How to Request a Specific Cut of Meat in Mandarin at a Butcher Stall
Learn to ask for 五花肉 or 里脊, request 切丝 or 切片, and say 要切好的 or 不要太肥 at a Chinese butcher stall.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
At a Chinese butcher stall, you often need to name the exact cut and say how you want it prepared. This lesson teaches you to ask for 五花肉 (pork belly) or 里脊 (tenderloin), request 切丝 (shredded) or 切片 (sliced), and use 要切好的 (I want it cut) and 不要太肥 (not too fatty). You will practice a short dialogue and learn polite, casual ways to get the right meat for your dish.
By the end, you can…
- name 五花肉 and 里脊 and ask for them.
- request 切丝 or 切片 for a specific cut.
- say 要切好的 and 不要太肥 to specify preparation and fat level.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我要五花肉。
I want pork belly.
wǒ yào wǔ huā ròu
Direct and common at a butcher stall. 五花肉 is the layered pork belly used for braising or stir-frying.
里脊怎么卖？
How much is the tenderloin?
lǐ ji zěn me mài
Use 怎么卖 to ask the price per unit. 里脊 is lean tenderloin, often used for quick stir-fries.
要切好的。
I want it cut (prepared).
yào qiē hǎo de
Signals that you want the butcher to cut the meat for you. 切好的 means already cut or cut to order.
切成丝。
Cut it into shreds.
qiē chéng sī
Use 切成丝 for thin strips, common for stir-fries. For slices, say 切成片 (qiē chéng piàn).
不要太肥。
Not too fatty.
bú yào tài féi
Use when choosing pork belly or other fatty cuts. 太肥 means too fatty; 不要太肥 softens the request.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 要 + [cut] + [preparation]. For example, 我要五花肉，要切好的。 (I want pork belly, cut.) You can also say 里脊切成丝。 (Cut the tenderloin into shreds.) To specify fat, add 不要太肥 after the cut: 五花肉不要太肥。 (Pork belly, not too fatty.) The verb 切 (qiē) means to cut; 切成 (qiē chéng) means cut into a shape, followed by 丝 (shreds) or 片 (slices).
When to use it
Use these phrases at a butcher counter when you need a specific cut and preparation. If you want the butcher to cut it, say 要切好的。 If you plan to cut it yourself, you can say 不用切 (bú yòng qiē, no need to cut). For lean meat, choose 里脊; for fatty, layered meat, choose 五花肉. When asking for a smaller amount, say 来半斤 (lái bàn jīn, give me half a jin). Always check the total price before paying.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
老板，我要五花肉。
Boss, I want pork belly.lǎo bǎn, wǒ yào wǔ huā ròu要多少？
How much do you want?yào duō shǎo来一斤，要切好的，切成片，不要太肥。
Give me one jin, cut it, slice it, not too fatty.lái yì jīn, yào qiē hǎo de, qiē chéng piàn, bú yào tài féi好，这块可以吗？
Okay, is this piece alright?hǎo, zhè kuài kě yǐ maA little context goes a long way
At a butcher stall, 老板 (lǎo bǎn) is a friendly way to address the vendor, not just a term for boss. Requests are usually direct but softened with 要 (want) and 不要太 (not too). It is normal to point at the meat and specify the cut and preparation. Prices are per jin (斤, 500 grams) and can vary; always ask 怎么卖 (how much) before buying. The vendor may show you a piece and ask 这块可以吗？ (Is this piece okay?).
One thing to watch for
Saying 我要切肉 to mean 'I want it cut.'
Try this instead: Use 要切好的 (yào qiē hǎo de) to mean you want the meat already cut. 我要切肉 sounds like 'I want to cut meat' yourself. For example, say 五花肉要切好的，切成丝。 (I want the pork belly cut, into shreds.)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for pork belly that is not too fatty?
Show a sample answer
我要五花肉，不要太肥。
This uses 我要 (I want) + 五花肉 (pork belly) + 不要太肥 (not too fatty). You could also say 五花肉不要太肥。 Both are correct.
2You want tenderloin cut into shreds. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
里脊要切好的，切成丝。
里脊 (tenderloin) + 要切好的 (want it cut) + 切成丝 (cut into shreds). You can also say 里脊切成丝。 The key is 切成丝 for shreds.
3How do you ask the price of pork belly?
Show a sample answer
五花肉怎么卖？
怎么卖 (zěn me mài) means 'how do you sell it' and asks for the price. You can also say 五花肉多少钱？ (How much is pork belly?) Both are common.
Name the cut (五花肉 or 里脊), then say 要切好的 and choose 切丝 or 切片. Add 不要太肥 to control fat. Ask 怎么卖 for the price.
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