Master 100 Essential Food and Drink Vocabulary Words in Chinese: A Complete Guide

Hanzi Kite November 13, 2024


One of the most exciting parts of learning any language is discovering the vast array of vocabulary used in everyday life. In Chinese, food and drink are crucial aspects of culture and daily interaction. Whether you’re dining out, shopping for groceries, or simply discussing your favorite dishes, knowing how to talk about food and drink in Chinese will help you connect with native speakers and enjoy the richness of the language. This post covers 100 essential food and drink vocabulary words, with example sentences for each one to help you practice in context.

1. Basic Food Vocabulary (Essential for Every Meal)

  1. 米饭 (mǐ fàn) – Rice
    Example sentence: 我喜欢吃米饭。(Wǒ xǐ huān chī mǐ fàn.) – I like to eat rice.
  2. 面条 (miàn tiáo) – Noodles
    Example sentence: 这碗面条很好吃。(Zhè wǎn miàn tiáo hěn hǎo chī.) – This bowl of noodles is very delicious.
  3. 蔬菜 (shū cài) – Vegetables
    Example sentence: 他吃了很多蔬菜。(Tā chī le hěn duō shū cài.) – He ate a lot of vegetables.
  4. 水果 (shuǐ guǒ) – Fruit
    Example sentence: 早上我吃了水果。(Zǎo shàng wǒ chī le shuǐ guǒ.) – I ate fruit in the morning.
  5. 鸡肉 (jī ròu) – Chicken
    Example sentence: 这道菜是用鸡肉做的。(Zhè dào cài shì yòng jī ròu zuò de.) – This dish is made with chicken.
  6. 牛肉 (niú ròu) – Beef
    Example sentence: 我不喜欢吃牛肉。(Wǒ bù xǐ huān chī niú ròu.) – I don’t like to eat beef.
  7. 猪肉 (zhū ròu) – Pork
    Example sentence: 他每天吃猪肉。(Tā měi tiān chī zhū ròu.) – He eats pork every day.
  8. 鱼 (yú) – Fish
    Example sentence: 我们今晚吃鱼。(Wǒ men jīn wǎn chī yú.) – We are having fish tonight.
  9. 蛋 (dàn) – Egg
    Example sentence: 我要两个蛋。(Wǒ yào liǎng gè dàn.) – I want two eggs.
  10. 豆腐 (dòu fu) – Tofu
    Example sentence: 这个豆腐菜很好吃。(Zhè ge dòu fu cài hěn hǎo chī.) – This tofu dish is very tasty.
  11. 饺子 (jiǎo zi) – Dumplings
    Example sentence: 我喜欢吃蒸饺子。(Wǒ xǐ huān chī zhēng jiǎo zi.) – I like to eat steamed dumplings.
  12. 包子 (bāo zi) – Bun (Steamed)
    Example sentence: 中午我吃了一个包子。(Zhōng wǔ wǒ chī le yī gè bāo zi.) – I ate a bun for lunch.
  13. 馒头 (mán tóu) – Steamed Bread Bun
    Example sentence: 他喜欢吃馒头。(Tā xǐ huān chī mán tóu.) – He likes to eat steamed buns.
  14. 炒饭 (chǎo fàn) – Fried Rice
    Example sentence: 你想吃炒饭吗？(Nǐ xiǎng chī chǎo fàn ma?) – Do you want to eat fried rice?
  15. 沙拉 (shā lā) – Salad
    Example sentence: 我点了一份沙拉。(Wǒ diǎn le yī fèn shā lā.) – I ordered a salad.

