Mandarin for Food, Shopping, and Daily Comfort

Pointing works

At a restaurant or food counter, one short sentence can solve a lot:

我要这个。— wǒ yào zhè ge. — I want this one.

To decline something, say 不要，谢谢 — bú yào, xiè xie — No thank you.

Food and dietary phrases

• 辣吗？— là ma? — Is it spicy?
• 不要太辣。— bú yào tài là. — Not too spicy, please.
• 我不能吃辣。— wǒ bù néng chī là. — I cannot eat spicy food.
• 我不吃猪肉。— wǒ bù chī zhū ròu. — I do not eat pork.
• 有英文菜单吗？— yǒu yīng wén cài dān ma? — Do you have an English menu?
• 买单。— mǎi dān. — The bill, please.

Shopping and payment

• 多少钱？— duō shǎo qián? — How much is it?
• 可以用支付宝吗？— kě yǐ yòng zhī fù bǎo ma? — Can I use Alipay?
• 可以用微信支付吗？— kě yǐ yòng wēi xìn zhī fù ma? — Can I use WeChat Pay?
• 太贵了。— tài guì le. — It is too expensive.

Payment access and app behavior can change, so confirm your setup before traveling and keep a backup payment method.