Dinner with friends in Chinese: phrases with pinyin
You're having dinner with your friend Xiaomei at a small restaurant in Beijing. You choose what to eat and drink, and at the end you split the bill (AA制) and pay your share by scanning the QR code.
How the conversation starts
小美 (Xiaomei) · your friend
Dinner with friends
What you do
- Say what you want to eat or drink
- Ask your friend what they want
- Suggest splitting the bill and pay your share
What to say
- 我想吃___。Wǒ xiǎng chī ___.I want to eat ___.
- 我想喝___。Wǒ xiǎng hē ___.I want to drink ___.
- 你想吃什么？Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?What do you want to eat?
- 我们AA吧。Wǒmen AA ba.Let's split the bill.
- 我扫码付。Wǒ sǎo mǎ fù.I'll pay by scanning the code.
Share dishes and treat your friend
You're at a busy Sichuan restaurant in Beijing with your friend Xiaomei. Dishes are shared, so you pick some for the table together. At the end, friends usually compete to pay: it's your turn to treat.
What you do
- Suggest a dish for the table
- Ask whether a dish is spicy
- Offer to pay for the meal
What to say
- 我们点一个___吧。Wǒmen diǎn yí ge ___ ba.Let's order a ___.
3 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Dinner: too spicy, and a fight over the bill
You're at a famous Sichuan restaurant in Beijing with your friend 小美 (Xiaomei). Dishes are shared. You can't take much heat. She paid last time, so tonight is your treat, but in China friends compete hard to pay (抢着买单).
What you do
- Say what you'd like to try
- She suggests something very spicy: say you can't take much heat and ask for mild
- She insists on paying: insist it's your turn
What to say
- 我想尝尝宫保鸡丁。Wǒ xiǎng chángchang gōngbǎo jīdīng.I'd like to try the kung pao chicken.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Now say it out loud
In Kaiko, 小美 (Xiaomei) answers you out loud in Chinese, and a coach corrects you as you go.