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How to order food in China: menu words and the phrases that work
Learn the menu structure and five phrases, and you can order a meal without reading the whole menu. Pointing is allowed.
Written October 20, 2026. The phrases below are written in the form a server will understand, with the tone marks you need to say them.
How to order food in China is mostly a pointing task with a few spoken phrases around it. Menus are often organized by category, not by course: cold dishes, meat, vegetables, noodles, rice, soup. If you can recognize the category words and say "this one," you can order a meal. The phrases below add the things pointing cannot say: no pork, no peanuts, less spice, and the bill.
State your order and any dietary restriction before the server writes it down. Do not wait until the food arrives to mention an allergy.
The menu words that do the most work
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 面 | miàn | Noodles |
| 饭 | fàn | Rice, or a rice dish |
| 汤 | tāng | Soup |
| 炒 | chǎo | Stir-fried |
| 炸 | zhá | Deep-fried |
| 蒸 | zhēng | Steamed |
| 烤 | kǎo | Roasted or grilled |
| 辣 | là | Spicy |
| 素 | sù | Vegetarian |
| 荤 | hūn | Contains meat |
| 鸡 | jī | Chicken |
| 牛 | niú | Beef |
| 猪 | zhū | Pork |
| 鱼 | yú | Fish |
| 豆腐 | dòufu | Tofu |
| 蛋 | dàn | Egg |
The phrases for ordering
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 菜单 | càidān | Menu | When you sit down |
| 有英文菜单吗？ | yǒu Yīngwén càidān ma? | Do you have an English menu? | Ask once; if no, point |
| 我要这个。 | wǒ yào zhège. | I want this one. | Point at the dish or picture |
| 不要辣。 | bú yào là. | No spicy. | Before the order is written |
| 少辣。 | shǎo là. | A little less spicy. | When the dish is normally hot |
| 微辣。 | wēi là. | Mildly spicy. | If the restaurant offers a level |
| 不要放香菜。 | bú yào fàng xiāngcài. | No cilantro. | If cilantro is a problem |
| 我不吃猪肉。 | wǒ bù chī zhūròu. | I do not eat pork. | Before ordering a meat dish |
| 我吃素。 | wǒ chī sù. | I eat vegetarian. | A general statement; ask about the dish |
| 这个有肉吗？ | zhège yǒu ròu ma? | Does this have meat? | For a vegetable dish with broth or lard |
| 我对花生过敏。 | wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn. | I am allergic to peanuts. | Before ordering; show it written too |
| 这个有花生吗？ | zhège yǒu huāshēng ma? | Does this have peanuts? | For a dish with sauce or oil |
| 米饭 | mǐfàn | Rice | If rice is not included |
| 水 | shuǐ | Water | Ask for a bottle if you need one |
| 茶 | chá | Tea | Often served by default |
| 买单 | mǎidān | The bill, please | At the end of the meal |
| 可以打包吗？ | kěyǐ dǎbāo ma? | Can I take it away? | For leftovers |
| 好吃 | hǎochī | Delicious | A simple compliment about the food |
A short exchange
You sit down and ask for the menu: 你好，请给我菜单。 (Nǐ hǎo, qǐng gěi wǒ càidān. Hello, please give me the menu.) The server brings a picture menu. You point at a dish and say: 我要这个。 (Wǒ yào zhège. I want this one.) Then, before the server leaves: 不要辣，我不吃猪肉。 (Bú yào là, wǒ bù chī zhūròu. No spicy, I do not eat pork.)
If you have a peanut allergy, say: 我对花生过敏。这个有花生吗？ (Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn. Zhège yǒu huāshēng ma? I am allergic to peanuts. Does this have peanuts?) Show the written sentence on your phone as well. If the server is unsure, ask a chef or manager to confirm the ingredients and how the food is prepared. If the kitchen cannot confirm safe preparation for your allergy, do not assume that another dish from the same kitchen is safe.
At the end, ask: 买单。 (Mǎidān. The bill.) If you want the leftovers, ask: 可以打包吗？ (Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma? Can I take it away?) Pay at the table or at the counter, depending on the restaurant.
Allergies, vegetarian, and halal are not the same request
"I do not eat pork" is a preference or a religious rule; "I am allergic to peanuts" is a medical risk. Do not use the allergy sentence for a preference, and do not use a preference sentence for an allergy. The kitchen may treat them differently. If you have a serious allergy, carry a written card in Chinese that names the allergen and says you cannot eat it, and show it before ordering.
Vegetarian food is not automatically meat-free in broth or lard. 我吃素 tells the server the general rule; 这个有肉吗？ asks about the specific dish. For halal, ask whether the restaurant serves halal food: 这里有清真菜吗？ (Zhèlǐ yǒu qīngzhēn cài ma? Do you have halal food here?) If the answer is unclear, choose another place.
For allergy planning, FARE’s dining-out guidance recommends discussing the allergy and preparation with staff and using a chef card. Its cross-contact guidance explains why checking the named ingredient alone is insufficient. Sources checked October 20, 2026.
If you cannot say it
Point at the dish. Show a photo. Use a translation app for the server's question. Write the allergy sentence on your phone in large characters. If the menu is only on a QR code, ask for a paper menu with 有纸质菜单吗？ (Yǒu zhǐzhì càidān ma? Do you have a paper menu?) If there is no paper menu and you cannot read the screen, ask the server to recommend one dish and point to the price.
After the meal
If you want to eat more Chinese food with less pointing, learn the category words first: 面, 饭, 汤, 炒, 蒸, 辣, 素. They appear on almost every menu. The China travel phrases page has the ten lines for the rest of the trip, and the tone sentence bank has the tone traps for the lines you use most.
Questions that still sit on the table
How do I order food in China?
Point to the dish you want and say 我要这个 (wǒ yào zhège), meaning I want this one. If there is a picture menu, point. If you need a dish without pork, peanuts, or cilantro, say the phrase before the order is written down. At the end, ask for the bill with 买单 (mǎidān).
How do I say I am vegetarian in Chinese?
Say 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù), meaning I eat vegetarian. That is a general statement, not a guarantee that a dish has no meat broth or lard. Ask about the specific dish: 这个有肉吗 (zhège yǒu ròu ma), meaning does this have meat? If the answer matters medically, use a written allergy card.
How do I say no spicy in Chinese?
Say 不要辣 (bú yào là), meaning no spicy, or 少辣 (shǎo là), meaning a little less spicy. In Sichuan or Hunan, 'less spicy' may still be hot. Ask for 微辣 (wēi là), meaning mildly spicy, if the restaurant offers it.
How do I say I am allergic to peanuts?
Say 我对花生过敏 (wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn), meaning I am allergic to peanuts. Show it written on your phone as well. A restaurant may not be able to guarantee a peanut-free kitchen, so ask whether the dish contains peanuts or peanut oil: 这道菜里有花生或花生油吗 (zhè dào cài lǐ yǒu huāshēng huò huāshēngyóu ma)? Ask staff to confirm ingredients and handling with the kitchen; a phrase alone cannot establish that a meal is safe.
How do I ask for the bill and a takeaway box?
Ask for the bill with 买单 (mǎidān), and ask about packing leftovers with 可以打包吗 (kěyǐ dǎbāo ma). Check whether you pay at the table or counter before leaving.
Version 1. Recheck when the phrase set changes, or every six months.