Chinese word for food

• General Terms 

• Restaurant

• Food Types 

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Chinese Food

• Drinks

• Utensils and Equipment

• Cooking Methods

• Seasonings

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

assorted cold dishes 拼盘 pīn pán
bitter 苦 kǔ
breakfast 早餐 zǎocān
buffet 自助餐 zì zhù cān
Chinese food 中餐 zhōng cān
Chinese food (another way to say it) 中国菜 zhōng guó cài
cold dish 冷盘 lěng pán
delicious 好吃 hǎo chī
dinner 晚餐 wǎncān
drink (beverage) 饮料 yǐn liào
drink (to) 喝 hē
dry 干 gān
eat a meal (to) 吃饭 chī fàn
food 食物 shíwù
fresh 新鲜 xīnxiān
frozen 冰冻的 bīngdòng de
full (from eating food) 饱 bǎo
grain 粮食 liáng shi
help yourself  (to) 自己来 zìjǐ lái
home-style meal 家常便饭 jiā cháng biàn fàn
hot (spicy) 辣 là
hot (boiling / scalding) 烫 tàng
hungry 饿 è
invite someone to eat 请客 qǐng kè
late-night snack 宵夜 xiāo yè
lunch 午餐 wǔcān
measure word for meal courses 道 dào
measure word for meals 顿 dùn
not fond certain food 吃不来 chī bu lái
odor 气味 qì wèi
oily 油腻 yóunì
salty 咸 xián
set the table (to) 摆 bǎi
smell (to) 闻 wén
smells good (fragrant) 香 xiāng
snacks 零食 líng shí
sour 酸 suān
specialty dish 拿手菜 ná shǒu cài
spoiled 馊 sōu
strong (taste, flavor, smell) 浓 nóng
sweet 甜 tián
taste 味道 wèi dao
taste (to) 尝 cháng
taste (bad) 难吃 nán chī
taste (weak or bland) 淡 dàn
tender 嫩 nèn
thirsty 口渴 kǒu kě
tough (food — also: overdone) 老 lǎo
unable to eat any more 吃不下 chī bu xià
vegetarian 吃素的人 chīsù de rén
western food 西餐 xī cān

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

ask for the bill (to) 买单 mǎi dān
bill 账单 zhàngdān
cafeteria (in school， university， etc) 食堂 shí táng
coffee shop  咖啡馆 kā fēi guǎn
dining room (or dining hall) 饭厅 fàn tīng
menu 菜单 càidān
order food (to) 点菜 diǎn cài
ordering take-out food that is delivered 外卖 wài mài
restaurant (one of three ways to say this) 饭店 fàn diàn
restaurant (one of three ways to say this) 餐馆 cān guǎn
restaurant (one of three ways to say this) 餐厅 cāntīng
tip 小费 xiǎofèi
to bag the leftovers or get take-out food 打包 dǎ bāo
waiter (or waitress) 服务员 fúwùyuán

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

barbecue 烧烤 shāo kǎo
beef 牛肉 niúròu
biscuits 饼干 bǐng gān
boiled eggs 煮蛋 zhǔ dàn
bread 面包 miànbāo
butter 黄油 huángyóu
cake 蛋糕 dàngāo
candy 糖果 tángguǒ
cheese 奶酪 nǎilào
chewing gum 口香糖 kǒu xiāng táng
chicken 鸡 jī
chicken breast 鸡排 jī pái
chocolate 巧克力 qiǎokèlì
cream 奶油 nǎiyóu
fast food 快餐 kuài cān
fried eggs 煎蛋 jiān dàn
garlic 蒜 suàn
ginger 生姜 shēng jiāng
ham 火腿 huǒtuǐ
hamburger 汉堡 hànbǎo
ice cream 冰淇淋 bīng qí lín
jam 果酱 guǒ jiàng
lamb 羊肉 yángròu
meat 肉 ròu
oil 油 yóu
pancake 煎饼 jiān bǐng
pasta / spaghetti 意大利面 yìdàlì miàn
peanuts 花生米 huāshēng mǐ
pizza 披萨 pī sà
pork 猪肉 zhūròu
potato chips 薯片 shǔ piàn
salad 沙拉 shālā
sandwich 三明治 sānmíngzhì
scrambled eggs 炒蛋 chǎo dàn
seafood 海鲜 hǎixiān
sesame oil 芝麻油 zhī ma yóu
shrimp 虾 xiā
soup 汤 tāng
steak 牛排 niúpái
sugar 糖 táng
toast 烤面包 kǎo miànbāo
vegetable dish 素菜 sù cài
yoghurt 酸奶 suān nǎi

