How to Order Food in Chinese: 10 Essential Phrases for Delivery
Food delivery in China runs at a scale and speed that impresses even the most seasoned traveler. Apps like Eleme and Meituan handle tens of millions of orders a day, delivery times are around 25–35 minutes, and the whole process, from opening the app to having the food at your door, is fast and smooth.
The only obstacle for many new users is the language: couriers call when they can't find the address, in-app messages arrive in Chinese, and certain situations (a wrong order, a missing item) require talking to the restaurant or the platform.
These ten phrases cover exactly those situations. With them, the delivery experience in China becomes noticeably smoother from the start.
In this article:
- Before you order
- Placing and receiving your order
- If there's a problem
- Pronunciation and tones: what you need to know
- How to practice these phrases
Before You Order
These phrases are useful when you're browsing the menu and want information about dishes before deciding.
1. 有什么推荐吗？
Yǒu shénme tuījiàn ma? Do you have any recommendations?
One of the most useful phrases for starting a conversation about food. Chinese restaurants with good service usually have a signature dish or one that's especially good that day, and this question invites them to share it.
For delivery, you can also use it in the app chat if the restaurant has messaging. In person, it's perfect at restaurants and street food stalls alike.
Breakdown:
- 有 (yǒu): there is / to have
- 什么 (shénme): what / something
- 推荐 (tuījiàn): recommendation / to recommend
- 吗 (ma): question particle
2. 这个辣吗？
Zhège là ma? Is this spicy?
Essential if you can't handle spice or want to know exactly what you're ordering. Spiciness in Chinese cooking varies enormously: a Sichuan dish can have a capsaicin level that's literally painful for unaccustomed palates.
If the answer is "有点辣 (yǒu diǎn là, a little spicy)" and you want it made without chili, you can add: 不要辣 (bú yào là), "no spice, please".
Breakdown:
- 这个 (zhège): this
- 辣 (là): spicy
- 吗 (ma): question particle
Variation: 很辣吗？(hěn là ma?): "Is it very spicy?"
3. 有素食选项吗？
Yǒu sùshí xuǎnxiàng ma? Are there vegetarian options?
Vegetarianism in China has roots in Buddhist tradition, and the vegetarian offering at Chinese restaurants is usually bigger than travelers expect. However, many dishes that look vegetarian include meat broth or seasonings with animal products, so this question makes sure you ask explicitly.
If you're vegan, add: 不吃肉也不吃蛋奶 (bù chī ròu yě bù chī dàn nǎi), "I don't eat meat, eggs or dairy".
Breakdown:
- 有 (yǒu): there is
- 素食 (sùshí): vegetarian food (素 has Buddhist roots)
- 选项 (xuǎnxiàng): options
- 吗 (ma): question particle
Placing and Receiving Your Order
These are the most used phrases during an active delivery: confirming the order, coordinating with the courier and handling the drop-off.
4. 我要点餐
Wǒ yào diǎn cān I'd like to order
The straightforward phrase to start an order when you're talking to someone in person or on the phone, at a restaurant that takes orders by phone, for example. In delivery apps the process is visual, but if you ever call a restaurant directly to order, this is your opener.
Breakdown:
- 我 (wǒ): I
- 要 (yào): want / am going to
- 点餐 (diǎn cān): to order food (点 = to point/choose, 餐 = meal)
5. 多久能送到？
Duō jiǔ néng sòng dào? How long will delivery take?
Useful both before confirming your order (to decide whether you have the patience) and afterward if the estimated time has passed and nothing has arrived. In the apps the time is shown visually, but if there's a notable delay this phrase lets you ask the courier directly by chat or phone.
Breakdown:
- 多久 (duō jiǔ): how long
- 能 (néng): can / be able to
- 送到 (sòng dào): to deliver / to get there (送 = to send/bring, 到 = to arrive)
6. 请放在门口
Qǐng fàng zài ménkǒu Please leave it at the door
The contactless delivery instruction, increasingly common and culturally normal in China. When the courier arrives, they leave the order at the door, take a photo and send it through the app as confirmation. It's practical, hygienic and doesn't require you to be ready at the exact moment.