2. Drinks Vocabulary

  1. 水 (shuǐ) – Water
    Example sentence: 请给我一杯水。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi shuǐ.) – Please give me a glass of water.
  2. 茶 (chá) – Tea
    Example sentence: 我每天喝茶。(Wǒ měi tiān hē chá.) – I drink tea every day.
  3. 咖啡 (kā fēi) – Coffee
    Example sentence: 我喝了一杯咖啡。(Wǒ hē le yī bēi kā fēi.) – I drank a cup of coffee.
  4. 果汁 (guǒ zhī) – Juice
    Example sentence: 我想喝橙汁。(Wǒ xiǎng hē chéng zhī.) – I want to drink orange juice.
  5. 啤酒 (pí jiǔ) – Beer
    Example sentence: 他喜欢喝啤酒。(Tā xǐ huān hē pí jiǔ.) – He likes to drink beer.
  6. 葡萄酒 (pú táo jiǔ) – Wine
    Example sentence: 我不喝葡萄酒。(Wǒ bù hē pú táo jiǔ.) – I don’t drink wine.
  7. 牛奶 (niú nǎi) – Milk
    Example sentence: 我喝牛奶加咖啡。(Wǒ hē niú nǎi jiā kā fēi.) – I drink milk with coffee.
  8. 可乐 (kě lè) – Cola
    Example sentence: 我喜欢喝可乐。(Wǒ xǐ huān hē kě lè.) – I like to drink cola.
  9. 冰水 (bīng shuǐ) – Ice Water
    Example sentence: 你想喝冰水吗？(Nǐ xiǎng hē bīng shuǐ ma?) – Do you want ice water?
  10. 热巧克力 (rè qiǎo kè lì) – Hot Chocolate
    Example sentence: 天气冷的时候，我喝热巧克力。(Tiān qì lěng de shí hòu, wǒ hē rè qiǎo kè lì.) – When it’s cold, I drink hot chocolate.

3. Meals and Cooking Vocabulary

  1. 早餐 (zǎo cān) – Breakfast
    Example sentence: 早餐我通常吃粥。(Zǎo cān wǒ tōng cháng chī zhōu.) – I usually have porridge for breakfast.
  2. 午餐 (wǔ cān) – Lunch
    Example sentence: 午餐你吃什么？(Wǔ cān nǐ chī shén me?) – What do you eat for lunch?
  3. 晚餐 (wǎn cān) – Dinner
    Example sentence: 我们晚上吃了火锅。(Wǒ men wǎn shàng chī le huǒ guō.) – We had hotpot for dinner.
  4. 小吃 (xiǎo chī) – Snacks
    Example sentence: 我喜欢吃中国小吃。(Wǒ xǐ huān chī zhōng guó xiǎo chī.) – I like to eat Chinese snacks.
  5. 外卖 (wài mài) – Takeout
    Example sentence: 今天我们订了外卖。(Jīn tiān wǒ men dìng le wài mài.) – We ordered takeout today.
  6. 烤 (kǎo) – Grill/Bake
    Example sentence: 他喜欢烤肉。(Tā xǐ huān kǎo ròu.) – He likes grilling meat.
  7. 煮 (zhǔ) – Boil
    Example sentence: 我在煮鸡蛋。(Wǒ zài zhǔ jī dàn.) – I am boiling eggs.
  8. 炒 (chǎo) – Stir-fry
    Example sentence: 我喜欢炒菜。(Wǒ xǐ huān chǎo cài.) – I like stir-frying vegetables.
  9. 蒸 (zhēng) – Steam
    Example sentence: 我蒸了鱼。(Wǒ zhēng le yú.) – I steamed the fish.
  10. 煎 (jiān) – Fry
    Example sentence: 他煎了一个蛋。(Tā jiān le yī gè dàn.) – He fried an egg.

4. Regional Food Vocabulary

  1. 北京烤鸭 (Běi jīng kǎo yā) – Peking Duck
    Example sentence: 北京烤鸭是非常有名的。(Běi jīng kǎo yā shì fēi cháng yǒu míng de.) – Peking duck is very famous.
  2. 火锅 (huǒ guō) – Hotpot
    Example sentence: 我们今天吃火锅。(Wǒ men jīn tiān chī huǒ guō.) – We are having hotpot today.
  3. 麻辣火锅 (má là huǒ guō) – Spicy Hotpot
    Example sentence: 麻辣火锅很好吃。(Má là huǒ guō hěn hǎo chī.) – Spicy hotpot is delicious.
  4. 小笼包 (xiǎo lóng bāo) – Soup Dumplings
    Example sentence: 上海的小笼包很有名。(Shàng hǎi de xiǎo lóng bāo hěn yǒu míng.) – Shanghai’s soup dumplings are famous.
  5. 牛肉面 (niú ròu miàn) – Beef Noodles
    Example sentence: 我点了牛肉面。(Wǒ diǎn le niú ròu miàn.) – I ordered beef noodles.

