Ordering in a Chinese restaurant
Four phrases cover a whole meal: 服务员！ (to call a waiter — say it, don't wave), 这个 ("this one", while pointing), 不要辣 (not spicy) and 买单 (the bill). Chinese meals are shared from the middle of the table, so you order dishes for the table, not a plate each.
What actually happens
Ordering is easier than the guidebooks make it sound, because Chinese restaurants are built for pointing. Many have photo menus, most have a QR code that opens an ordering page you can machine-translate, and every one of them will accept 这个、这个、这个 with a finger on the page. What you actually need is the handful of words that modify the order — spice, quantity, and the bill.
Two habits differ from the West and are worth adopting rather than resisting. First, you call the waiter: a clear 服务员！ across the room is normal and polite, and waiting to be noticed will leave you waiting a long time. Second, the food is shared. Order roughly one dish per person plus one, put them in the middle, and take from the communal plates — ordering a dish "each" produces an absurd amount of food.
Tipping is not a custom in mainland China and can be refused if you try. The bill comes when you ask for it (买单 or 结账), usually paid by phone at the table. And take the leftovers — 打包 is completely normal, at every level of restaurant.
What they'll say back to you
Understanding the reply is the half of the conversation phrasebooks skip. These are the lines you will actually hear in this situation — learn to recognise them, not to say them.
What to say
Getting seated and ordering
Spice, allergies and preferences
During the meal
Paying and leaving
The bit that isn't language
If you have a serious food allergy, do not rely on speaking it. Have it written in Chinese on your phone — 我对海鲜过敏，吃了会有生命危险。 ("I am allergic to seafood; eating it is life-threatening.") A written card gets shown to the kitchen; a spoken sentence gets nodded at.
Quick quiz — 5 questions
Five questions built from the phrases above: you get the English, you pick the Chinese. No sign-up, no score kept — just a check that they have stuck.
How do you say this?
Common mistakes
| ✗ What visitors do | ✓ What works | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting quietly to be noticed | 服务员！ | Chinese service works on being called. Waiting politely is not read as politeness — it is read as not needing anything. |
| Ordering one dish per person | Ordering dishes for the table | Everything arrives in the middle and is shared. A rule of thumb is one dish per person plus one, plus rice. |
| Leaving a tip | Paying the bill exactly | Tipping is not customary in mainland China and staff may chase you down the street to return it. Hong Kong restaurants add a 10% service charge instead. |
Ordering in a restaurant — frequently asked questions
How do I say "not spicy" in Chinese?
不要辣 (bú yào là) — "I don't want it spicy". If you want a little heat, 微辣 (wēi là) is mildly spicy. In Sichuan and Hunan, be aware that 微辣 is calibrated locally and is still hotter than most visitors expect.
How do you ask for the bill in Chinese?
买单 (mǎidān) or 结账 (jiézhàng) — both mean "the bill, please" and both are said out loud to the room. You can also make a writing gesture in the air. The bill is not brought until you ask for it.
Is it rude to call the waiter in China?
No. Calling 服务员！(fúwùyuán) across the restaurant is how it is done, at every level from a noodle shop to a hotel dining room. Staff do not circulate to check on tables the way they do in the West, so waiting silently just means waiting.
Do you tip in China?
No. Tipping is not part of the culture in mainland China, and restaurant staff will often refuse or return the money. Hong Kong and Macau are different — restaurants there usually add a 10% service charge to the bill.
Next
Before you fly
Work through the whole trip in Ready for a trip to China in 30 days, play Travel Survival Sprint to make the phrases automatic, practise saying them aloud in Airport Roleplay, or look up anything else in the Chinese → Pinyin translator.