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Library · Food and drink

Chapter

1 Eating and drinking

What you'll learn How to name what you eat and drink, say how it tastes, and say what you'd like.

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1.1 Drinks

喝hē is to drink: 喝hē水shuǐ, 喝茶hē chá, 喝hē咖啡kā fēi.

你nǐ想xiǎng喝hē什么shén me？我wǒ想xiǎng喝hē一yī杯bēi茶chá。你nǐ想xiǎng喝hē什麼shén me？我wǒ想xiǎng喝hē一yī杯bēi茶chá。

What would you like to drink? I'd like a cup of tea.

杯bēi counts drinks: a cup or a glass of something. It goes between the number and the drink: 一yī杯bēi茶chá, 两liǎng杯bēi水shuǐ兩liǎng杯bēi水shuǐ. 杯子bēi zi is the cup or the glass itself.

我wǒ要yào两liǎng杯bēi水shuǐ。我wǒ要yào兩liǎng杯bēi水shuǐ。

Two glasses of water, please.

这zhè是shì谁shéi的de杯子bēi zi？這zhè是shì誰shéi的de杯子bēi zi？

Whose cup is this?

好喝hǎo hē is said of drinks: nice to drink. Of food it is 好吃hǎo chī.

这个zhè ge果汁guǒ zhī很hěn好喝hǎo hē。這個zhè ge果汁guǒ zhī很hěn好喝hǎo hē。

This juice is really nice.

1.2 Rice, noodles and dishes

吃chī is to eat. 饭fàn飯fàn is food, or a meal, so 吃饭chī fàn吃飯chī fàn is to eat, to have a meal. 米饭mǐ fàn米飯mǐ fàn is cooked rice.

我们wǒ men去qù吃饭chī fàn吧ba。我們wǒ men去qù吃飯chī fàn吧ba。

Let's go and eat.

他tā很hěn喜欢xǐ huan吃chī饺子jiǎo zi。他tā很hěn喜歡xǐ huan吃chī餃子jiǎo zi。

He loves dumplings.

菜cài is a dish, and vegetables too. At a Chinese meal the dishes go in the middle of the table for everyone, and each person has a bowl of rice. 碗wǎn is that bowl, and counts what comes in one: 一yī碗wǎn米饭mǐ fàn一yī碗wǎn米飯mǐ fàn, 两liǎng碗wǎn汤tāng兩liǎng碗wǎn湯tāng.

这个zhè ge汤tāng里lǐ有yǒu鱼yú，也yě有yǒu肉ròu。這個zhè ge湯tāng裡lǐ有yǒu魚yú，也yě有yǒu肉ròu。

There's fish in this soup, and meat too.

我wǒ不bù吃chī肉ròu，我wǒ吃chī菜cài和hé鱼yú。我wǒ不bù吃chī肉ròu，我wǒ吃chī菜cài和hé魚yú。

I don't eat meat. I eat vegetables and fish.

请qǐng给gěi我wǒ一yī碗wǎn饺子jiǎo zi。請qǐng給gěi我wǒ一yī碗wǎn餃子jiǎo zi。

A bowl of dumplings, please.

1.3 Meals

早饭zǎo fàn早飯zǎo fàn, 午饭wǔ fàn午飯wǔ fàn and 晚饭wǎn fàn晚飯wǎn fàn are breakfast, lunch and dinner: 饭fàn飯fàn, a meal, with the time of day before it.

我wǒ早饭zǎo fàn吃chī面包miàn bāo和hé鸡蛋jī dàn。我wǒ早飯zǎo fàn吃chī麵包miàn bāo和hé雞蛋jī dàn。

For breakfast I have bread and eggs.

我们wǒ men十二shí èr点diǎn吃chī午饭wǔ fàn。我們wǒ men十二shí èr點diǎn吃chī午飯wǔ fàn。

We have lunch at twelve.

晚饭wǎn fàn你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什么shén me？晚飯wǎn fàn你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什麼shén me？

What would you like for dinner?

包子bāo zi are steamed buns with a filling, eaten for breakfast all over China. 做饭zuò fàn做飯zuò fàn is to cook, to make a meal.

早上zǎo shang我wǒ买mǎi了le三sān个gè包子bāo zi。早上zǎo shang我wǒ買mǎi了le三sān個gè包子bāo zi。

I bought three buns this morning.

今天jīn tiān晚上wǎn shang我wǒ做饭zuò fàn。今天jīn tiān晚上wǎn shang我wǒ做飯zuò fàn。

I'm cooking tonight.

1.4 Fruit

水果shuǐ guǒ is fruit. 苹果píng guǒ蘋果píng guǒ and 西瓜xī guā are counted with 个gè個gè, as most things are: 一个yī ge苹果píng guǒ一個yī ge蘋果píng guǒ.