5. Sweets and Desserts

  1. 蛋糕 (dàn gāo) – Cake
    Example sentence: 这块蛋糕非常好吃。(Zhè kuài dàn gāo fēi cháng hǎo chī.) – This piece of cake is really delicious.
  2. 冰淇淋 (bīng qí lín) – Ice Cream
    Example sentence: 我想吃巧克力冰淇淋。(Wǒ xiǎng chī qiǎo kè lì bīng qí lín.) – I want to eat chocolate ice cream.
  3. 饼干 (bǐng gān) – Biscuit/Cookie
    Example sentence: 我下午吃了一些饼干。(Wǒ xià wǔ chī le yī xiē bǐng gān.) – I had some cookies in the afternoon.
  4. 糖 (táng) – Candy/Sugar
    Example sentence: 我不吃很多糖。(Wǒ bù chī hěn duō táng.) – I don’t eat a lot of candy.
  5. 巧克力 (qiǎo kè lì) – Chocolate
    Example sentence: 这块巧克力是我的最爱。(Zhè kuài qiǎo kè lì shì wǒ de zuì ài.) – This piece of chocolate is my favorite.
  6. 水果塔 (shuǐ guǒ tǎ) – Fruit Tart
    Example sentence: 这个水果塔看起来很好吃。(Zhè ge shuǐ guǒ tǎ kàn qǐ lái hěn hǎo chī.) – This fruit tart looks delicious.
  7. 年糕 (nián gāo) – Rice Cake (Sweet)
    Example sentence: 过年时我们吃年糕。(Guò nián shí wǒ men chī nián gāo.) – We eat rice cakes during the Chinese New Year.
  8. 麻花 (má huā) – Chinese Fried Dough Twist
    Example sentence: 你想尝尝这个麻花吗？(Nǐ xiǎng cháng cháng zhè ge má huā ma?) – Do you want to try this fried dough twist?
  9. 西米露 (xī mǐ lù) – Sago Dessert
    Example sentence: 西米露是甜点中的一道传统美食。(Xī mǐ lù shì tián diǎn zhōng de yī dào chuán tǒng měi shí.) – Sago pudding is a traditional dessert.
  10. 龙须糖 (lóng xū táng) – Dragon Beard Candy
    Example sentence: 龙须糖是一种传统的糖果。(Lóng xū táng shì yī zhǒng chuán tǒng de táng guǒ.) – Dragon beard candy is a traditional type of candy.

6. Cooking and Meal Preparation Vocabulary

  1. 切 (qiē) – To Cut
    Example sentence: 我正在切菜。(Wǒ zhèng zài qiē cài.) – I am cutting vegetables.
  2. 搅拌 (jiǎo bàn) – To Stir
    Example sentence: 我正在搅拌汤。(Wǒ zhèng zài jiǎo bàn tāng.) – I am stirring the soup.
  3. 炒 (chǎo) – To Stir-fry
    Example sentence: 我喜欢炒蔬菜。(Wǒ xǐ huān chǎo shū cài.) – I like stir-frying vegetables.
  4. 煮 (zhǔ) – To Boil
    Example sentence: 我煮了一锅汤。(Wǒ zhǔ le yī guō tāng.) – I boiled a pot of soup.
  5. 蒸 (zhēng) – To Steam
    Example sentence: 我蒸了一些包子。(Wǒ zhēng le yī xiē bāo zi.) – I steamed some buns.
  6. 煎 (jiān) – To Pan-fry
    Example sentence: 他正在煎鸡蛋。(Tā zhèng zài jiān jī dàn.) – He is frying an egg.
  7. 烤 (kǎo) – To Roast/Grill
    Example sentence: 他们在烤肉。(Tā men zài kǎo ròu.) – They are grilling meat.
  8. 调味 (tiáo wèi) – To Season
    Example sentence: 不要忘了调味。(Bù yào wàng le tiáo wèi.) – Don’t forget to season it.
  9. 拌 (bàn) – To Mix
    Example sentence: 我正在拌沙拉。(Wǒ zhèng zài bàn shā lā.) – I am mixing the salad.
  10. 炖 (dùn) – To Stew
    Example sentence: 这道菜需要炖几个小时。(Zhè dào cài xū yào dùn jǐ gè xiǎo shí.) – This dish needs to stew for several hours.

