Food and drinks are a recurring talking point, not only while eating out on vacation. So let’s learn the most common words and phrases related to this topic.

This lesson is part of the chapter “Learning Chinese (Mandarin)“.

Food & Drinks in Chinese

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Basic Food & Spices

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
bread [Sg]面包miàn bāozh-sing_bread
breads [Pl]面包miàn bāozh-plur_bread
roll [Sg]面包卷miàn bāo juǎnzh-sing_roll
rolls [Pl]面包卷miàn bāo juǎnzh-plur_roll
butter黄油huáng yóuzh-sing_butter
cheese芝士zhī shìzh-sing_cheese
honey蜂蜜fēng mìzh-sing_honey
jam [Sg]果酱guǒ jiàngzh-sing_jam
jams [Pl]果酱guǒ jiàngzh-plur_jam
egg [Sg]dànzh-sing_egg
eggs [Pl]dànzh-plur_egg
noodles面条miàn tiáozh-sing_noodles
ricezh-sing_rice
yoghurt [Sg]酸奶suān nǎizh-sing_yoghurt
yoghurts [Pl]酸奶suān nǎizh-plur_yoghurt
sugartángzh-sing_sugar
saltyánzh-sing_salt
pepper胡椒hú jiāozh-sing_pepper
spice [Sg]香料xiāng liàozh-sing_spice
spices [Pl]香料xiāng liàozh-plur_spice
oilyóuzh-sing_oil

Basic Words & Phrases

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
(to) eatchīzh-sing_to-eat
food食物shí wùzh-sing_food
(to) drinkzh-sing_to-drink
drink [Sg]饮料yǐn liàozh-sing_drink
drinks [Pl]饮料yǐn liàozh-plur_drink
hungry饥饿的jī è dezh-sing_hungry
hunger饥饿的jī èzh-sing_hunger
thirsty口渴的kǒu kě dezh-sing_thirsty
thirst口渴kǒu kězh-sing_thirst
(to) cook烹煮pēng zhǔzh-sing_to-cook
(to) taste品尝pǐn chángzh-sing_to-taste
tasty好吃的hǎo chī dezh-sing_tasty
delicious美味的měi wèi dezh-sing_delicious
Bon appetit! / Enjoy your meal!祝你胃口好!
祝您用餐愉快!
zhù nǐ wèi kǒu hǎo!
zhù nín yòng cān yú kuài!
zh-sing_bon-appetitenjoy-your-meal
zh-sing_bon-appetitenjoy-your-meal-2
Cheers! / To your health!干杯!
祝你健康!
gān bēi!
zhù nǐ jiàn kāng!
zh-sing_cheersto-your-health
zh-sing_cheersto-your-health-2
breakfast早餐zǎo cānzh-sing_breakfast
lunch午餐wǔ cānzh-sing_lunch
dinner晚餐wǎn cānzh-sing_dinner
restaurant [Sg]餐厅cān tīngzh-sing_restaurant
restaurants [Pl]餐厅cān tīngzh-plur_restaurant
bar [Sg]酒吧jiǔ bāzh-sing_bar
bars [Pl]酒吧jiǔ bāzh-plur_bar
café咖啡厅kā fēi tīngzh-sing_cafe

Dishes

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
soup [Sg]tāngzh-sing_soup
soups [Pl]tāngzh-plur_soup
salad [Sg]沙拉shā lāzh-sing_salad
salads [Pl]沙拉shā lāzh-plur_salad
french fries / chips炸薯条zhà shǔ tiáozh-sing_french-frieschips

Dishes & Cutlery

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
cutlery餐具cān jùzh-sing_cutlery
fork餐叉cān chāzh-sing_fork
spoon汤勺tāng sháozh-sing_spoon
knife餐刀cān dāozh-sing_knife
plate盘子pán zizh-sing_plate
glass玻璃杯bō li bēizh-sing_glass
cup杯子bēi zizh-sing_cup
mug马克杯mǎ kè bēizh-sing_mug

Drinks

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
watershuǐzh-sing_water
mineral water矿泉水kuàng quán shuǐzh-sing_mineral-water
soda water / sparkling water苏打水
汽水
sū dá shuǐ
qì shuǐ
zh-sing_soda-watersparkling-water
zh-sing_soda-watersparkling-water-2
still water纯净水chún jìng shuǐzh-sing_still-water
juice [Sg]果汁guǒ zhīzh-sing_juice
juices [Pl]果汁guǒ zhīzh-plur_juice
beer啤酒pí jiǔzh-sing_beer
wine葡萄酒pú táo jiǔzh-sing_wine
champagne香槟xiāng bīnzh-sing_champagne
cocktail鸡尾酒jī wěi jiǔzh-sing_cocktail
milk牛奶niú nǎizh-sing_milk
cocoa热可可rè kě kězh-sing_cocoa
coffee咖啡厅kā fēi tīngzh-sing_coffee
teacházh-sing_tea

Flavors

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
sweet甜的tián dezh-sing_sweet
sour酸的suān dezh-sing_sour
spicy辣的là dezh-sing_spicy
salty咸的xián dezh-sing_salty
bitter苦的kǔ dezh-sing_bitter

Fruit & Vegetables

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
fruit水果shuǐ guǒzh-sing_fruit
vegetables蔬菜shū càizh-sing_vegetables
apple [Sg]苹果píng guǒzh-sing_apple
apples [Pl]苹果píng guǒzh-plur_apple
orange [Sg]橙子chéng zizh-sing_orange
oranges [Pl]橙子chéng zizh-plur_orange
strawberry [Sg]草莓cǎo méizh-sing_strawberry
strawberries [Pl]草莓cǎo méizh-plur_strawberry
banana [Sg]香蕉xiāng jiāozh-sing_banana
bananas [Pl]香蕉xiāng jiāozh-plur_banana
potato [Sg]土豆tǔ dòuzh-sing_potato
potatoes [Pl]土豆tǔ dòuzh-plur_potato
cucumber [Sg]黄瓜huáng guāzh-sing_cucumber
cucumbers [Pl]黄瓜huáng guāzh-plur_cucumber

Meat & Sausages

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
meatròuzh-sing_meat
sausage [Sg]香肠xiāng chángzh-sing_sausage
sausages [Pl]香肠xiāng chángzh-plur_sausage
small sausage [Sg]小香肠xiǎo xiāng chángzh-sing_small-sausage
small sausages [Pl]小香肠xiǎo xiāng chángzh-plur_small-sausage
ham火腿huǒ tuǐzh-sing_ham
chicken鸡肉jī ròuzh-sing_chicken
fish鱼肉yú ròuzh-sing_fish
beef牛肉niú ròuzh-sing_beef
lamb羊肉yáng ròuzh-sing_lamb

Sweets

EnglishChineseChinese
(Romanization)
Pronunciation
(Audio)
chocolate巧克力qiǎo kè lìzh-sing_chocolate
pie [Sg]pàizh-sing_pie
pies [Pl]pàizh-plur_pie
cake [Sg]蛋糕dàn gāozh-sing_cake
cakes [Pl]蛋糕dàn gāozh-plur_cake
biscuit [Sg]饼干bǐng gānzh-sing_biscuit
biscuits [Pl]饼干bǐng gānzh-plur_biscuit
icecream冰激凌bīng jī língzh-sing_icecream

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