How to Order Sweet or Unsweetened Doujiang in Mandarin at a Breakfast Stall
Learn to ask for 甜 (sweet) or 不甜 (unsweetened) soy milk in Mandarin, using 要甜的 and 不加糖, with a natural breakfast-stall dialogue.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a Chinese breakfast stall, 豆浆 (dòujiāng, soy milk) is often served either sweet or unsweetened. The default may vary by stall, so the safest approach is to state your preference clearly. This lesson teaches you to say 要甜的 (yào tián de, I want it sweet) and 不加糖 (bù jiā táng, no sugar added), plus 咸 (xián, savory) for the salted version. You will also learn to ask 有甜的吗？(yǒu tián de ma?, do you have sweet?) and 可以不加糖吗？(kěyǐ bù jiā táng ma?, can you make it without sugar?). These patterns work at a casual breakfast stall, where speech is short and direct. You do not need to know prices or policies; just focus on expressing your taste.
By the end, you can…
- ask for sweet soy milk using 要甜的.
- ask for unsweetened soy milk using 不加糖.
- ask whether sweet or savory soy milk is available.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
豆浆
soy milk
dòujiāng (doh-jyahng)
The base word. At a breakfast stall, it often comes hot in a bowl or cup.
要甜的
I want it sweet
yào tián de (yow tyen duh)
Use 要 + adjective + 的 to state your preferred version. 甜的 means 'the sweet one'.
不加糖
no sugar added / unsweetened
bù jiā táng (boo jyah tahng)
Literally 'not add sugar'. Use this when you want the soy milk without added sugar.
咸的
savory / salty
xián de (shyen duh)
In some regions, soy milk is served savory with vinegar, scallions, or dried shrimp. 咸的 means 'the savory one'.
有甜的吗？
Do you have sweet (soy milk)?
yǒu tián de ma? (yo tyen duh ma)
A simple yes/no question. 有 means 'have'; 吗 makes it a question.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To order a specific version of a food or drink, use 要 + [taste] + 的. For example, 要甜的 (yào tián de) means 'I want the sweet one', and 要咸的 (yào xián de) means 'I want the savory one'. If you want no sugar, say 不加糖 (bù jiā táng). You can combine them: 要豆浆，不加糖 (yào dòujiāng, bù jiā táng) means 'I want soy milk, no sugar'. To ask if a version exists, use 有…吗？(yǒu … ma?): 有甜的吗？(yǒu tián de ma?) 'Do you have sweet?' or 有咸的吗？(yǒu xián de ma?) 'Do you have savory?' These patterns are short and natural at a breakfast stall.
When to use it
Use 要甜的 when you want the stall to add sugar or serve the sweet version. Use 不加糖 when you want to avoid sugar entirely. If you are unsure whether the stall offers sweet soy milk, ask 有甜的吗？before ordering. In some areas, 豆浆 is naturally unsweetened, so 不加糖 may be redundant but still clear. If you want the savory version, say 要咸的. At a busy stall, you can simply say 豆浆，甜的 (dòujiāng, tián de) or 豆浆，不加糖 (dòujiāng, bù jiā táng). Keep it brief and polite.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
老板，有甜的吗？
Boss, do you have sweet (soy milk)?lǎobǎn, yǒu tián de ma? (low-ban, yo tyen duh ma)有，甜的咸的都有。
Yes, we have both sweet and savory.yǒu, tián de xián de dōu yǒu (yo, tyen duh shyen duh doh yo)那我要一碗甜的，不加糖。
Then I want a bowl of sweet, no sugar.nà wǒ yào yī wǎn tián de, bù jiā táng (nah waw yow ee wan tyen duh, boo jyah tahng)好，甜的，不加糖。
Okay, sweet, no sugar.hǎo, tián de, bù jiā táng (how, tyen duh, boo jyah tahng)A little context goes a long way
At many breakfast stalls, 豆浆 is served hot and may be unsweetened by default. Asking 有甜的吗？is normal and not rude. The word 老板 (lǎobǎn) is a common friendly address for a shop owner or vendor, regardless of gender. If you want to be extra polite, you can say 请问 (qǐngwèn, may I ask) before your question. Avoid assuming every stall has both sweet and savory; asking first is practical.
One thing to watch for
Saying 不要糖 (bù yào táng) to mean 'no sugar'.
Try this instead: 不要糖 means 'I don't want sugar' but can sound like you are refusing sugar as an ingredient. For unsweetened soy milk, the natural phrase is 不加糖 (bù jiā táng), meaning 'don't add sugar'. For example: 豆浆不加糖，谢谢 (dòujiāng bù jiā táng, xièxie).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for sweet soy milk?
Show a sample answer
要甜的。
要甜的 (yào tián de) directly states you want the sweet version. You can also say 要甜的豆浆 (yào tián de dòujiāng).
2How do you say 'no sugar added'?
Show a sample answer
不加糖。
不加糖 (bù jiā táng) is the standard phrase. It works for soy milk and other drinks.
3How do you ask if they have savory soy milk?
Show a sample answer
有咸的吗？
有咸的吗？(yǒu xián de ma?) asks about the savory version. You can also ask 有咸豆浆吗？(yǒu xián dòujiāng ma?).
To order soy milk your way, use 要甜的 for sweet and 不加糖 for unsweetened. Ask 有甜的吗？or 有咸的吗？if you are unsure. Keep it short and friendly at the stall.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Chinese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr