Food in Chinese
This collection covers essential Chinese food vocabulary for beginner to intermediate learners. It includes ingredients, common dishes, utensils and basic adjectives for tastes and dining situations. Use it to expand everyday vocabulary and practice talking about food.
- 食物 shíwù — food; items for eating
- 吃 chī — to eat
- 饭 fàn — cooked rice
- 早餐 zǎocān — breakfast
- 午餐 wǔcān — lunch; luncheon
- 晚餐 wǎncān — evening meal; dinner; supper
- 水 shuǐ — water; liquid; body of water
- 茶 chá — tea; tea plant
- 咖啡 kāfēi — coffee (loanword)
- 牛奶 niúnǎi — cow's milk; milk (drink)
- 果汁 guǒzhī — fruit juice
- 菜 cài — vegetable; greens
- 肉 ròu — meat; flesh (animal)
- 牛肉 niúròu — beef
- 鱼 yú — fish; (used in names of various aquatic animals not strictly fish, e.g. abalone 鲍鱼, crocodile 鳄鱼, octopus 章鱼)
- 海鲜 hǎixiān — seafood
- 蔬菜 shūcài — vegetables (edible plants)
- 水果 shuǐguǒ — fruit (edible plant parts, e.g., apples, bananas)
- 苹果 píngguǒ — Apple Inc. (the American technology company)
- 香蕉 xiāngjiāo — banana (fruit)
- 橙子 chéngzǐ — orange (fruit)
- 葡萄 pútao — grape (fruit)
- 桃子 táozǐ — peach (the fruit)
- 米饭 mǐfàn — (cooked) rice
- 面条 miàntiáo — noodles
- 包子 bāozi — steamed stuffed bun (baozi)
- 饺子 jiǎozi — dumpling; pot-sticker
- 面包 miànbāo — bread
- 蛋 dàn — egg; (CL: 個|个[ge4], 打[da2]); an oval-shaped object
- 鸡蛋 jīdàn — (chicken) egg; hen's egg
- 汤 tāng — soup; hot or boiling water; medicinal decoction; liquid in which something has been boiled
- 酱 jiàng — thick paste (esp. fermented soybean paste); sauce; jam; also used for foods marinated in such pastes
- 盐 yán — salt (sodium chloride); used for seasoning or preserving food
- 糖 táng — sugar; sweets; candy
- 油 yóu — oil (generic liquid used for cooking, lubrication, fuel)
- 辣 là — hot; spicy; pungent (causing a stinging/burning sensation)
- 甜 tián — sweet (taste); pleasingly sugary
- 咸 xián — all; everyone; each; widespread; harmonious (literary/archaic)
- 餐厅 cāntīng — dining hall; dining room; restaurant
- 菜单 càidān — menu (list of dishes available at a restaurant); CL: 份, 張|张
- 点菜 diǎncài — to order dishes (in a restaurant)
- 服务员 fúwùyuán — waiter; waitress; server (in a restaurant)
- 价格 jiàgé — price
- 味道 wèidao — flavor; taste (as in food or drink)
- 烧烤 shāokǎo — barbecue; (an event or place where food is grilled)
- 炒 chǎo — to sauté; to stir-fry
- 蒸 zhēng — to evaporate; to vaporize
- 炸 zhá — to deep-fry (in hot oil)
- 健康 jiànkāng — health (the state of being free from illness or injury)
- 素食 sùshí — vegetarian food; vegetarian cuisine
- 甜点 tiándiǎn — dessert; sweet course served after a meal
- 冰淇淋 bīngqílín — ice cream