Snacks & Street Food in Chinese 小吃
xiǎochī
Snacks, street food in Chinese is 小吃 (xiǎo chī).
Also searched for as: street food, snacks, chinese street snacks.
What do you grab on the go? 14 essential snacks & street 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.
Street food, 小吃 (xiǎo chī), is one of the great pleasures of travelling in China, and every region has its own specialities. A 夜市 (yè shì), or night market, is the place to try things like 烤串 (kǎo chuàn), grilled skewers, or 臭豆腐 (chòu dòu fu), stinky tofu, which tastes far better than it smells. In the north in winter, look out for bright red 糖葫芦 (táng hú lu), candied haws on a stick.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 小吃 | xiǎo chī | snack; street food |
| 烤串 | kǎo chuàn | kebab skewers |
| 煎饼 | jiān bǐng | Chinese crepe |
| 糖葫芦 | táng hú lu | candied haws |
| 臭豆腐 | chòu dòu fu | stinky tofu |
| 夜市 | yè shì | night market |
| 摊 | tān | stall |
| 路边 | lù biān | roadside |
| 冰淇淋 | bīng qí lín | ice cream |
| 蛋糕 | dàn gāo | cake |
| 饼干 | bǐng gān | biscuit |
| 巧克力 | qiǎo kè lì | chocolate |
| 糖 | táng | sweets; sugar |
| 瓜子 | guā zǐ | sunflower seeds |
Usage tips
- 摊 (tān) is a street stall, often called 小摊 (xiǎo tān); to ask what's best, try 你们这儿什么最好吃？ (nǐ men zhèr shén me zuì hǎo chī?).
- Cracking 瓜子 (guā zǐ), sunflower or melon seeds, is a classic social snack at New Year and family gatherings, and the verb for it is 嗑 (kè): 嗑瓜子 (kè guā zǐ).
- Measure words: 一串 (yī chuàn) for skewers and 糖葫芦, 一块 (yī kuài) for pieces such as biscuits or chocolate, and 一盒 (yī hé) for a box.
Common mistakes
- Using 零食 (líng shí) and 小吃 (xiǎo chī) interchangeably: 零食 are packaged snacks you nibble between meals, while 小吃 are freshly made local dishes, often from street stalls.
- Asking for 糖 (táng) when you want sugar for cooking: it can also mean sweets, so for sugar be specific and say 白糖 (bái táng).
Mini dialogue
- A晚上我们去夜市吧！Wǎn shang wǒ men qù yè shì ba!Let's go to the night market tonight!
- B好啊，我想吃烤串。Hǎo a, wǒ xiǎng chī kǎo chuàn.Great, I want some skewers.
- A你敢吃臭豆腐吗？Nǐ gǎn chī chòu dòu fu ma?Do you dare try stinky tofu?
- B闻着很臭，不过我可以试试。Wén zhe hěn chòu, bù guò wǒ kě yǐ shì shi.It smells awful, but I'll give it a go.
Example sentences
- 这条街上有很多小吃。There's lots of street food on this street.
- 晚上我们去路边吃烤串吧。Let's go and eat skewers at a roadside stall tonight.
- 我早上买了一个煎饼。I bought a Chinese crepe this morning.
- 冬天北京街上有卖糖葫芦的。In winter they sell candied haws on the streets of Beijing.
- 臭豆腐闻着臭，吃着香。Stinky tofu smells bad but tastes great.
- 西安的夜市很热闹。The night markets in Xi'an are very lively.
- 这个摊的煎饼最好吃。This stall's crepes are the best.
- 路边有个卖水果的老人。There's an old man selling fruit by the roadside.
- 天太热了，来个冰淇淋吧！It's so hot, let's get an ice cream!
- 我给妈妈买了一个生日蛋糕。I bought Mum a birthday cake.
- 孩子饿了，给他一块饼干吧。The child is hungry, give him a biscuit.
- 她最喜欢吃巧克力。Chocolate is her favourite.
- 小孩子不要吃太多糖。Little children shouldn't eat too many sweets.
- 过年的时候家里总有瓜子。There are always sunflower seeds at home at New Year.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Snacks & street food speaking island has 8 everyday questions about snacks & street food to prepare your own answers to.