Order anything by pointing in Mandarin Chinese
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu. Play the ten Mandarin Chinese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Mandarin Chinese phrases in this lesson
- 我想要...wo SHYANG-yow
- I would like...
- 这个JAY-guh
- This one
- 多少钱dwo-shao CHYEN
- How much is it?
- 买单my-DAN
- The bill, please
- 刷卡shwa-KA
- By card
- 现金shyen-JIN
- In cash
- 水shway
- Water
- 咖啡ka-FAY
- Coffee
- 茶CHAH
- Tea
- 啤酒pee-JYOH
- Beer
- 不要...boo-YOW
- Without...
Literally "I would like": 我想要一杯咖啡 (wo SHYANG-yow ee-bay ka-FAY), a coffee.
Zhège again, the pointing word from the ordering lesson, equally supreme in shops. In practice many locals say "jèi-ge"; both pronunciations are standard.
Literally "how much money". The answer comes fast; have the seller type it on a phone or calculator, which they will do automatically for foreigners.
Call it out with a raised hand in any restaurant: mǎidān! Friends in China fight loudly for the honor of paying; splitting the bill is spreading but the fight is traditional theater.
Honestly, nobody pays by card OR cash: China runs on phone payments, WeChat Pay and Alipay, QR codes on every stall and taxi. Set up Alipay with a foreign card before arriving; it now works well for visitors.
Legal tender everywhere by law, and your backup when the QR code defeats you. Some small vendors struggle to make change for big notes, since no one has handed them cash in years.
Do not drink Chinese tap water; everyone boils or buys bottled, and so should you. Restaurants serve hot water or tea by default: hot water, 热水 (ruh-SHWAY), is the national beverage and cure-all.
Tea, 茶 (CHA), is everywhere and often free with meals.
Often served room temperature; ask for 冰的 (BING-duh), cold.
Literally "don't want ...": 不要辣 (boo-yow LA), not spicy; 不要冰 (boo-yow BING), no ice.