7. Common Restaurant Vocabulary

  1. 菜单 (cài dān) – Menu
    Example sentence: 请给我菜单。(Qǐng gěi wǒ cài dān.) – Please give me the menu.
  2. 账单 (zhàng dān) – Bill
    Example sentence: 请结账。(Qǐng jié zhàng.) – Please give me the bill.
  3. 服务员 (fú wù yuán) – Waiter/Waitress
    Example sentence: 服务员，能给我们加水吗？(Fú wù yuán, néng gěi wǒ men jiā shuǐ ma?) – Waiter, can you refill our water?
  4. 点菜 (diǎn cài) – To Order Food
    Example sentence: 我们已经点菜了。(Wǒ men yǐ jīng diǎn cài le.) – We have already ordered food.
  5. 用餐 (yòng cān) – To Dine
    Example sentence: 我们一小时后用餐。(Wǒ men yī xiǎo shí hòu yòng cān.) – We will dine in one hour.
  6. 食物 (shí wù) – Food
    Example sentence: 这道食物很好吃。(Zhè dào shí wù hěn hǎo chī.) – This food is delicious.
  7. 酒吧 (jiǔ bā) – Bar
    Example sentence: 我们去酒吧喝酒吧。(Wǒ men qù jiǔ bā hē jiǔ ba.) – Let’s go to the bar for a drink.
  8. 餐厅 (cān tīng) – Restaurant
    Example sentence: 这家餐厅很有名。(Zhè jiā cān tīng hěn yǒu míng.) – This restaurant is very famous.
  9. 自助餐 (zì zhù cān) – Buffet
    Example sentence: 这家餐厅有自助餐。(Zhè jiā cān tīng yǒu zì zhù cān.) – This restaurant has a buffet.
  10. 外卖 (wài mài) – Takeout
    Example sentence: 我们今天订了外卖。(Wǒ men jīn tiān dìng le wài mài.) – We ordered takeout today.

8. Health and Dietary Vocabulary

  1. 素食 (sù shí) – Vegetarian Food
    Example sentence: 我是素食主义者。(Wǒ shì sù shí zhǔ yì zhě.) – I am a vegetarian.
  2. 无糖 (wú táng) – Sugar-Free
    Example sentence: 我想要一杯无糖咖啡。(Wǒ xiǎng yào yī bēi wú táng kā fēi.) – I would like a sugar-free coffee.
  3. 低脂 (dī zhī) – Low-fat
    Example sentence: 我想吃低脂食品。(Wǒ xiǎng chī dī zhī shí pǐn.) – I want to eat low-fat food.
  4. 有机 (yǒu jī) – Organic
    Example sentence: 我喜欢吃有机蔬菜。(Wǒ xǐ huān chī yǒu jī shū cài.) – I like eating organic vegetables.
  5. 过敏 (guò mǐn) – Allergic
    Example sentence: 我对海鲜过敏。(Wǒ duì hǎi xiān guò mǐn.) – I’m allergic to seafood.
  6. 健康 (jiàn kāng) – Healthy Example sentence: 健康的食物对身体好。(Jiàn kāng de shí wù duì shēn tǐ hǎo.) – Healthy food is good for the body.
  7. 高热量 (gāo rè liàng) – High-calorie
    Example sentence: 这道菜有点高热量。(Zhè dào cài yǒu diǎn gāo rè liàng.) – This dish is a bit high in calories.
  8. 清淡 (qīng dàn) – Light (in flavor)
    Example sentence: 我喜欢吃清淡的食物。(Wǒ xǐ huān chī qīng dàn de shí wù.) – I like eating light food.
  9. 酸 (suān) – Sour
    Example sentence: 这道菜有点酸。(Zhè dào cài yǒu diǎn suān.) – This dish is a bit sour.
  10. 甜 (tián) – Sweet
    Example sentence: 这块蛋糕很甜。(Zhè kuài dàn gāo hěn tián.) – This piece of cake is very sweet.