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set

asparagus 芦笋 lú sǔn
bitter melon 苦瓜 kǔ guā
broccoli 西兰花 xī lánhuā
cabbage 白菜 báicài
carrot 胡萝卜 húluóbo
cauliflower 花菜 huā cài
celery 芹菜 qíncài
corn 玉米 yù mǐ
cilantro 香菜 xiāng cài
cucumber 黄瓜 huáng guā
eggplant 茄子 qié zi
green peas 豌豆 wān dòu
green peppers 青椒 qīng jiāo
lettuce 生菜 shēngcài
mushroom 蘑菇 mó gu
onions 洋葱 yáng cōng
potatoes 土豆 tǔdòu
radish 萝卜 luó bo
spinach 菠菜 bōcài
string beans 四季豆 sì jì dòu
tomato 番茄 fān qié
vegetable 蔬菜 shūcài

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

apple 苹果 píngguǒ
apricot 杏子 xìng zi
banana 香蕉 xiāngjiāo
coconut 椰子 yē zi
fruit 水果 shuǐguǒ
grape 葡萄 pútao
lemon 柠檬 níng méng
ly’chee 荔枝 lì zhī
mango 芒果 máng guǒ
orange 橙子 chéng zi
papaya 木瓜 mù guā
peach 桃子 táo zi
pear 梨子 lí zi
pineapple 菠萝 bō luó
plum 李子 lǐ zi
raspberry 木莓 mù méi
strawberry 草莓 cǎo méi
tangerine 橘子 jú zi
watermelon 西瓜 xīguā

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

bamboo shoots 竹笋 zhú sǔn
bean shoots 豆芽 dòu yá
beef noodle soup 牛肉面 niú ròu miàn
bun (steam) 馒头 mán tou
bun (steamed and stuffed) 包子 bāo zi
cake (with baked sesame seed) 烧饼 shāo bing
Cantonese food 粤菜 Yuè cài
deep fried dough stick 油条 yóu tiáo
deep fried pancake 油饼 yóu bǐng
dim sum 点心 diǎn xin
duck (boiled and salted) 盐水鸭 yánshuǐ yā
duck (Peking) 烤鸭 kǎo yā
dumplings (boiled) 水饺 shuǐ jiǎo
dumplings （stuffed with vegetable and/or meat） 饺子 jiǎozi
egg roll 春卷 chūn juǎn
fried noodles (chow mein) 炒面 chǎo miàn
hot pot 火锅 huǒguō
kung pao chicken 宫保鸡丁 gōng bǎo jī dīng
mapo tofu (stir-fried beancurd in chili sauce) 麻婆豆腐 má pó dòu fǔ
noodle shop 面馆 miàn guǎn
noodles 面条 miàntiáo
north east food 东北菜 dōngběi cài
plain cut chicken 白切鸡 bái qiē jī
pork (sweet and sour) 糖醋肉 táng cù ròu
pork (twice cooked pork) 回锅肉 huí guō ròu
pork braised in red sauce 红烧肉 hóng shāo ròu
porridge (congee) 粥 zhōu
pot — stickers (fried dumpling) 锅贴 guō tiē
rice — cooked 米饭 mǐ fàn
rice — white 白饭 bái fàn
rice (fried) 炒饭 chǎo fàn
rice (uncooked) 米 mǐ
rice-flour noodles 米粉 mǐ fěn
Sichuan food 四川菜 sìchuān cài
tofu (bean curd) 豆腐 dòu fu
tomatoes and scrambled eggs with fried rice 番茄炒蛋 fānqié chǎodàn
wonton soup (dumpling soup) 馄饨 hún tun

