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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "buffet" in Chinese?
自助餐
zì zhù cān
In Chinese, "buffet" is 自助餐 (zì zhù cān).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
This one reads "zì zhù cān" with fourth tone, then fourth tone, then first tone; picture your pitch snapping downward fast, like giving a short order; then the next syllable is held flat and steady, almost like humming one note.
Writing and usage
自助餐 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
我们在自助餐盛满了盘子。
wǒ men zài zì zhù cān shèng mǎn le pán zi 。
We filled our plates at the buffet.
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How to remember 自助餐
Try connecting the exact scene of when we filled our plates at the buffet with "zì zhù cān" — it's a fast route to buffet.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 自助餐
How do you pronounce 自助餐?
This one reads "zì zhù cān" with fourth tone, then fourth tone, then first tone; picture your pitch snapping downward fast, like giving a short order; then the next syllable is held flat and steady, almost like humming one note.
Is 自助餐 formal or casual?
自助餐 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 自助餐 used in Chinese?
自助餐 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 我们在自助餐盛满了盘子。 (We filled our plates at the buffet.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Buffet" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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