The core loop: call the server with 服务员！ (fúwùyuán), order with 来一个… (lái yí ge…, “I’ll have a…”), control spice with 不要辣 (bú yào là, no chili), and pay with 买单！ (mǎidān, check please). Twenty phrases below cover the entire visit — with the etiquette between the lines.
Restaurants are the best free language school in China: high-frequency vocabulary, forgiving listeners, and instant delicious feedback. They’re also where textbook Chinese meets reality — nobody says “excuse me, may I please have”; they say 来一个. Here’s the real script, stage by stage.
Stage 1: Getting attention and a table
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 服务员！ | fúwùyuán! | Server! (normal & polite in China) |
| 两个人 | liǎng ge rén | Two people (note: 两, not 二!) |
| 有位子吗？ | yǒu wèizi ma? | Is there a table? |
| 菜单，谢谢 | càidān, xièxie | The menu, thanks |
Yes, shouting 服务员 across the room is genuinely fine — Chinese restaurant culture expects it. At small family places, calling the owner 老板 (lǎobǎn, “boss”) earns smiles.
Stage 2: Ordering like a local — 来 vs 要
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 来一个宫保鸡丁 | lái yí ge gōngbǎo jīdīng | I’ll have a kung pao chicken |
| 我要这个 | wǒ yào zhège | I want this one (point at the menu!) |
| 有什么推荐的？ | yǒu shénme tuījiàn de? | What do you recommend? |
| 这个是什么？ | zhège shì shénme? | What is this? |
| 再来一碗米饭 | zài lái yì wǎn mǐfàn | Another bowl of rice |
| 就这些 | jiù zhèxiē | That’s all |
来 (lái, literally “come”) is the magic ordering verb — “make a kung pao chicken come.” It’s friendlier and more native than 我要, and 再来… (“bring another…”) reuses it for refills. Pointing while saying 我要这个 is not cheating; it’s the universal method, used by natives too.
Stage 3: Spice, allergies and special requests
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 不要辣 | bú yào là | No chili |
| 微辣 / 中辣 / 特辣 | wēi là / zhōng là / tè là | Mild / medium / extra spicy |
| 我不能吃辣 | wǒ bù néng chī là | I can’t eat spicy food |
| 我对花生过敏 | wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn | I’m allergic to peanuts |
| 我不吃肉 | wǒ bù chī ròu | I don’t eat meat |
| 不要香菜 | bú yào xiāngcài | No cilantro |
The allergy pattern 我对…过敏 is worth drilling until automatic — swap in 海鲜 (hǎixiān, seafood), 鸡蛋 (jīdàn, egg) or 牛奶 (niúnǎi, milk) as needed. In Sichuan restaurants, take the spice scale seriously: their 微辣 is everyone else’s medium.
Stage 4: Paying — and the QR code reality
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 买单！ | mǎidān! | Check, please! |
| 多少钱？ | duōshao qián? | How much? |
| 可以刷卡吗？ | kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? | Can I pay by card? |
| 打包，谢谢 | dǎbāo, xièxie | To go / doggy bag, please |
Reality check: in mainland China most payments are QR codes (WeChat Pay/Alipay), many restaurants have you scan a table code to order, and tipping is not practiced — don’t leave money on the table. 打包 (takeout boxes) is universal and nobody judges.
Menu survival: 8 words that decode most dishes
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鸡 / 牛 / 猪 / 鱼 | jī / niú / zhū / yú | chicken / beef / pork / fish |
| 炒 | chǎo | stir-fried |
| 烤 | kǎo | roasted / grilled |
| 汤 | tāng | soup |
| 面 / 饭 | miàn / fàn | noodles / rice |
Chinese dish names are mostly formula: method + ingredient (+ carb). 炒饭 = stir-fried rice; 烤鱼 = grilled fish; 牛肉面 = beef noodles. Eight characters and half the menu opens up — this is character learning paying rent in the real world.
The whole visit in three lines
- 服务员！来一个这个，不要辣。 — Server! One of these, not spicy.
- 再来一碗米饭。就这些。 — Another rice. That’s all.
- 买单！打包，谢谢。 — Check please! And a to-go box.
Order with confidence, not with a phrasebook
These phrases work when they come out automatically — tones included. Hanzijo drills them with native audio, color-coded tones and SRS review, and its OCR scanner reads real menus with your camera, across the full HSK 1–9 path.
Learn Chinese with Hanzijo — FreeFrequently asked questions
Is it rude to shout 服务员?
No — it’s the standard way to get service in China. What feels abrupt to English speakers is neutral there. If you prefer softer, raise a hand with 你好！
What if I can’t read the menu at all?
Three tools: point at other tables’ dishes (我要那个 — I want that), ask 有什么推荐的？, or use an OCR app on the menu. Picture menus are common in tourist areas.
How do I ask for water?
有水吗？ (yǒu shuǐ ma?). Note: restaurants often serve hot water or tea by default — ask for 冰水 (bīng shuǐ) if you want it cold, and don’t be surprised if smaller places don’t have it.
Do these phrases work in Taiwan too?
Yes, with small flavor differences: Taiwan says 结账 more than 买单, tipping is also not expected, and menus use traditional characters — the spoken phrases carry over fine.