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

alcoholic beverages 酒 jiǔ
beer 啤酒 píjiǔ
brandy 白兰地 bái lán dì
Chinese white spirits 白酒 bái jiǔ
coca cola 可口可乐 kě kǒu kě lè
coffee 咖啡 kāfēi
coffee (to make) 泡咖啡 pào kāfēi
drink (hot) 热饮 rè yǐn
drunk (to get) 喝醉 hē zuì
drunk 醉 zuì
fruit juice 果汁 guǒ zhī
honey 蜂蜜 fēng mì
ice 冰 bīng
ice cubes 冰块 bīng kuài
lemonade 柠檬水 níng méng shuǐ
milk 牛奶 niúnǎi
milkshake 奶昔 nǎi xī
mineral water 矿泉水 kuàng quán shuǐ
Moutai (strong Chinese spirit) 茅台 Máo tái
orange juice 橙汁 chéng zhī
Pepsi 百事可乐 bǎi shì kě lè
soy milk 豆浆 dòu jiāng
soft drink 汽水 qì shuǐ
sprite 雪碧 xuě bì
tea 茶 chá
tea leaves 茶叶chá yè
tea (black) 红茶 hóng chá
tea (green) 绿茶 lǜ chá
tea (jasmine) 茉莉花茶 mò li huā chá
tea (to make) 泡茶 pào chá
tea pot 茶壶 chá hú
thermos flask (hot water dispenser) 热水瓶 rè shuǐ píng
thirsty 口渴 kǒu kě
water 水 shuǐ
water (boiled) 开水 kāishuǐ
water (chilled) 冰水 bīng shuǐ
water (to boiled water) 烧水 shāo shuǐ
wine 葡萄酒 pútáojiǔ
wine — red 红葡萄酒 hóng pútaojiǔ
wine — white 白葡萄酒 bái pútaojiǔ

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

bowl 碗 wǎn
chopsticks 筷子 kuàizi
cup 杯子 bēizi
fork 叉子 chāzi
kettle 开水壶 kāishuǐhú
knife 刀 dāo
knife and fork 刀叉 dāo chā
microwave oven 微波炉 wéibōlú
napkin 餐巾 cānjīn
plate 盘子 pánzi
pot 锅 guō
spatula 锅铲 guōchǎn
spoon 勺子 sháozi
straw 吸管 xī guǎn
steamer basket 蒸笼 zhēng lóng
stove 炉子 lúzi
stove (electric) 电炉 diàn lú
stove (gas) 煤气炉 méiqìlú
tea cup 茶杯 chá bēi
tooth pick 牙签 yáqiān
wok 炒锅 chǎo guō

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

barbecue 烧烤 shāokǎo
boil in water (to) 煮 zhǔ
cook a meal (to) 做饭 zuò fàn
cook book 食谱 shí pǔ
fry (deep) 炸 zhá
fry (pan) 煎 jiān
steam (to) 蒸 zhēng
stew (or simmer) 炖 dùn
stir-fry (or saute) 炒 chǎo

Ω Vocabulary in This Flashcard Set:

chili 辣椒 làjiāo
chili sauce 辣椒酱 làjiāo jiàng
curry 咖喱 gā lí
ketchup 番茄酱 fānqié jiàng
MSG 味精 wèi jīng
pepper 胡椒 hújiāo
salt 盐 yán
Sichuan pepper 花椒 huā jiāo
soy sauce 酱油 jiàngyóu
vinegar 醋 cù