You can type this instruction directly into the notes field for the courier when you order, or send it through the app chat once they're on the way.
Breakdown:
- 请 (qǐng): please
- 放 (fàng): to leave / to put
- 在 (zài): at / to be at
- 门口 (ménkǒu): doorway / door (门 = door, 口 = mouth/opening)
7. 我不在家，请稍等
Wǒ bú zài jiā, qǐng shāo děng I'm not home yet, please wait a moment
For when the courier has arrived and you're about to get there but aren't home yet. In China, couriers work under very tight time metrics, so letting them know quickly that you're on your way is an appreciated courtesy.
Breakdown:
- 我不在家 (wǒ bú zài jiā): I'm not at home
- 请 (qǐng): please
- 稍等 (shāo děng): wait a moment (稍 = a little, 等 = to wait)
Quick variation: 马上到！(mǎshàng dào!): "Almost there!" / "Be right there!"
If There's a Problem
These phrases are for the less frequent but more necessary situations: when something goes wrong with your order.
8. 少了一份
Shǎo le yī fèn An item is missing
For when you receive your order and something is missing. The most direct way to tell the restaurant or the platform. You can say what's missing by adding the name of the dish: 少了一份（+name of the dish）, "one portion of [dish] is missing".
Breakdown:
- 少了 (shǎo le): missing / less than there should be
- 一份 (yī fèn): one portion / one item (份 = portion/part)
9. 送错了
Sòng cuò le They delivered the wrong order
For when the order you receive doesn't match what you ordered: wrong dishes, another customer's order or a combination that doesn't match yours. It's the most direct phrase for saying there was a delivery mistake.
Breakdown:
- 送 (sòng): to send / to deliver
- 错了 (cuò le): wrong / incorrect (错 = mistake, 了 = particle marking a change of state)
For more context: 这不是我点的 (zhè bú shì wǒ diǎn de): "This isn't what I ordered."
10. 我要申请退款
Wǒ yào shēnqǐng tuìkuǎn I'd like to request a refund
For situations where the problem can't be solved any other way: a wrong order, food gone bad, missing items with no fix. Both Eleme and Meituan have complaint processes in the app, but if you need to tell customer service or the restaurant directly, this is the right phrase.
Breakdown:
- 我要 (wǒ yào): I want / I'm going to
- 申请 (shēnqǐng): to request / to apply for
- 退款 (tuìkuǎn): refund (退 = to return, 款 = money/funds)
Pronunciation and Tones: What You Need to Know
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language: the same sound with a different tone can mean completely different things. These phrases have their tones marked in pinyin with the standard diacritics:
- ā / ē / ī / ō / ū: flat, steady tone (1st tone)
- á / é / í / ó / ú: rising tone (2nd tone)
- ǎ / ě / ǐ / ǒ / ǔ: falling-rising tone (3rd tone)
- à / è / ì / ò / ù: falling tone (4th tone)
For practical use with delivery, especially by text in apps, tones aren't critical. What matters is that the text in Chinese characters is correct, and those are the ones in the phrases in this article.
For speaking (when the courier calls you), approximate pronunciation works fine for simple phrases. Native speakers are generally very good at reading context when the message is clear.
How to Practice These Phrases
The best practice for this vocabulary is in a real context. Some concrete suggestions:
Use them in the app from the start. The instructions field for the courier in Eleme and Meituan is the perfect place to type 请放在门口 or add a specific note. Every order is a zero-pressure chance to practice.
Save the phrases on your phone. A quick note with the ten phrases and their pronunciation is enough to have them on hand when you need them. You don't need to memorize them all at once.
Set the app language to Chinese. If you have Eleme or Meituan installed, switching the app to Chinese constantly exposes you to the vocabulary of the context (food categories, order statuses, notifications), which reinforces learning passively.
Ten phrases is a very manageable starting point. And with delivery in China being an everyday, frequent activity, these phrases will come naturally much faster than you'd expect.
Want to go deeper into everyday Chinese vocabulary? Check out Chinese Flow's flashcards and resources.