Fast Food in Chinese 快餐
kuàicān
Fast food in Chinese is 快餐 (kuài cān).
Also searched for as: burger, fries, fried chicken, takeaway.
What do you grab in a hurry? 15 essential fast food 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.
Fast food, 快餐 (kuài cān), is everywhere in Chinese cities, from global chains to local noodle counters. Brand names are mostly borrowed by sound, so McDonald's is 麦当劳 (Mài dāng láo) and KFC is 肯德基 (Kěn dé jī), while staples like 汉堡 (hàn bǎo) and 薯条 (shǔ tiáo) are easy to learn. Knowing 套餐 (tào cān), 'set meal', is especially handy, because ordering by meal number is quick and simple.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 快餐 | kuài cān | fast food |
| 汉堡 | hàn bǎo | burger |
| 薯条 | shǔ tiáo | chips; fries |
| 炸鸡 | zhá jī | fried chicken |
| 鸡块 | jī kuài | chicken nuggets |
| 热狗 | rè gǒu | hot dog |
| 可乐 | kě lè | cola |
| 套餐 | tào cān | set meal |
| 番茄酱 | fān qié jiàng | ketchup |
| 麦当劳 | mài dāng láo | McDonald's |
| 肯德基 | kěn dé jī | KFC |
| 方便面 | fāng biàn miàn | instant noodles |
| 自助点餐 | zì zhù diǎn cān | self-service ordering |
| 垃圾食品 | lā jī shí pǐn | junk food |
| 油腻 | yóu nì | greasy |
Usage tips
- Portions are counted with 份 (fèn), and the size goes in front: 一份薯条 (yī fèn shǔ tiáo), 大份 (dà fèn), 'large portion'.
- Many fast food places have self-service screens labelled 自助点餐 (zì zhù diǎn cān), and 取餐 (qǔ cān) is where you collect your order.
- 垃圾食品 (lā jī shí pǐn), literally 'rubbish food', is the everyday term for junk food, and 油腻 (yóu nì), 'greasy', is the most common complaint about it.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up chips and crisps: British chips or fries are 薯条 (shǔ tiáo), while crisps are 薯片 (shǔ piàn).
- Saying 我要套餐一 for 'meal number one': the number comes first with 号, so say 我要一号套餐 (wǒ yào yī hào tào cān).
Mini dialogue
- A欢迎光临！您要点什么？Huān yíng guāng lín! Nín yào diǎn shén me?Welcome! What can I get you?
- B我要一个一号套餐。Wǒ yào yī gè yī hào tào cān.I'll have meal number one, please.
- A薯条要大份的吗？Shǔ tiáo yào dà fèn de ma?Would you like large chips?
- B不用，中份就行。再给我几包番茄酱。Bù yòng, zhōng fèn jiù xíng. Zài gěi wǒ jǐ bāo fān qié jiàng.No, medium's fine. And a few packets of ketchup, please.
Example sentences
- 快餐又快又方便。Fast food is quick and convenient.
- 我要一个鸡肉汉堡。I'll have a chicken burger.
- 薯条要大份的。A large portion of chips, please.
- 周五晚上吃炸鸡！Fried chicken on Friday night!
- 孩子点了鸡块。The kid ordered chicken nuggets.
- 在球场吃热狗。Eating a hot dog at the stadium.
- 可乐要加冰吗？Do you want ice in your cola?
- 我要一号套餐。I'll have meal number one.
- 多给我几包番茄酱。Give me a few more packets of ketchup.
- 附近有麦当劳吗？Is there a McDonald's nearby?
- 肯德基在中国很受欢迎。KFC is very popular in China.
- 宿舍里只有方便面。There's only instant noodles in the dorm.
- 可以在机器上自助点餐。You can order yourself on the machine.
- 少吃垃圾食品。Eat less junk food.
- 这个太油腻了。This is too greasy.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Fast food speaking island has 8 everyday questions about fast food to prepare your own answers to.