There are more than 3,300 branches of KFC in China. Coca Cola can be found in every supermarket all around China. Chinese McDonald’s branches are always full. Chinese people really enjoy western food. But they genuinely prefer Chinese food. And who can blame them, they have it all: spicy, fresh, alcoholic, cooked, sweet, vegetarian, fried, aesthetic. From cheap street food to sophisticated gourmet dishes. Learning food vocabulary it’s essential for surviving in China. Here are 50 daily food words and phrases. Enjoy 🙂

Beverages – 饮料Yǐnliào

to drink – 喝 Hē

tea – 茶 Chá

coffee – 咖啡 Kāfēi

mineral water – 矿泉水 Kuàngquán shuǐ

juice – 果汁 Guǒzhī

Coca Cola – 可口可乐 Kěkǒukělè

beer -啤酒 Píjiǔ

wine – 红酒 Hóngjiǔ

Chinese wine – 白酒 Báijiǔ

soy milk – 豆浆 Dòujiāng

Sentences for example

你想喝茶还是咖啡？

Nǐ xiǎng hē chá háishì kāfēi?

Would you like tea or coffee?

为了好好营养一下身体，你每天都要喝豆浆。

Wèile hǎohǎo yíngyǎng yīxià shēntǐ, nǐ měitiān dū yào hē dòujiāng.

In order to nourish your body well, you should drink soy milk every day.

Condiments – 调味品 Tiáowèi pǐn

salt – 盐 Yán

sugar – 糖 Táng

ground pepper – 胡椒粉 Hújiāo fěn

ketchup – 番茄酱 Fānqié jiàng

soy sauce – 酱油 Jiàngyóu

Sentences for example

蘸酱油的寿司。

Zhàn jiàngyóu de shòusī.

Sushi dipped in soy sauce.

盐是人们日常生活中不可缺少的食品之一。

Yán shì rénmen rìcháng shēnghuó zhōng bùkě quēshǎo de shípǐn zhī yī.

Salt is one of the indispensable food in daily life.

Flavors – 味道Wèidào

sweet – 甜 Tián

salty – 咸 Xián

spicy – 辣 Là

bitter – 苦 Kǔ

sour – 酸 Suān

Sentences for example

天气太热，牛奶变酸了。

Tiānqì tài rè, niúnǎi biàn suānle.

The hot weather has soured the milk.

他最拿手的菜是一个甜甜蜜蜜的点心。

Tā zuì náshǒu de cài shì yīgè tián tiánmì mì de diǎnxīn.

His skilful dish is a special sweet desert.

Appetite & Satiety食欲和饱餐Shíyù hé bǎocān

to eat – 吃饭 Chīfàn

thirsty – 渴 Kě

hungry – 饿 È

appetite – 胃口 Wèikǒu

to eat enough, to be full – 吃饱了 Chī bǎole

eat and drink one’s fill – 吃饱喝足 Chī bǎo hē zú

can`t finish all the food – 吃不了 Chī bùliǎo

can’t eat any more – 吃不下 Chī bùxià

be drunk – 喝醉了 Hē zuìle

delicious – 好吃 Hǎochī

Sentences for example

虽然我饿极了， 我还吃不了这个辣菜。

Suīrán wǒ è jíle, wǒ hái chī bùliǎo zhège là cài.

Although I’m extremely hungry, I still cannot finish this spicy dish.

对炸薯条没有胃口。

Duì zhà shǔ tiáo méiyǒu wèikǒu.

There is no appetite for French fries.

