Order at a café in Chinese
Learn to order a drink in Mandarin Chinese, specify size or options, and ask the price politely with culturally appropriate phrases and a realistic café dialogue.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Ordering a drink in Mandarin Chinese is a practical beginner skill that combines three core tasks: saying what you want, adjusting size or options, and asking the price politely. This lesson uses a café or bubble tea shop setting, where you will hear and use phrases such as 我要一杯咖啡 (wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi, I want a cup of coffee), 大杯 (dà bēi, large cup), 少糖 (shǎo táng, less sugar), and 多少钱 (duōshao qián, how much money). You will also learn how to make requests softer with 请 (qǐng, please) and 可以…吗 (kěyǐ…ma, can/may…?). The dialogue models a typical service interaction in mainland China, where the server may confirm your order and ask whether you want it hot or iced. By the end, you should be able to handle a simple drink order from greeting to payment.
By the end, you can…
- order a drink in Mandarin Chinese using 我要 (wǒ yào) or 请给我 (qǐng gěi wǒ).
- specify a size such as 大杯 (dà bēi) or 中杯 (zhōng bēi) and an option such as 少糖 (shǎo táng) or 去冰 (qù bīng).
- ask the price politely with 多少钱 (duōshao qián) or 请问多少钱 (qǐngwèn duōshao qián).
- understand and respond to a server’s confirmation questions in a simple café interaction.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
你好，我要一杯咖啡。
Hello, I want a cup of coffee.
nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi
A direct but polite way to start an order. 我要 (wǒ yào) is common in everyday service situations.
请给我一杯茶。
Please give me a cup of tea.
qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi chá
Slightly more polite than 我要 because it includes 请 (qǐng, please). Use it when you want to sound courteous.
大杯还是中杯？
Large cup or medium cup?
dà bēi háishì zhōng bēi
A server may ask this to confirm size. 大杯 (dà bēi) means large cup; 中杯 (zhōng bēi) means medium cup.
我要大杯，少糖，去冰。
I want a large cup, less sugar, no ice.
wǒ yào dà bēi, shǎo táng, qù bīng
A typical way to customize a drink. 少糖 (shǎo táng) means less sugar; 去冰 (qù bīng) means no ice.
请问多少钱？
Excuse me, how much is it?
qǐngwèn duōshao qián
A polite way to ask the price. 请问 (qǐngwèn) softens the question and is very common in shops.
可以刷卡吗？
Can I pay by card?
kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma
Useful after you hear the price. 刷卡 (shuā kǎ) means to pay by card; 可以…吗 (kěyǐ…ma) asks permission.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A very useful pattern for ordering is 我要 + number + measure word + item. For drinks, the measure word is usually 杯 (bēi, cup). For example, 我要一杯咖啡 (wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi, I want a cup of coffee) or 我要两杯茶 (wǒ yào liǎng bēi chá, I want two cups of tea). To add options, put them after the drink: 我要一杯咖啡，少糖 (wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi, shǎo táng, I want a cup of coffee, less sugar). To ask the price, use 多少钱 (duōshao qián, how much money) or the more polite 请问多少钱 (qǐngwèn duōshao qián, excuse me, how much is it). You can also ask 一杯多少钱 (yì bēi duōshao qián, how much is one cup).
When to use it
Use 我要 (wǒ yào) when you are ready to order and the server is attending to you. It is direct but not rude in a café or bubble tea shop. If you want to sound softer, use 请给我 (qǐng gěi wǒ, please give me) or add 请问 (qǐngwèn, excuse me) before a question. When the server asks 大杯还是中杯？ (dà bēi háishì zhōng bēi, large or medium?), answer with just 大杯 (dà bēi) or 中杯 (zhōng bēi). If you need to ask about payment, say 可以刷卡吗？ (kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma, can I pay by card?) or 可以微信支付吗？ (kěyǐ Wēixìn zhīfù ma, can I pay by WeChat?). These are common in mainland China, but availability varies by shop.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好，我要一杯咖啡。
Hello, I want a cup of coffee.nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi好的，大杯还是中杯？
Okay, large cup or medium cup?hǎo de, dà bēi háishì zhōng bēi大杯，少糖，去冰。
Large cup, less sugar, no ice.dà bēi, shǎo táng, qù bīng好的，一共二十块。
Okay, twenty yuan in total.hǎo de, yígòng èrshí kuài请问可以刷卡吗？
Excuse me, can I pay by card?qǐngwèn kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma可以，请稍等。
Yes, please wait a moment.kěyǐ, qǐng shāo děngA little context goes a long way
In mainland China, service interactions are often efficient and direct. Saying 你好 (nǐ hǎo, hello) when you approach the counter is polite, and 请问 (qǐngwèn, excuse me) is a good way to soften a question. Tipping is not customary in most cafés and bubble tea shops. Payment methods vary: mobile payment such as WeChat Pay or Alipay is very common, but cash and bank cards are also accepted in many places. If you are unsure, ask 可以刷卡吗？ (kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma, can I pay by card?) or 可以微信支付吗？ (kěyǐ Wēixìn zhīfù ma, can I pay by WeChat?). Prices are usually stated in 块 (kuài) in speech, which is the colloquial word for yuan.
One thing to watch for
Saying 我要一杯咖啡，多少钱？ (wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi, duōshao qián) as one long sentence without pausing or using 请问.
Try this instead: It is better to order first, then ask the price separately and politely: 我要一杯咖啡。请问多少钱？ (wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi. qǐngwèn duōshao qián, I want a cup of coffee. Excuse me, how much is it?). Adding 请问 (qǐngwèn) makes the question sound more polite and gives the server a clear turn to respond.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say “I want a medium cup of tea, less sugar” in Mandarin Chinese?
Show a sample answer
我要一杯中杯茶，少糖。 (wǒ yào yì bēi zhōng bēi chá, shǎo táng)
This uses 我要 (wǒ yào, I want), 中杯 (zhōng bēi, medium cup), 茶 (chá, tea), and 少糖 (shǎo táng, less sugar). A natural alternative is 我要一杯中杯的茶，少糖 (wǒ yào yì bēi zhōng bēi de chá, shǎo táng), adding 的 (de) before the noun.
2What is a polite way to ask “How much is it?” in a shop?
Show a sample answer
请问多少钱？ (qǐngwèn duōshao qián)
请问 (qǐngwèn, excuse me) softens the question. You can also say 多少钱？ (duōshao qián) in a casual setting, but 请问多少钱？ is safer and more polite.
3The server asks 大杯还是中杯？ (dà bēi háishì zhōng bēi, large or medium?). How can you answer “Large cup, no ice”?
Show a sample answer
大杯，去冰。 (dà bēi, qù bīng)
大杯 (dà bēi) means large cup and 去冰 (qù bīng) means no ice. You can also answer with a full sentence: 我要大杯，去冰 (wǒ yào dà bēi, qù bīng, I want a large cup, no ice).
Order with 我要一杯… (wǒ yào yì bēi…), customize with options like 少糖 (shǎo táng) or 去冰 (qù bīng), and ask the price politely with 请问多少钱？ (qǐngwèn duōshao qián). Keep each part short and clear.
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