Chinese for English speakers Cafe · Lesson 6

Steamed or fried

Chinese ordering — 请来两份素饺子 (Two portions of vegetable dumplings, please) — using 请 + 来.

Conversation

  1. Kyle Kyle

    你们吃点什么？

    nǐ men chī diǎn shén me?

    What can I get you to eat?

  2. Pishi Pishi

    请来两份素饺子。

    qǐng lái liǎng fèn sù jiǎo zi

    Two portions of vegetable dumplings, please.

    Tip: 请 <qǐng> = please 份 <fèn> = counter for portion 分 <fēn> = counter for minutes 素饺子<sùjiǎozi> = vegetable dumplings

  3. Kyle Kyle

    好的。饺子蒸的还是炸的？

    hǎo de. Jiāo zi zhēng de hái shì zhá de?

    Very well. Would you like to have you dumplings steamed or fried?

    Tip: 蒸的 <zhēng de> = steamed 炸的 <zhá de> = fried

  4. Pishi Pishi

    炸的吧！

    zhá de ba!

    Fried please.

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What does 来 mean when ordering?

'Bring / give us' (in ordering context). Not just 'come'. 请来 + portion + item = 'please bring ...'.

What is 份?

'Portion / serving'. Counter for food orders. 两份 = 'two servings'.

What are 素饺子?

Vegetable dumplings. 素 = vegetarian/plain, 饺子 = dumplings. 肉饺子 = meat dumplings.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Chinese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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