Chinese for Hosting: Invite Someone to Dinner at Home and Suggest a Time
Learn to invite a friend to your home for dinner in Mandarin, suggest a time, and respond politely. Includes phrases, a dialogue, and cultural tips for home hosting.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Inviting someone to your home for dinner is a warm gesture, but in Chinese it uses different phrases than inviting someone to a restaurant. This lesson teaches you how to say 'Would you like to come to my home for dinner?' and suggest a time. You'll learn key vocabulary like 来 (lái, come), 我家 (wǒ jiā, my home), 吃饭 (chī fàn, eat a meal), and time expressions. By the end, you'll be able to extend a home dinner invitation and respond appropriately.
By the end, you can…
- invite someone to my home for dinner using 来我家吃饭.
- suggest a specific time for dinner using 晚上六点 and similar phrases.
- ask if someone is free using 你有空吗？
- politely accept or decline a home dinner invitation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
你想来我家吃饭吗？
Would you like to come to my home for dinner?
nǐ xiǎng lái wǒ jiā chī fàn ma?
A direct and friendly way to invite someone to your home for a meal. Use with friends or close acquaintances. Note: 想 (xiǎng) means 'want to' and softens the invitation.
晚上六点怎么样？
How about 6 p.m.?
wǎnshang liù diǎn zěnme yàng?
Suggesting a time. 晚上 (wǎnshang) means evening, 六点 (liù diǎn) means six o'clock. 怎么样 (zěnme yàng) is a common way to ask 'how about'.
你有空吗？
Are you free?
nǐ yǒu kòng ma?
Use this to check availability before or after suggesting a time. 有空 (yǒu kòng) means to have free time. Note: 空 is pronounced kòng here, not kōng.
我做饭给你吃。
I'll cook for you.
wǒ zuò fàn gěi nǐ chī.
A warm addition to a home dinner invitation. It emphasizes that you will prepare the meal yourself. Note: 给 (gěi) here means 'for' (benefactive).
太好了，我一定来。
Great, I'll definitely come.
tài hǎo le, wǒ yīdìng lái.
A positive response to accept an invitation. 一定 (yīdìng) means definitely. Note: 一定 is pronounced yīdìng, with a first-tone 一 before a fourth-tone syllable.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To invite someone to your home for dinner, use the pattern: 你想来我家吃饭吗？(nǐ xiǎng lái wǒ jiā chī fàn ma?) This means 'Would you like to come to my home for dinner?' You can replace 我家 with another place, but for home hosting, 我家 is key. To suggest a time, add a time phrase before 怎么样 (zěnme yàng, how about): 晚上六点怎么样？(wǎnshang liù diǎn zěnme yàng? How about 6 p.m.?) You can also use 好吗 (hǎo ma, is that okay?) instead of 怎么样. For example, 晚上七点好吗？(wǎnshang qī diǎn hǎo ma? Is 7 p.m. okay?) Note: In Chinese, time phrases typically come before the verb or at the beginning of the sentence, not at the end as in English.
When to use it
Use these phrases when you want to invite someone to your home, not a restaurant. In Chinese culture, inviting someone home is often more personal and sincere than meeting at a restaurant. It's common among friends, colleagues, and sometimes neighbors. If you're inviting a superior or someone you don't know well, you might say 我想请你来我家吃顿便饭 (wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ lái wǒ jiā chī dùn biànfàn, I'd like to invite you to my home for a simple meal) to sound modest. For close friends, 来我家吃饭吧 (lái wǒ jiā chī fàn ba, come to my home to eat) is casual and friendly. Note: 便饭 (biànfàn) literally means 'simple meal' and is used modestly even if the meal is elaborate.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
喂，小王，这个周末你有空吗？
Hey, Xiao Wang, are you free this weekend?wèi, xiǎo wáng, zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma?有空啊，怎么了？
Yes, I'm free. What's up?yǒu kòng a, zěnme le?你想来我家吃饭吗？我做饭给你吃。
Would you like to come to my home for dinner? I'll cook for you.nǐ xiǎng lái wǒ jiā chī fàn ma? wǒ zuò fàn gěi nǐ chī.太好了！晚上六点怎么样？
Great! How about 6 p.m.?tài hǎo le! wǎnshang liù diǎn zěnme yàng?A little context goes a long way
In China, inviting someone to your home for a meal is a significant gesture of friendship and trust. It often implies a closer relationship than inviting someone to a restaurant. When you invite, it's common to say 便饭 (biànfàn, simple meal) to be modest, even if you plan a lavish dinner. Guests often bring a small gift like fruit or dessert. If you decline, do so politely with a reason, e.g., 谢谢，但我那天有事 (xièxie, dàn wǒ nà tiān yǒu shì, Thanks, but I have something that day). Note: 便饭 is pronounced biànfàn, with a fourth tone on both syllables.
One thing to watch for
Saying 你想来我家吃饭吗？ to a superior or someone you just met, as if it were a casual restaurant invitation.
Try this instead: For superiors or new acquaintances, use a more formal and modest phrase: 我想请您来我家吃顿便饭，不知道您方便吗？(wǒ xiǎng qǐng nín lái wǒ jiā chī dùn biànfàn, bù zhīdào nín fāngbiàn ma? I'd like to invite you to my home for a simple meal; I wonder if it's convenient for you?) This shows respect and avoids sounding overly familiar. Note: 您 (nín) is the polite form of 'you'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you invite a friend to your home for dinner in Chinese?
Show a sample answer
你想来我家吃饭吗？
This is the most direct and common way. You could also say 来我家吃饭吧 for a more casual tone. Note: 吧 (ba) is a particle that softens the suggestion.
2Suggest 7 p.m. as the dinner time.
Show a sample answer
晚上七点怎么样？
This uses the time phrase 晚上七点 plus 怎么样 to ask 'how about'. Alternatively, 晚上七点好吗？ is also correct. Note: 七 (qī) is first tone.
3How do you accept a home dinner invitation enthusiastically?
Show a sample answer
太好了，我一定来。
This expresses enthusiasm and commitment. You could also say 好啊，谢谢！(hǎo a, xièxie! Sure, thanks!) which is slightly less emphatic. Note: 啊 (a) is a particle that adds enthusiasm.
To invite someone to your home for dinner, use 来我家吃饭 and suggest a time with 晚上六点怎么样？ Remember to be modest with 便饭 if needed, and always check availability with 你有空吗？ Note: 空 is pronounced kòng in this context.
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