Fruits & Vegetables 水果和蔬菜Shuǐguǒ hé shūcài

lemon – 柠檬 Níngméng

mango – 芒果 Mángguǒ

garlic – 大蒜 Dàsuàn

apple – 苹果 Píngguǒ

banana – 香蕉 Xiāngjiāo

onion – 洋葱 Yángcōng

cucumber – 黄瓜 Huángguā

eggplant – 茄子 Qiézi

tomato – 番茄 Fānqié

tomato also known by the name 西红柿 Xīhóngshì

carrot – 胡萝卜 Húluóbo

pear – 梨 Lí

grape – 葡萄 Pútáo

orange – 橙子 Chéngzi

pomegranate – 石榴 Shíliú

potato – 土豆 Tǔdòu

in some region potato also known by the name 马铃薯 Mǎlíngshǔ and 洋芋 Yángyù

ginger – 姜 Jiāng

coconut – 椰子 Yēzi

peach – 桃子 Táozi

corn – 玉米 Yùmǐ

in some region corn also known by the name 包谷 Bāogǔ

pineapple – 菠萝 Bōluó

Sentences for example

天气寒冷，番茄苗都冻死了。

Tiānqì hánlěng, fānqié miáo dōu dòng sǐle.

The cold weather killed the tomato plants.

酸辣土豆丝是一道色香味的传统菜。

Suān là tǔdòu sī shì yīdào sè xiāngwèi de chuántǒng cài .

“Suanla Tudousi” [hot spicy potato threads] is a colorful, appetizing and tasteful traditional dish.

Chinese

Pinyin

Translation

Main dishes

包子

bāozi

steamed stuffed bun

饺子

jiǎozi

jiaozi (Chinese dumpling)

Meat / fish / poultry

鸡肉

jīròu

chicken (as food)

淡水鱼

Dànshuǐ yú

freshwater fish

Vegetables and greens

双孢蘑菇

shuāngbāo mógu

champignon

茄子

qiézi

aubergine (British); eggplant (US)

Liquid and solid

Cooking methods

炒

chǎo

stir-fry, fry while stirring

煎

jiān

fry, simmer in water

煎鱼	Jiān yú	fry fish
煎肉丸子	Jiān ròu wánzi	fried meatball

清蒸

qīngzhēng

steam in clear soup without soy sauce

烤

kǎo

bake, warm oneself up

Sharp / not sharp

麻

má

used in spicy dishes

清

qīng

used in fresh, non-spicy dishes

When we talk about food and drinks, what comes to your mind first? Is it a hot bowl of rice or noodles? Or is it some delicious food in our daily life? 

Foods are universal because they can represent the local condition and the characteristics of a country or an area. We have a desire and appetite to have food and drinks every day. 

In this post, we will share about the food and drinks vocabularies in China. Let’s get started!

Food 食物（shí wù）

Food is vital in providing energy and promoting body health. Whenever we take any food or nutritious fluid, our bodies digest and absorb simple but essential nutrients. For instance, minerals, vitamins, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. It will convert into the bloodstream and energy that help our body to stimulate growth and keep it healthy.

Here are some common foods that we consume every day：

1. 饭 （fàn） Rice

Rice is the main dish every day, especially for Asians. A bowl of rice is rich in carbohydrates, which provides energy to keep you energized and satisfied. Besides, there are a lot of vitamins and minerals that can help maintain body health. 

Rice is a necessary dish for Asians. If you watch Chinese dramas, you’ll realize that they take rice as their breakfast before going to work or school. 

Example use: 

• 我想要一碗米饭。
  (wǒ xiǎng yào yī wǎn mǐfàn)
  I would like to have a bowl of rice.

2. 水果 （shuǐ guǒ） Fruits

One of the most popular fruits worldwide is apples. There is a famous phrase, “An apple a day, keep a doctor away.” It means that apples as fruit contain various vitamins and nutrition, which is vital to maintaining body health. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of diseases and cancer. 

Every place has its seasonal fruit based on its geographical location. For example, fruits representing tropical countries are mango, durian, mangosteen, and jackfruit. 

On the other hand, other fruits like oranges, grapes, and apples are mainly grown in some cold-weather countries. This is because the country with cold weather and their geographical location is suitable for this kind of fruit.

