慢慢學 mànmàn xuéHow to order food in Taiwan in Mandarin
Order at Taiwanese restaurants, breakfast shops and drink stands: for here or to go, sugar and ice levels, no cilantro, and paying the check — with pinyin and audio practice.
Ordering in Taiwan follows a script, and once you know it the whole thing takes fifteen seconds. At a breakfast shop or a small eatery you order at the counter, say whether it's nèiyòng (eating in) or wàidài (taking away), and pay when you order rather than at the end. At a sit-down restaurant you order at the table and take the bill to the counter yourself — waiting for someone to bring a card machine will leave you sitting a long time.
The drink stand is its own conversation. You'll be asked for a sugar level and an ice level, in that order, and the answer is expected instantly: bàn táng shǎo bīng (half sugar, less ice) is the phrase most people default to. Tipping isn't a thing here, water and chopsticks are usually self-serve, and if you don't want coriander in anything you need to say so before it's made.
31 phrases for ordering food & drinks
| What you say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| For here. | nèiyòng. | 內用。 |
| To go. | wàidài. | 外帶。 |
| One of these, please. | wǒ yào yí fèn zhège. | 我要一份這個。 |
| Less ice. | shǎo bīng. | 少冰。 |
| No ice. | qù bīng. | 去冰。 |
| Half sugar. | bàn táng. | 半糖。 |
| Less sugar. | shǎo táng. | 少糖。 |
| No cilantro. | búyào xiāngcài. | 不要香菜。 |
| Not spicy. | búyào là. | 不要辣。 |
| A little spicy. | xiǎo là. | 小辣。 |
| A medium iced milk tea. | zhōng bēi bīng nǎichá. | 中杯冰奶茶。 |
| Bubble (pearl) milk tea. | zhēnzhū nǎichá. | 珍珠奶茶。 |
| What do you recommend? | nǐ tuījiàn shénme? | 你推薦什麼？ |
| I'd like to pay / the check. | wǒ yào jiézhàng. | 我要結帳。 |
| It's so tasty! | hǎo hǎochī! | 好好吃！ |
| I'm full. | wǒ chī bǎo le. | 我吃飽了。 |
| One more, please. | zài yí ge. | 再一個。 |
| Egg pancake roll (breakfast). | dànbǐng. | 蛋餅。 |
| Soy milk. | dòujiāng. | 豆漿。 |
| Add an egg. | jiā dàn. | 加蛋。 |
| I'm vegetarian. | wǒ chīsù. | 我吃素。 |
| Please give me chopsticks. | qǐng gěi wǒ kuàizi. | 請給我筷子。 |
| Table for two. | liǎng wèi. | 兩位。 |
| One moment / hang on. | děng yíxià. | 等一下。 |
| Can you box this up (to go)? | kěyǐ dǎbāo ma? | 可以打包嗎？ |
| Room temperature, please. (neither iced nor hot) | chángwēn. | 常溫。 |
| Fresh-milk tea. (made with real milk) | xiānnǎi chá. | 鮮奶茶。 |
| Can I scan the QR code to order? | kěyǐ sǎomǎ diǎncān ma? | 可以掃碼點餐嗎？ |
What you'll hear back
The other half of the conversation — what the vendor, clerk or nurse says to you. Understanding these is usually harder than speaking.
| What they say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Iced or hot? | bīng de rè de? | 冰的熱的？ |
| Sugar level and ice? | tiándù bīngkuài? | 甜度冰塊？ |
| Anything else? | hái yào biéde ma? | 還要別的嗎？ |
Questions people ask
Do you tip in Taiwan?
No. Tipping isn't customary and leaving cash on the table will usually get you chased down the street. Some sit-down restaurants add a service charge to the bill instead, which is printed on the menu.
What's the difference between 內用 and 外帶?
nèiyòng means eating in, wàidài means taking away. You'll be asked this at nearly every counter, often before anything else, and the answer changes how your food is packed.
How do I order a drink less sweet?
Sugar runs wútáng (none), wéitáng (a little), bàn táng (half), shǎo táng (less) and quán táng (full). Ice runs qù bīng (none), shǎo bīng (less) and normal. Say the sugar first.
How do I ask for no coriander?
búyào xiāngcài. Say it when you order, not after — coriander goes on at the end and once it's on, it's on.
