2049 Chinese

The 20K Word Road to
Mandarin Proficiency

Chapter 4.5: Street Food and Casual Dining

– Basic Level –

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The Situation

Two young women from Mexico explore the vibrant 街头小吃 (street food | jiētóu xiǎochī) scene in China, their senses alive with excitement. They point to 烤串 (skewers | kǎochuàn), eager to try the local flavors.

“这个是什么味的? (What flavor is this? | zhège shì shénme wèi de?),” one asks, curious about the 辣椒 (chili | làjiāo) and 花椒 (Sichuan pepper | huājiāo) seasoning.

They laugh, try to pronounce 豆腐 (tofu | dòufu) and 馒头 (steamed buns | mántou) correctly, and enjoy the casual dining experience. Their excitement grows as they try 各种 (various | gè zhǒng) regional specialties, immersing themselves in the local culture through food.


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The Sentences

小吃
街头小吃味道地道。
Jiētóu xiǎochī wèidào dìdào.
Street food tastes authentic.
烧烤
夏夜烧烤格外香。
Xià yè shāokǎo géwài xiāng.
Summer night barbecues are extra flavorful.
面条
面条是快速的午餐选择。
Miàntiáo shì kuàisù de wǔcān xuǎnzé.
Noodles are a quick lunch option.
包子
早上吃包子很方便。
Zǎoshang chī bāozi hěn fāngbiàn.
Buns are easy to eat in the morning.
病了就喝点粥。
Bìngle jiù hē diǎn zhōu.
Drink some congee when you’re sick.
饺子
饺子是中国的传统食物。
Jiǎozi shì zhōngguó de chuántǒng shíwù.
Dumplings are a traditional Chinese food.
拉面
拉面是兰州的特色。
Lāmiàn shì lánzhōu de tèsè.
Ramen is a Lanzhou specialty.
炒面
炒面是快速简单的晚餐。
Chǎomiàn shì kuàisù jiǎndān de wǎncān.
Fried noodles are quick and easy for dinner.
煎饼
煎饼果子是北京的特色小吃。
Jiānbing guǒzi shì běijīng de tèsè xiǎochī.
Pancake fruit is a specialty of Beijing.
豆浆
早晨喝豆浆很营养。
Zǎochén hē dòujiāng hěn yíngyǎng.
Soymilk is nutritious in the morning.
油条
油条配豆浆是经典搭配。
Yóutiáo pèi dòujiāng shì jīngdiǎn dāpèi.
Doughnuts with soymilk is a classic pairing.
米粉
米粉是南方的常见食物。
Mǐfěn shì nánfāng de chángjiàn shíwù.
Rice noodles are a common food in the south.
粽子
端午节时吃粽子。
Duānwǔ jié shí chī zòngzi.
Dumplings are eaten at Dragon Boat Festival.
糖葫芦
冬天糖葫芦很受欢迎。
Dōngtiān tánghúlu hěn shòu huānyíng.
Sugar snaps are popular in the winter.
冰淇淋
夏天吃冰淇淋解暑。
Xiàtiān chī bīngqílín jiě shǔ.
Eat ice cream in summer to relieve the heat.
果汁
果汁是健康的饮品选择。
Guǒzhī shì jiànkāng de yǐnpǐn xuǎnzé.
Juice is a healthy choice of drink.
饮料
这家店有各种各样的饮料。
Zhè jiā diàn yǒu gè zhǒng gè yàng de yǐnliào.
This store has a wide variety of drinks.
汉堡
汉堡是快餐店的热门选择。
Hànbǎo shì kuàicān diàn de rèmén xuǎnzé.
Burgers are a popular choice in fast food restaurants.
三明治
三明治是便捷的午餐。
Sānmíngzhì shì biànjié de wǔcān.
Sandwiches are convenient for lunch.
披萨
周末晚上吃披萨很惬意。
Zhōumò wǎnshàng chī pīsà hěn qièyì.
Pizza is cozy for a weekend night.
点餐
我们在手机上点餐。
Wǒmen zài shǒujī shàng diǎn cān.
We order on our cell phones.
外卖
今晚就叫外卖吧。
Jīn wǎn jiù jiào wàimài ba.
Order takeout tonight.
自助餐
自助餐可以尝试不同的菜式。
Zìzhùcān kěyǐ chángshì bùtóng de cài shì.
Buffets allow you to try different dishes.
快餐
快餐很方便,只是不太健康。
Kuàicān hěn fāngbiàn, zhǐshì bù tài jiànkāng.
Fast food is convenient, just not very healthy.

 

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The Words

小吃
xiǎochī
snack
烧烤
shāokǎo
barbecue
面条
miàntiáo
noodles
包子
bāozi
steamed bun
zhōu
porridge
饺子
jiǎozi
dumplings
拉面
lāmiàn
pulled noodles
炒面
chǎomiàn
stir-fried noodles
煎饼
jiānbǐng
pancake
豆浆
dòujiāng
soy milk
油条
yóutiáo
fried dough stick
米粉
mǐfěn
rice noodles
粽子
zòngzi
sticky rice dumpling
糖葫芦
tánghúlu
candied haw
冰淇淋
bīngqílín
ice cream
果汁
guǒzhī
fruit juice
饮料
yǐnliào
beverage
汉堡
hànbǎo
hamburger
三明治
sānmíngzhì
sandwich
披萨
pīsà
pizza
点餐
diǎncān
order food
外卖
wàimài
takeaway
自助餐
zìzhùcān
buffet
快餐
kuàicān
fast food

 

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