你nǐ喜欢xǐ huan吃chī什么shén me水果shuǐ guǒ？你nǐ喜歡xǐ huan吃chī什麼shén me水果shuǐ guǒ？

What fruit do you like?

我wǒ喜欢xǐ huan吃chī苹果píng guǒ和hé香蕉xiāng jiāo。我wǒ喜歡xǐ huan吃chī蘋果píng guǒ和hé香蕉xiāng jiāo。

I like apples and bananas.

这个zhè ge西瓜xī guā很hěn大dà，也yě很hěn甜tián。這個zhè ge西瓜xī guā很hěn大dà，也yě很hěn甜tián。

This watermelon is big, and sweet too.

1.5 How it tastes

好吃hǎo chī is tasty, good to eat. 甜tián is sweet, and 辣là is hot, the way chillies are.

这个zhè ge苹果píng guǒ很hěn甜tián。這個zhè ge蘋果píng guǒ很hěn甜tián。

This apple is sweet.

这个zhè ge菜cài有点儿yǒu diǎn r辣là。這個zhè ge菜cài有點兒yǒu diǎn r辣là。

This dish is a bit spicy.

English hot is two words in Chinese: 辣là for chillies, and 热rè熱rè for heat. 热茶rè chá熱茶rè chá is hot tea.

我wǒ想xiǎng喝hē一yī杯bēi热茶rè chá。我wǒ想xiǎng喝hē一yī杯bēi熱茶rè chá。

I'd like a cup of hot tea.

Like other words that describe, these take 很hěn and no 是shì: 这个zhè ge菜cài很hěn辣là這個zhè ge菜cài很hěn辣là. 太tài, with 了le after, is too, or so: 太tài辣là了le.

饺子jiǎo zi太tài好吃hǎo chī了le！餃子jiǎo zi太tài好吃hǎo chī了le！

These dumplings are delicious!

1.6 Hungry, thirsty and full

饿è餓è is hungry and 渴kě is thirsty. 饱bǎo飽bǎo is full, when you have had enough to eat.

我wǒ很hěn渴kě，想xiǎng喝hē一yī杯bēi水shuǐ。

I'm really thirsty. I'd like a glass of water.

With 了le at the end, they say how things are now: 我wǒ饿è了le我wǒ餓è了le, I'm hungry now; 我wǒ饱bǎo了le我wǒ飽bǎo了le, I'm full.

你nǐ饿è了le吗ma？我们wǒ men去qù吃饭chī fàn吧ba。你nǐ餓è了le嗎ma？我們wǒ men去qù吃飯chī fàn吧ba。

Are you hungry? Let's go and eat.

谢谢xiè xie，我wǒ吃饱chī bǎo了le。謝謝xiè xie，我wǒ吃飽chī bǎo了le。

Thanks, I'm full.

小白Xiǎo Bái饿è了le，想xiǎng吃chī鱼yú。小白Xiǎo Bái餓è了le，想xiǎng吃chī魚yú。

Xiaobai is hungry and wants some fish.

1.7 Saying what you like and want

喜欢xǐ huan喜歡xǐ huan is to like. It goes before a thing, or before what you like doing: 喜欢xǐ huan茶chá喜歡xǐ huan茶chá, 喜欢xǐ huan喝茶hē chá喜歡xǐ huan喝茶hē chá.

我wǒ喜欢xǐ huan吃chī饺子jiǎo zi。我wǒ喜歡xǐ huan吃chī餃子jiǎo zi。

I like dumplings.

你nǐ喜欢xǐ huan喝hē咖啡kā fēi吗ma？你nǐ喜歡xǐ huan喝hē咖啡kā fēi嗎ma？

Do you like coffee?

想xiǎng before a verb is would like to. 要yào is firmer, I want or I'll have, and is what you say to ask for something.

晚饭wǎn fàn我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī面条儿miàn tiáo r。晚飯wǎn fàn我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī麵條兒miàn tiáo r。

I'd like noodles for dinner.

我wǒ要yào一个yī ge包子bāo zi和hé一yī杯bēi牛奶niú nǎi。我wǒ要yào一個yī ge包子bāo zi和hé一yī杯bēi牛奶niú nǎi。

A bun and a glass of milk, please.

To say not, put 不bù in front: 不bù喜欢xǐ huan不bù喜歡xǐ huan, 不想bù xiǎng, 不要bù yào. 一点儿yī diǎn r一點兒yī diǎn r is a little, or some: 吃chī一点儿yī diǎn r吃chī一點兒yī diǎn r, have some.

我wǒ不bù喜欢xǐ huan吃chī鱼yú。我wǒ不bù喜歡xǐ huan吃chī魚yú。

I don't like fish.

你nǐ再zài吃chī一点儿yī diǎn r吧ba。你nǐ再zài吃chī一點兒yī diǎn r吧ba。

Have a bit more.