Example use:

• 我喜欢吃水果。
  (wǒ xǐ huān chī shuǐ guǒ)
  I like to eat fruits.
• 榴莲是水果之王。
  (liú lián shì shuǐ guǒ zhī wáng)
  Durian is the king of fruits.

3. 肉 （ròu）Meats

There are many kinds of meats such as chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and fish. Meat is one of the primary sources of vitamin B12 and protein in the diet. Food hygiene is crucial when storing, preparing, and cooking meat as its shelf life is low if we are not keeping it properly. 

Protein in meat is good, especially for children’s and teenagers’ health. It is because protein promotes growth and brain development. 

But, we should keep a healthy diet for consuming vegetables, fruits, and meat every day. Each of them cannot be ignored as different types of food will have different kinds of nutrition. These minerals and vitamins are essential to maintain body health.

In Chinese tradition, fish play a significant role in festive celebrations. The Chinese word for “fish” 鱼（yú）sounds like the words for both “wish” and “abundance.” 

As a result, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the dinner, symbolizing a wish for abundance during the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and end for the coming year.

For example:

• 鱼很好吃。
  (yú hěn hào chī)
  The fish is delicious.
• 大家一起来吃鱼吧。
  （Dàjiā yì qǐlái chī yú ba）
  Let’s eat the fish together.

Drinks 饮料（ yǐn liào）

On the other hand, apart from food, getting enough water every day is vital for our health. 

1. 水 （shuǐ）Water

Drinking enough water is crucial to prevent dehydration and constipation. The body always needs lots of water to carry out many essential functions, such as balancing the internal body temperature. Water supports cell functions and helps excrete waste from our bodies. 

Example：

• 记得要每天多喝水。
  (jì dé měi tiān yào duō hē shuǐ）
  Remember to drink plenty of water every day.

2. 茶 （chá）Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot boiling water over cured or fresh tea leaves. For example, black tea, oolong tea, and herbal tea. 

Everyone has their favorite tea, but not everyone likes to drink tea. Drinking a cup of tea every day can help you stay healthy and feel satisfied. It is a beverage with different flavors and varieties due to cultivation regions and production methods.

Example use: 

• 每天早上我都爱喝一杯热茶。
  (měi tiān zǎo shang wǒ doū ài hè yī bēi rè chá)
  I like to drink a cup of hot tea every morning.

3. 咖啡 （kā fēi）Coffee

Coffee has been praised due to the caffeine inside that can help people focus on their whole daily activities. There are many benefits of coffee:

• Boots your physical performance
• Allows you to focus and stay alert
• Lowers risk of death
• Brighten your mood

But, it is recommended that you shouldn’t take more than 2 cups of coffee in a day which can cause insomnia and restlessness. Pregnant ladies should reduce their coffee intake to one cup a day. If caffeine uptake is excessive, it might harm the baby. 

Example use：

• Q: 你喜欢喝咖啡吗？
  (nǐ xǐhuān hē kā fēi ma)
  Do you like to drink coffee?
• A: 是的，我喜欢喝咖啡。
  (shì de, wǒ xǐ huān hē kā fēi )
  Yes, I like to drink coffee.

4. 酒精饮料（jiǔjīngyǐnliào） Alcoholic drinks  

An alcoholic drink is a drink that contains ethanol, produced by the fermentation of grains or fruits. There are many different alcoholic drinks with different alcohol percentages, such as beer, wine, whiskey, etc. 

Light to moderate alcohol consumption will help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. However, heavy alcohol users can increase serious health issues, including cancers, stroke, high blood pressure, and heart failure.

Example:

• 喝太多酒对身体不好。
  (Hē tài duō jiǔ duì shēntǐ bù hǎo)
  Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article shares valuable and simple ways to enhance your Chinese language. If you want to learn more, subscribe to Maayot for more interesting bite-sized Chinese stories!

You can also visit the links below to learn more interesting Chinese languages:

• Happy Birthday in Chinese
• Ways to Say OK in Chinese
• Popular Chinese Cartoons

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