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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 1 · Chapter 19

我想吃饺子 I want dumplings

Wǒ xiǎng chī jiǎozi

Ordering food. Foods, meals, the modal 想. Introduces 大友.

Dialogue

我想吃饺子 — I want dumplings

大友你nǐ好hǎo! 你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什shén么me? Hi! What would you like?
文山我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī饺jiǎo子zǐ. 也yě想xiǎng吃chī面miàn条tiáo儿ér. Dumplings, please. And noodles too.
大友都dōu要yào饺jiǎo子zǐ和hé面miàn条tiáo儿ér吗ma? Both dumplings and noodles?
文山是shì. 还hái要yào一yí个gè包bāo子zǐ. 多duō少shǎo钱qián? Yes. Plus one bun. How much?
大友不bù多duō. 你nǐ先xiān吃chī, 一yí会huì儿er说shuō. Not much. Eat first, we'll talk later.

Dialogue

早饭午饭晚饭 — Three meals

白月文wén山shān, 你nǐ早zǎo饭fàn吃chī了le吗ma? Did you eat breakfast?
文山没méi吃chī. 中zhōng午wǔ我wǒ想xiǎng吃chī午wǔ饭fàn. No. I want lunch at noon.
白月我wǒ们men一yì起qǐ吃chī! 你nǐ想xiǎng吃chī什shén么me? Let's eat together! What do you want?
文山想xiǎng吃chī水shuǐ果guǒ和hé肉ròu. Fruit and meat.
白月好hǎo! 我wǒ也yě要yào喝hē牛niú奶nǎi. OK! I want milk too.

Vocabulary

饺jiǎo子zǐ: noun dumpling
包bāo子zǐ: noun steamed bun
面miàn条tiáo儿ér: noun noodles
牛niú奶nǎi: noun milk
水shuǐ果guǒ: noun fruit
肉ròu: noun meat
早zǎo饭fàn: noun breakfast
午wǔ饭fàn: noun lunch
晚wǎn饭fàn: noun dinner
吃chī饭fàn: verb to eat (a meal)
大dà友yǒu: pn. Da You (persona — market vendor)

New characters

饺: (in 饺子 = dumpling)
饺子 jiǎozi — dumpling包饺子 bāo jiǎozi — wrap dumplings
条: (in 面条儿 = noodles)
面条儿 miàntiáor — noodles
钱qián: money
多少钱 duōshao qián — how much (money)? — transactional opener付钱 fù qián — pay
果: fruit (in 水果)
水果 shuǐguǒ — fruit水果茶 shuǐguǒ chá — fruit tea如果 rúguǒ — if (conditional; pairs with 那 — 如果 X 那 Y)
肉ròu: meat
牛: cow
牛奶 niúnǎi — milk

Hanzi — writing & recognition

面

miàn flour; face Writing

9 strokes enclosure

牛

niú cow Writing

4 strokes standalone

肉

ròu meat Writing

6 strokes enclosure

饭

fàn meal; rice Writing

7 strokes left-right radical 饣

想

xiǎng want; think (revisit) Recognition

13 strokes top-bottom radical 心

果

guǒ fruit (in 水果) Recognition

8 strokes top-bottom

水

shuǐ water (revisit Bk1 ch10) Recognition

4 strokes standalone

吃

chī eat (revisit Bk1 ch10) Recognition

6 strokes left-right radical 口

Grammar

想 / 要 — full modal verbs

Explanation

想 and 要 both mean "want" but differ in tone. 想 = soft / polite ("would like"). 要 = firm ("will / want"). Negation: 不想 / 不要. At a restaurant, both forms work to order.

Examples

我想吃饺子. I would like dumplings.
我要面条儿. I want noodles.
你想喝牛奶吗? Want some milk?
我不要肉. I don't want meat.

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