Chinese for restaurants
Restaurants are where most visitors first have to hold a real exchange in Mandarin. This page runs in the order the meal actually happens.
The Mandarin you need in a Chinese restaurant, in the order you need it, from being counted at the door to asking for the bill.
At the door
Raising a hand and waiting quietly can mean waiting a long time. Calling 服务员 across the room is how everyone gets a waiter's attention, and nobody will think twice about it.
Ordering
Dishes arrive in the middle of the table and everyone takes from all of them. A rough guide is one dish per person plus rice, and ordering a single plate for yourself is unusual in a group.
What is in it
Asking for 打包 at the end of a meal is ordinary and not at all stingy. Restaurants expect it and will have boxes ready.
During the meal
Paying
The daily course builds these phrases into real conversation, one short lesson a day. Days 1 to 7 need no account, and a free account opens the rest of the first month.
The lesson this builds on: day 5 →