is a restaurant in general, while 饭馆 (fàn guǎn) suggests somewhere smaller and more casual. You'll use 点菜 (diǎn cài) to order and 买单 (mǎi dān) to ask for the bill, and you may well hear a friend insist 我请客 (wǒ qǐng kè), 'it's my treat'.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 餐厅 | cān tīng | restaurant |
| 饭馆 | fàn guǎn | restaurant (casual) |
| 服务员 | fú wù yuán | waiter |
| 菜单 | cài dān | menu |
| 点菜 | diǎn cài | to order food |
| 买单 | mǎi dān | to pay the bill |
| 打包 | dǎ bāo | to take away (leftovers) |
| 外卖 | wài mài | takeaway; delivery |
| 预订 | yù dìng | to reserve |
| 位子 | wèi zi | seat |
| 好吃 | hǎo chī | tasty |
| 饱 | bǎo | full |
| 饿 | è | hungry |
| 渴 | kě | thirsty |
| 筷子 | kuài zi | chopsticks |
| 勺子 | sháo zi | spoon |
| 碗 | wǎn | bowl |
| 盘子 | pán zi | plate |
| 杯子 | bēi zi | cup |
| 请客 | qǐng kè | to treat (pay for others) |
Usage tips
- To call staff, 服务员 (fú wù yuán) is normal on the mainland, though a polite 你好 (nǐ hǎo) or 麻烦一下 (má fan yī xià), 'excuse me', works just as well.
- Dishes are usually shared, so you order for the whole table, and taking leftovers home with 打包 (dǎ bāo) is completely normal.
- 买单 (mǎi dān) and 结账 (jié zhàng) both mean paying the bill, and tipping is not customary in mainland China.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我满了 for 'I'm full': it sounds like a container that's been filled. Say 我吃饱了 (wǒ chī bǎo le).
- Using 外卖 (wài mài) for leftovers: 外卖 is a delivery or takeaway order, while taking uneaten food home is 打包 (dǎ bāo).
- Mixing up 饿 (è), 'hungry', and 渴 (kě), 'thirsty': remember that you 喝 (hē) when you're 渴.
Mini dialogue
- A服务员，我们吃饱了，买单！Fú wù yuán, wǒ men chī bǎo le, mǎi dān!Excuse me, we're full. Could we have the bill?
- B好的。剩下的菜要打包吗？Hǎo de. Shèng xià de cài yào dǎ bāo ma?Certainly. Would you like the leftovers boxed up?
- A要，谢谢。Yào, xiè xie.Yes, please.
- B好，我马上给您拿盒子。Hǎo, wǒ mǎ shàng gěi nín ná hé zi.Right, I'll bring you a box straight away.
Example sentences
- 这家餐厅的菜很好吃。The food at this restaurant is very good.
- 学校门口有一家小饭馆。There's a small restaurant outside the school gate.
- 服务员，请给我们菜单。Excuse me, could we have the menu, please?
- 你们现在要点菜吗？Are you ready to order now?
- 服务员，买单！Excuse me, the bill, please!
- 这些菜吃不完，我们打包吧。We can't finish these dishes, let's take them away.
- 今天太累了，叫外卖吧。I'm too tired today, let's order a takeaway.
- 我想预订明晚七点的桌子。I'd like to book a table for seven tomorrow evening.
- 这儿还有位子吗？Are there any seats left here?
- 妈妈做的饺子最好吃。Mum's dumplings are the tastiest.
- 我吃饱了，谢谢！I'm full, thank you!
- 我饿了，我们去吃饭吧。I'm hungry, let's go and eat.
- 跑完步我很渴。I'm really thirsty after my run.
- 你会用筷子吗？Can you use chopsticks?
- 喝汤要用勺子。You need a spoon for soup.
- 请再给我一碗米饭。Could I have another bowl of rice, please?
- 服务员拿来了一个干净的盘子。The waiter brought a clean plate.
- 能给我一个杯子吗？Could I have a cup?
- 今天我请客，大家随便点！It's my treat today, order whatever you like!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Eating out speaking island has 8 everyday questions about eating out to prepare your own answers to.