9. Cooking Utensils and Kitchen Items

  1. 锅 (guō) – Pot
    Example sentence: 我正在用锅煮汤。(Wǒ zhèng zài yòng guō zhǔ tāng.) – I am using the pot to cook soup.
  2. 刀 (dāo) – Knife
    Example sentence: 请给我一把刀。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bǎ dāo.) – Please give me a knife.
  3. 碗 (wǎn) – Bowl
    Example sentence: 我用碗吃米饭。(Wǒ yòng wǎn chī mǐ fàn.) – I use a bowl to eat rice.
  4. 盘子 (pán zi) – Plate
    Example sentence: 请把盘子递给我。(Qǐng bǎ pán zi dì gěi wǒ.) – Please pass me the plate.
  5. 筷子 (kuài zi) – Chopsticks
    Example sentence: 我用筷子吃饭。(Wǒ yòng kuài zi chī fàn.) – I eat with chopsticks.
  6. 勺子 (sháo zi) – Spoon
    Example sentence: 我需要一把勺子。(Wǒ xū yào yī bǎ sháo zi.) – I need a spoon.
  7. 杯子 (bēi zi) – Cup
    Example sentence: 请给我一杯子。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi zi.) – Please give me a cup.
  8. 盘子 (pán zi) – Plate
    Example sentence: 这个盘子很大。(Zhè ge pán zi hěn dà.) – This plate is very big.
  9. 蒸锅 (zhēng guō) – Steamer
    Example sentence: 我需要一个蒸锅。(Wǒ xū yào yī gè zhēng guō.) – I need a steamer.
  10. 微波炉 (wēi bō lú) – Microwave
    Example sentence: 你能用微波炉加热吗？(Nǐ néng yòng wēi bō lú jiā rè ma?) – Can you heat this in the microwave?

10. Special Food Terms

  1. 火锅 (huǒ guō) – Hot Pot
    Example sentence: 我们今晚吃火锅。(Wǒ men jīn wǎn chī huǒ guō.) – We are having hot pot tonight.
  2. 小龙虾 (xiǎo lóng xiā) – Crawfish
    Example sentence: 我们去吃小龙虾吧。(Wǒ men qù chī xiǎo lóng xiā ba.) – Let’s go eat crawfish.
  3. 龙井茶 (lóng jǐng chá) – Longjing Tea
    Example sentence: 龙井茶是非常有名的。(Lóng jǐng chá shì fēi cháng yǒu míng de.) – Longjing tea is very famous.
  4. 辣椒 (là jiāo) – Chili Pepper
    Example sentence: 这道菜很辣，有很多辣椒。(Zhè dào cài hěn là, yǒu hěn duō là jiāo.) – This dish is very spicy, with a lot of chili peppers.
  5. 酱油 (jiàng yóu) – Soy Sauce
    Example sentence: 我喜欢在炒菜时加酱油。(Wǒ xǐ huān zài chǎo cài shí jiā jiàng yóu.) – I like to add soy sauce when stir-frying.
  6. 醋 (cù) – Vinegar
    Example sentence: 你要加点醋吗？(Nǐ yào jiā diǎn cù ma?) – Do you want to add some vinegar?
  7. 豆浆 (dòu jiāng) – Soy Milk
    Example sentence: 我早餐喝豆浆。(Wǒ zǎo cān hē dòu jiāng.) – I drink soy milk for breakfast.
  8. 米酒 (mǐ jiǔ) – Rice Wine
    Example sentence: 米酒是中国的一种传统酒。(Mǐ jiǔ shì zhōng guó de yī zhǒng chuán tǒng jiǔ.) – Rice wine is a traditional Chinese alcoholic drink.
  9. 蜜糖 (mì táng) – Honey
    Example sentence: 我喜欢把蜜糖放在茶里。(Wǒ xǐ huān bǎ mì táng fàng zài chá lǐ.) – I like to put honey in my tea.
  10. 香肠 (xiāng cháng) – Sausage
    Example sentence: 你想吃香肠吗？(Nǐ xiǎng chī xiāng cháng ma?) – Do you want to eat sausage?

Conclusion:

You’ve now learned 100 essential food and drink vocabulary words in Chinese. With these words, you can confidently navigate Chinese menus, order food at restaurants, and talk about your favorite dishes. Whether you’re dining out with friends, cooking at home, or traveling through China, these words will help you engage with the language in meaningful ways.

To solidify your learning, practice these words by using them in your daily conversations or even keeping a food journal in Chinese. This will help you retain the vocabulary and get used to hearing and speaking it in context.

Happy learning, and enjoy your journey into the world of Chinese food and culture!

Hanzi Kite

Posted by Hanzi Kite

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