How to Say 'I Am Making ___' in Mandarin Chinese: Describe the Dish You're Cooking
Learn to say 'I am making ___' in Mandarin and describe the dish itself—its ingredients, taste, and appearance—using the pattern 我在做 + dish and simple descriptive phrases.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn to say 'I am making ___' in Mandarin Chinese and describe the dish you are preparing. The focus is on the dish itself, not on cooking actions like chopping or frying. You will use the pattern 我在做 (wǒ zài zuò) followed by the name of the dish, and then add simple descriptions about ingredients, taste, and appearance. By the end, you will be able to tell someone what you are making and give a few details about it, such as 'I am making tomato egg stir-fry; it has tomatoes and eggs, and it tastes a bit sour.' This skill is useful when someone asks what you are cooking or when you want to share a meal plan. No prior grammar beyond basic pronouns and verbs is needed.
By the end, you can…
- say 'I am making ___' using 我在做 + dish name.
- describe a dish with its main ingredients, taste, and appearance using simple adjectives and 有 (yǒu) and 很 (hěn).
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我在做西红柿炒鸡蛋。
I am making tomato and egg stir-fry.
wǒ zài zuò xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn
Use this to state the dish you are currently preparing. 我在做 means 'I am making'; the dish name follows directly.
这个菜有西红柿和鸡蛋。
This dish has tomatoes and eggs.
zhège cài yǒu xīhóngshì hé jīdàn
Use 有 (yǒu) to list ingredients. 这个菜 means 'this dish'; 和 (hé) means 'and'.
它有点酸。
It is a bit sour.
tā yǒudiǎn suān
Use 有点 (yǒu diǎn) before an adjective to mean 'a little' or 'a bit'. 酸 (suān) means 'sour'.
这个菜很好吃。
This dish is very delicious.
zhège cài hěn hǎochī
Use 很 (hěn) before an adjective to mean 'very'. 好吃 (hǎo chī) means 'tasty' or 'delicious'.
颜色很好看。
The color looks very nice.
yánsè hěn hǎokàn
Use this to describe appearance. 颜色 (yán sè) means 'color'; 好看 (hǎo kàn) means 'good-looking'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 我在做 + dish name. 我 (wǒ) means 'I', 在 (zài) shows an action in progress, and 做 (zuò) means 'make' or 'cook'. For example, 我在做面条 (wǒ zài zuò miàntiáo) means 'I am making noodles'. To describe the dish, add sentences with 有 (yǒu) for ingredients: 这个菜有牛肉和土豆 (zhège cài yǒu niúròu hé tǔdòu) — 'This dish has beef and potatoes'. For taste, use 有点 + adjective: 有点辣 (yǒudiǎn là) — 'a bit spicy'. For a positive evaluation, use 很 + adjective: 很香 (hěn xiāng) — 'very fragrant'. You can combine these: 我在做鸡汤。这个菜有鸡肉和蘑菇。它很鲜。 (wǒ zài zuò jītāng. zhège cài yǒu jīròu hé mógū. tā hěn xiān.) — 'I am making chicken soup. This dish has chicken and mushrooms. It is very savory.'
When to use it
Use 我在做 when someone asks what you are doing right now, especially in the kitchen. If you are about to cook or plan to cook, you can say 我要做 (wǒ yào zuò) instead, meaning 'I am going to make'. For example, 我要做饺子 (wǒ yào zuò jiǎozi) — 'I am going to make dumplings'. When describing the dish to someone who cannot see it, add details about ingredients and taste. If the dish is already finished, use 我做了 (wǒ zuò le) — 'I made'. For instance, 我做了炒饭。它有鸡蛋和胡萝卜。 (wǒ zuò le chǎofàn. tā yǒu jīdàn hé húluóbo.) — 'I made fried rice. It has eggs and carrots.' Use 这个菜 (zhège cài) to refer to 'this dish' in general, or 它 (tā) to mean 'it'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你在做什么？
What are you making?nǐ zài zuò shénme我在做西红柿炒鸡蛋。
I am making tomato and egg stir-fry.wǒ zài zuò xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn这个菜有什么？
What does this dish have?zhège cài yǒu shénme它有西红柿和鸡蛋。它有点酸，但是很好吃。
It has tomatoes and eggs. It is a bit sour, but very delicious.tā yǒu xīhóngshì hé jīdàn. tā yǒudiǎn suān, dànshì hěn hǎochīA little context goes a long way
In Chinese meals, dishes are often described by their main ingredients and cooking method, such as 西红柿炒鸡蛋 (tomato and egg stir-fry). When sharing what you are making, it is common to mention the ingredients and a simple taste or texture comment. Avoid overly strong claims like 'the best' unless joking; instead, use 还不错 (hái bú cuò) — 'not bad' — or 挺好吃的 (tǐng hǎo chī de) — 'quite tasty'. This keeps the tone modest and friendly.
One thing to watch for
Adding 是 (shì) before the dish name, as in 我在做是西红柿炒鸡蛋.
Try this instead: Do not use 是 with 做. The correct sentence is 我在做西红柿炒鸡蛋 (wǒ zài zuò xī hóng shì chǎo jī dàn). 是 is not needed because 做 already links the action to the object.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I am making noodles' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
我在做面条。
我在做 (wǒ zài zuò) means 'I am making', and 面条 (miàntiáo) means 'noodles'. In northern China, 面 (miàn) alone is often used for noodles, but 面条 is the standard form.
2Translate into Chinese: 'This dish has chicken and mushrooms.'
Show a sample answer
这个菜有鸡肉和蘑菇。
这个菜 (zhège cài) means 'this dish', 有 (yǒu) means 'has', 鸡肉 (jīròu) is 'chicken', 和 (hé) is 'and', 蘑菇 (mógū) is 'mushrooms'. You can also say 这个菜里有鸡肉和蘑菇 (zhège cài lǐ yǒu jīròu hé mógū) to mean 'in this dish there is...', which is also correct.
3How would you describe a dish that is a little spicy?
Show a sample answer
它有点辣。
它 (tā) means 'it', 有点 (yǒudiǎn) means 'a little', and 辣 (là) means 'spicy'. You can also say 这个菜有点辣 (zhège cài yǒudiǎn là) — 'This dish is a bit spicy'. Both are fine.
Use 我在做 + dish name to say what you are making, then add 有 for ingredients, 有点 for mild taste, and 很 for strong positive descriptions. Keep it simple and focus on the dish itself.
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