服务员!
fúwùyuán !
Waiter!
We have good news for gourmands. When it comes to ordering food in China, you're on a level playing
field with the most famous Sinologists. Want to know how John Fairbank and John DeFrancis ordered
beef noodles back in the day, or how Victor Mair gets his chicken and peanuts to this very day?
The secret is that no matter how high-class the restaurant, China is a country where you can still get away
with pointing at the menu and grunting. Chinese menus actually encourage this. And while grunting may
be frowned upon in some finer establishments, we can replace those with a few choice words and you'll
be good to go, charming serving staff throughout the Orient and blending in with the locals. Listen up
and learn how.
fúwùyuán !
Waiter!
wǒ yào yī ge zhège , liǎng ge zhège , yī ge nàge 。
I want one of these, two of these, and one of those.
nín yī ge rén ma ?
Are you eating alone?
wǒ è le 。
I'm hungry.
fúwùyuán
waiter
nounwǒ
I
pronounnín
you
pronounyào
to want
verbyī
one number 两 liǎng two number 个 ge (measure word) measure word 人 rén person
nounma
(question marker) question marker 饿è hungry
adjectivezhè
this determiner 那 nà that determiner 这个 zhège this one
phrasenàge
that one
phrase