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01:06

Improve your Mandarin with these useful terms for eating out across China! The everyday phrase for having a meal is 吃饭 - chī fàn, to have a meal.

When you’re out exploring and work up an appetite, you can say 我饿了 - wǒ è le, I’m hungry, and ask 吃点儿什么 - chī diǎnr shén me, what shall we eat? Two standout picks are roujiamo, the beloved “Chinese hamburger”, and Qianlong Baicai, a crisp cabbage dish tossed in sesame and peanut sauce, named after an emperor in Chinese history.

And when you’ve wrapped up a delicious meal and are ready to settle the bill, it’s time to say 买单 - mǎi dān, bill please! That warm, satisfied fullness is all just part of the experience.

Welcome to Actually Useful Mandarin, where we teach you the Chinese you’ll actually use.

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Dining Out in Mandarin