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Mandarin Chinese · HSK 3.0 Band 3 · Chapter 8

在饭店点菜 Ordering at a restaurant

Zài fàndiàn diǎn cài

Ordering dishes; 老张 enters as the restaurant owner. Teaches 给 + N + V (beneficiary) and 来 + (number) + N (light ordering verb).

Dialogue

老板, 给我们推荐一个菜 — Boss, recommend us a dish

老张欢huān迎yíng! 你nǐ们men要yào点diǎn什shén么me? Welcome! What would you like to order?
林雪听tīng说shuō这zhè家jiā是shì附fù近jìn最zuì好hǎo吃chī的de, 给gěi我wǒ们men推tuī荐jiàn一yí个gè菜cài吧ba. Heard this is the best place nearby — recommend a dish for us.
老张菜cài单dān上shàng的de招zhāo牌pái菜cài很hěn多duō人rén喜xǐ欢huan. The signature dish on the menu is a guest favourite.
王明好hǎo, 给gěi我wǒ们men来lái一yì盘pán. Great, bring us a plate.
林雪再zài来lái一yì碗wǎn汤tāng, 一yì杯bēi茶chá. And a bowl of soup, a cup of tea.
老张好hǎo, 我wǒ马mǎ上shàng给gěi你nǐ们men上shàng菜cài. OK, I'll serve you right away.

Dialogue

我们都吃饱了 — We're all stuffed

林雪你nǐ吃chī一yì口kǒu这zhè个ge招zhāo牌pái菜cài, 真zhēn好hǎo吃chī. Have a bite of this signature dish — delicious.
王明汤tāng也yě很hěn好hǎo. 我wǒ吃chī饱bǎo了le. The soup is great too. I am stuffed.
林雪老lǎo板bǎn, 给gěi我wǒ们men一yí个gè账zhàng单dān, 谢xiè谢xiè. Boss, the bill please.
老张马mǎ上shàng. 你nǐ们men的de菜cài怎zěn么me样yàng? Right away. How was the food?
林雪都dōu很hěn好hǎo吃chī, 比bǐ昨zuó天tiān的de饺jiǎo子zǐ还hái好hǎo, 下xià次cì再zài来lái. All delicious — even better than yesterday's dumplings. We'll come back.
老张欢huān迎yíng欢huān迎yíng. 下xià次cì给gěi你nǐ们men更gèng好hǎo的de位wèi子zǐ. You're welcome. Better seats for you next time.

Vocabulary

点diǎn: verb order (food) (recall Bk1)
菜cài: noun dish; vegetable (recall Bk1)
老lǎo板bǎn: noun boss; owner
客kè人rén: noun guest; customer
给gěi: preposition for; to (beneficiary marker) (recall Bk1)
来lái: verb bring (in ordering: give me) (recall Bk1)
碗wǎn: m. bowl (measure word)
盘pán: m. plate (measure word)
汤tāng: noun soup
茶chá: noun tea (recall Bk1)
推tuī荐jiàn: verb recommend
招zhāo牌pái菜cài: noun signature dish
上shàng菜cài: verb serve (the dishes)
账zhàng单dān: noun bill; check
吃chī饱bǎo: verb eat to the full
林lín雪xuě: pn. Lin Xue (persona — recall ch01)
王wáng明míng: pn. Wang Ming (persona — recall ch01)
老lǎo张zhāng: pn. Old Zhang (persona — 45, restaurant owner)

New characters

板: board (in 黑板) (recall Bk2)
老板 lǎobǎn — boss; owner黑板 hēibǎn — blackboard (recall Bk2)
推: push (recall Bk2)
推荐 tuījiàn — recommend推车 tuī chē — push (a cart)
荐: (in 推荐 = recommend)
推荐 tuījiàn — recommend
招: (in 招牌菜 = signature dish)
招牌菜 zhāopáicài — signature dish打招呼 dǎ zhāohu — greet; say hello
牌: (in 招牌菜 = signature dish)
招牌菜 zhāopáicài — signature dish
盘pán: plate (measure word)
碗wǎn: bowl (measure word)
汤tāng: soup
账: (in 账单 = bill; check)
账单 zhàngdān — bill; check
顿
支
笔: (in 笔记 = notes (recall Bk2))
笔记 bǐjì — notes (recall Bk2)
种zhǒng
份

Hanzi — writing & recognition

给

gěi give; for (recall Bk1) Writing

9 strokes left-right

点

diǎn order (food); dot (recall Bk1) Writing

9 strokes top-bottom

汤

tāng soup Recognition

6 strokes left-right

甜

tián sweet (recall plan-context) Recognition

11 strokes left-right

Grammar

Verbal measure words: 口 / 眼 / 顿 (三10)

Explanation

Verbal measure words follow the verb to count the "amount" of an action. 喝一口 (one mouthful) / 看一眼 (one glance) / 说一顿 (a scolding). Structure: verb + number + verbal-MW (看一眼). When ordering food: 你喝一口 / 看一眼菜单.

Examples

你喝一口吧. Take a sip.
让我看一眼. Let me have a look.
我看了他一眼. I glanced at him.
妈妈说了他一顿. Mum gave him a telling-off.

Grammar

Noun measure words: 张 / 把 / 支 / 种 / 份 (三09)

Explanation

Grammar-01 counted actions; here we count nouns. Band 3 expands noun measure words: 张 (flat things: 一张桌子 / 一张票) / 把 (things with a handle: 一把椅子) / 支 (thin long things: 一支笔) / 种 (kinds: 两种菜) / 份 (a portion: 一份菜). Structure: number + MW + noun.

Examples

给我一张桌子. Give me a table.
我要一支笔. I want a pen.
来两种菜. Bring two kinds of dishes.
我们要三份米饭. We want three portions of rice.

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