How to order food and delivery in Chinese
You stop at a small fast-food shop near your office in Shanghai. You order at the counter, say whether you will eat there or take it to go (打包), and pay by scanning the QR code.
How the conversation starts
小吴 (Xiao Wu) · counter staff at a fast-food shop
Order food to go
What you do
- Say what food you want
- Say whether you will eat there or take it to go
- Pay by scanning the QR code
What to say
- 我要一份___。Wǒ yào yí fèn ___.I'd like one portion of ___.
- 打包，谢谢。Dǎbāo, xièxie.To go, please.
- 多少钱？Duōshao qián?How much is it?
- 我扫码付。Wǒ sǎo mǎ fù.I'll pay by scanning the code.
Take a call from the delivery rider
You ordered dinner on a delivery app to your apartment in Beijing. The rider calls because they can't find your building. Riders are always in a hurry, so be short and clear.
What you do
- Tell the rider where you are
- Ask the rider to leave it at the door, or say you're coming down
- Thank the rider
What to say
- 我在___号楼。Wǒ zài ___ hào lóu.I'm in building ___.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Delivery: the wrong building and a missing drink
You ordered dinner on a delivery app to your apartment in Beijing, building 13, but the pin on the map is wrong and the rider has gone to building 3. From the north gate, it's past the supermarket and to the right. When the food comes, the milk tea you ordered won't be in the bag.
What you do
- He's at the wrong building: tell him where you are
- Give him directions to your building
- Your milk tea is missing: say so and ask what to do
What to say
- 不好意思，地址写错了，我在十三号楼，不是三号楼。Bù hǎoyìsi, dìzhǐ xiě cuò le, wǒ zài shísān hào lóu, bú shì sān hào lóu.Sorry, the address is wrong. I'm in building 13, not 3.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Now say it out loud
In Kaiko, 小吴 (Xiao Wu) answers you out loud in Chinese, and a coach corrects you as you go.