You finished this day
Daily lessons · Day 21 of 90
A whole meal out
From the door to the bill
Day 5 got you a cup of tea. This is the full sequence, in the order it happens, and it is the single most useful day in the course for a visitor.
Getting a table
You will be asked one question before anything else.
Why it works
位 rather than 个 for people is a small politeness that costs nothing and is noticed. Calling 服务员 across a restaurant feels wrong to a British visitor and is completely standard in China: raising a hand and waiting patiently is how you go hungry. This is day 5 at full length. The measure words and 这个 from that day are doing most of the work here.
Working out what to order
Menus are often long, and pictures do not always help.
Why it works
不要太辣 is more useful than 不要辣, because a dish built around chilli cannot simply have it removed, and asking for it to be mild gets you a better result than asking for it to be absent. If something matters medically, say it plainly and show it written down rather than relying on being understood.
During and after
Ordering more, saying it was good, and paying.
Why it works
Dishes arrive in the middle of the table and everyone eats from all of them, so ordering a single plate for yourself in a group is unusual. A rough guide is one dish per person plus rice. Asking to take the leftovers home is completely ordinary and not thought of as mean.
Nobody splits the bill
One person pays for the table, and there is often a brief, genuine argument about who. Next time someone else pays. Splitting a bill by item is rare outside young colleagues in big cities, where a group transfer on the phone has made it easier. Offering to pay and being refused is part of the ritual, so offer anyway.
Carried over from earlier days
Say each one out loud before you look at the English.
Today’s words 12
Check yourself
8 questions. Get 6 right to finish the day.
Which measure word is polite for people?
- 位 wèi
- 个 gè
- 口 kǒu
- 张 zhāng
Show the answer
位 wèi 位 in a restaurant, 口 for family members, 个 everywhere else.
Type what do you recommend in pinyin.
Show the answer
yǒu shénme tuījiàn Literally, is there anything recommended.
Why is 不要太辣 better than 不要辣?
- a dish built around chilli cannot have it removed, so asking for mild works better
- 不要辣 is ungrammatical
- 不要辣 is rude
- they mean the same thing
Show the answer
a dish built around chilli cannot have it removed, so asking for mild works better If it matters medically, say so plainly and in writing.
How do you get a waiter's attention?
- call 服务员 across the room
- raise a hand and wait
- tap a glass
- go to the counter
Show the answer
call 服务员 across the room Waiting quietly is how you go hungry.
Which means the bill, please?
- 买单 mǎidān
- 菜单 càidān
- 打包 dǎbāo
- 点菜 diǎn cài
Show the answer
买单 mǎidān 菜单 is the menu. The two look similar and are easy to confuse.
How does paying usually work in a group?
- one person pays for the whole table
- everyone pays for their own dishes
- the bill is split evenly by default
- the restaurant splits it for you
Show the answer
one person pays for the whole table Next time someone else pays. Offering and being refused is part of it.
What is 再来一瓶啤酒 asking for?
- another bottle of beer
- the first beer
- a bigger beer
- the beer list
Show the answer
another bottle of beer 再 is again and 来 is the ordering verb.
Type can we take the rest away in pinyin.
Show the answer
kěyǐ dǎbāo ma 打包 is to box up leftovers. Completely ordinary.
Question 1 of 8
Writing practice optional
Every character from today, in the order it came up. Watch it, trace it, then write it from memory.
Press Watch to see the stroke order.
Stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi via Hanzi Writer, Arphic Public License.
Character 1 of 39
This lesson is written by an English speaker who learned Mandarin as a second language, and it is waiting on a check by a native speaker. If you spot something off, please tell us and we will fix it.