Mandarin Chinese for Guiding Someone Through a Dish in Real Time
Learn Mandarin phrases for coaching a cook step by step: giving sequenced instructions, checking doneness, adjusting heat, and warning about timing, with pinyin and tone marks.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
This lesson teaches you to guide another person through cooking a dish while it is happening, not to read a recipe aloud. Live instruction in Mandarin relies on short imperative clauses, sequence markers, and quick checks. You will learn to start a step, tell someone to wait, ask whether something is ready, adjust heat, and warn about timing. Pay attention to tone pairs in commands such as 先切 (xiān qiē) and 别急 (bié jí), and notice that Mandarin verbs do not change for person or tense; time and completion come from words like 先, 已经, and 好了.
By the end, you can…
- give short sequenced cooking instructions in Mandarin using 先, 再, and 然后.
- check doneness and adjust heat with polite but clear Mandarin commands.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
先把锅烧热。
First heat the pan.
xiān bǎ guō shāo rè
Use 把 to put the object before the verb when you want to direct attention to what is being handled.
油热了再放葱。
When the oil is hot, then add the scallions.
yóu rè le zài fàng cōng
再 marks the next step after a condition; it is not the same as 又, which repeats a past action.
火关小一点。
Turn the heat down a little.
huǒ guān xiǎo yì diǎn
一点 softens a command; use it when the listener is already cooking and you are adjusting, not starting.
你翻一下，别糊了。
Flip it once, don't let it burn.
nǐ fān yí xià, bié hú le
一下 makes the action brief and casual; 别 warns against an unwanted result.
已经熟了吗？
Is it cooked already?
yǐ jīng shú le ma
Use 已经 with 了 to ask whether a change of state has happened.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For live cooking, chain steps with 先……再……然后……最后. Example: 先切肉，再腌一下，然后下锅炒，最后放盐。The subject is often omitted because both people can see who is acting. Add 一下 to soften a single action: 尝一下 (taste it once), 搅一下 (stir once). To check a state, use 好了吗 or 熟了吗. To warn, use 别 + verb + 了: 别煮太久了 (don't cook it too long).
When to use it
Use these patterns when you are standing beside someone and the dish is in progress. Direct imperatives are normal here, but add 一点, 一下, or 吧 to avoid sounding harsh: 盐少放一点吧. Use 已经……了 for completed changes, and 还没……呢 for things not yet done: 还没熟呢. If you need to stop an action immediately, say 停一下 or 等一下 before explaining. For a gentler request, use 能不能……？: 能不能帮我看着火？
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
先把锅烧热，再倒油。
First heat the pan, then pour in the oil.xiān bǎ guō shāo rè, zài dào yóu好，油要放多少？
Okay, how much oil should I add?hǎo, yóu yào fàng duō shǎo两勺就行，油热了放葱。
Two spoonfuls is enough; when the oil is hot, add the scallions.liǎng sháo jiù xíng, yóu rè le fàng cōng已经闻到香味了，现在放肉吗？
I can already smell the aroma; should I add the meat now?yǐ jīng wén dào xiāng wèi le, xiàn zài fàng ròu maA little context goes a long way
In a home kitchen, direct commands are not necessarily rude when the task is shared and urgent. Still, Mandarin speakers often soften instructions with 吧, 一点, or 一下, especially when guiding an older relative or a guest. If you are the guest, it is common to acknowledge with 好 or 行 rather than argue. When you are unsure, ask 这样行吗？ to check rather than issuing a bare command.
One thing to watch for
Using 再 for a repeated past action, as in 我再放了盐 yesterday.
Try this instead: Use 又 for a repeated past action, and 再 for a future next step. Say 我又放了一点盐 (I added a little salt again) for the past, but 再放一点盐 (add a little more salt) for the next step.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you tell someone to turn the heat down a little while they are cooking?
Show a sample answer
火关小一点。
This uses 关小 for turning down and 一点 to soften the command. 火小一点也行 is also acceptable if the context is clear.
2How do you ask whether the food is already cooked?
Show a sample answer
已经熟了吗？
已经……了吗 asks whether a change of state has occurred. 熟了吗？ is also correct and slightly more casual.
3Give a two-step instruction using 先 and 再.
Show a sample answer
先切菜，再下锅。
先 marks the first step and 再 marks the next step. 先切菜，然后下锅 is also valid, though 然后 is less tightly sequenced than 再.
Guide cooking with short sequenced commands: 先, 再, 然后, 最后, and soften them with 一点, 一下, or 吧. Check progress with 好了吗 or 熟了吗, and warn with 别……了.
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