How to Order Food in Chinese: 点菜, Ordering, and Paying the Bill

Sitting down in a Chinese restaurant with a menu full of characters you cannot read is one of those travel moments that can go two ways: a guessing game, or a genuinely good meal. Ordering in Chinese is less about grammar and more about a short set of practical phrases — how to call the waiter, how to name what you want, how to ask what is actually in the dish, and how to settle the bill at the end.

This guide walks through the whole meal in order, with the characters, pinyin, and the situations where each phrase earns its place.

Getting a Table and the Menu

When you walk in, staff will usually ask how many people are in your party. The phrase you want is 几位 (jǐ wèi, “how many guests?”). Answer with 两位 (liǎng wèi, “two people”) or 三位 (sān wèi, “three people”) — 位 (wèi) is the polite measure word for people and sounds noticeably better than the plain 个 (gè).

For the menu, say 请给我菜单 (qǐng gěi wǒ càidān, “please give me the menu”) — 菜单 (càidān) is the single most useful word here. In many places you will be handed a QR code instead of a paper menu; if that happens, any staff member will happily bring you a printed one if you ask with 请给我纸质菜单 (qǐng gěi wǒ zhǐzhì càidān, “a paper menu, please”).

Calling the Waiter: 服务员

服务员 (fúwùyuán, “waiter / staff”) is the standard call across China. Raising your hand and saying 服务员，你好 is perfectly normal and not rude at all — locals do it constantly. In smaller family-run restaurants, 老板 (lǎobǎn, “boss”) also works and usually gets a faster response.

Once you have their attention, the phrase that signals “we are ready to order” is 点菜 (diǎn cài, “to order dishes”). 点 (diǎn) means “to pick / to order,” and 菜 (cài) covers both “vegetable” and “dish” in general. If you need more time, say 请稍等一下 (qǐng shāoděng yíxià, “one moment please”) — this is one of the handiest phrases in the whole language.

Placing Your Order

The core pattern is straightforward:

我要 + number + 份 + dish (wǒ yào + number + fèn + dish) — “I’d like [number] order(s) of [dish].”

份 (fèn) is the measure word for portions and dishes. For drinks, switch to 杯 (bēi, “cup/glass”): 我要两杯啤酒 (wǒ yào liǎng bēi píjiǔ, “two beers, please”).

When you cannot read or pronounce a dish name, pointing solves everything. Look at the picture or the item on the menu and say 我要一份这个 (wǒ yào yí fèn zhè ge, “one of this, please”). Pointing plus one sentence is how most travellers order on their first trip — and it works.

A few alternatives that natives use just as often:

• 这个是什么？ (zhè ge shì shénme?, “what is this?”) — ask before you commit.
• 给我来一个…… (gěi wǒ lái yí ge…, “give me one of the…”) — casual and very common.
• 不要辣 (bú yào là, “no spice”) and 少放盐 (shǎo fàng yán, “less salt”) — if you have preferences, say them now, not after the dish arrives.

Asking What’s In It

If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, this is the part you cannot skip. 里面有……吗？ (lǐmiàn yǒu… ma?, “does it have … inside?”) is the pattern: 里面有花生吗？ (lǐmiàn yǒu huāshēng ma?, “does it have peanuts?”).

For a direct recommendation, ask 你们有什么推荐的？ (nǐmen yǒu shénme tuījiàn de?, “what do you recommend?”) — staff in good restaurants tend to be proud of their specialties and will steer you well.

Ordering in English, Menus Without Pictures, and Pointing

Not every restaurant will have an English menu, and in smaller towns you may find nothing but rows of characters and prices. When that happens, the safest move is to look at what other tables are eating and point: 这个，一样 (zhè ge, yíyàng, “this one, the same”) gets you a good meal with almost no vocabulary. If you want variety, ask 有什么招牌菜？ (yǒu shénme zhāopái cài?, “do you have any signature dishes?”) — 招牌菜 (zhāopái cài) is the dish a restaurant is known for, and it is almost always worth ordering.

It also helps to recognise a few category words on the menu: 肉 (ròu, meat), 鸡 (jī, chicken), 鱼 (yú, fish), 豆腐 (dòufu, tofu), 面 (miàn, noodles), 汤 (tāng, soup). Spotting these in a dish name tells you roughly what you are getting even if you cannot read the rest.

Drinks, Tea, and the Little Rituals

Before the food arrives, many sit-down restaurants will bring a pot of tea to the table for free. Asking 一壶茶 (yì hú chá, “a pot of tea”) gets you one if it doesn’t come automatically, and it is the standard way to settle in while you look at the menu. For cold drinks, the pattern is 我要 + number + 杯 + drink — 我要两杯可乐 (wǒ yào liǎng bēi kělè, “two colas, please”).

It is also worth knowing that Chinese meals are almost always shared family-style. Dishes arrive in the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves, so ordering “one portion per person” is rarely the right instinct — three people usually order three or four dishes plus rice. Rice is ordered separately as 米饭 (mǐfàn, “steamed rice”), and it is normal to say 来三碗米饭 (lái sān wǎn mǐfàn, “three bowls of rice”) at any point during the meal.

Taking Food Away

If you cannot finish — and with generous Chinese portions that happens often — asking for a takeaway box is completely normal and carries no stigma. The phrase is 打包 (dǎbāo, “to pack up / takeaway”) or 请帮我打包 (qǐng bāng wǒ dǎbāo, “please pack this up for me”). In a rush, 可以快一点吗？ (kěyǐ kuài yìdiǎn ma?, “could you hurry it up a little?”) is polite enough to use, though adding 我赶时间 (wǒ gǎn shíjiān, “I’m in a rush”) explains why.

When Something Goes Wrong

Not every meal runs smoothly. If a dish never arrives, the phrase is 我们的菜还没上 (wǒmen de cài hái méi shàng, “our dish still hasn’t come”). If something is wrong with the food — too salty, cold, or simply not what you ordered — say 这个不对 (zhè ge bú duì, “this isn’t right”) or 这个有问题 (zhè ge yǒu wèntí, “there’s a problem with this”). Complaints in Chinese restaurants are direct rather than apologetic, and staff will usually fix the problem quickly without any fuss.

If you are with a group and bills are being sorted out, AA制 (AA zhì, “going AA / splitting”) is the modern phrase borrowed from English and widely understood, alongside 分开付 (fēnkāi fù, “pay separately”).

The Bill: 结账, Please

When you are finished, catch the waiter’s eye and say 结账 (jiézhàng, “the bill, please”) — this is the word you will hear at almost every table in China. 买单 (mǎidān) means the same thing and is equally common, especially in the south.

A cultural note worth knowing: in China, friends and colleagues often quietly compete to pay the whole bill. If you are dining with Chinese hosts and genuinely want to pay, do not wait until the end — say 今天我请客 (jīntiān wǒ qǐngkè, “today it’s my treat”) early, and be ready to mean it. Splitting the bill (分开付 fēnkāi fù, “pay separately”) is perfectly acceptable among equals and no one will think less of you.

Quick Cheat Sheet

Ordering in Chinese comes down to a handful of phrases used at the right moments: call the waiter, name what you want, ask one or two questions, and say 结账 when you’re done. Master those and the rest of the meal takes care of itself. If you are also learning everyday manners at the table, pair this guide with our chopsticks-etiquette guide to round out your dining Chinese — and enjoy the meal.