FSI - Standard Chinese - Optional Module RST
Foreign Service Institute

Objectives

General

The purpose of the Restaurant Module (RST) is to acquaint you with Chinese cuisine and eating customs and to provide you with the linguistic skills you need to be able to order food in a restaurant or to dine at home.

Specific

When you have finished this module, you should be able to:

1. Name four foods or dishes suitable as a snack or as an in-between meal.

2. Name four dishes in Chinese you might order for dinner.

3. Name 5 types of meat, fish or fowl.

4. Translate the names of 10 Chinese dishes (either soups, main courses, or desserts) into English.

5. List the food which accompanies various main courses: rice, noodles, pancakes, steamed bread, flower rolls.

6. Order a Western-style breakfast.

7. Order one of the "fixed meals" offered in small restaurants.

8. Order Mongolian Barbecue or Mongolian Hot Pot.

9. Discuss with a friend what to order for a snack.

10. Ask for a menu and for help in reading it. Discuss with the waiter or waitress what the various dishes are. Ask for suggestions in ordering the meal.

11. Comment on the meal: how the dishes were made, which were most pleasing, and when you’ve had enough.

12. Ask for the check and ask to have the tip figured into the total.

13. Call to make reservations for a dinner party. Discuss the menu and cost of the dinner.

14. List the different types of courses which go to make up a banquet: cold dishes, main courses, soups, and desserts.

15. Partake in a formal banquet: toasting friends, wishing them well, and responding to the host's hospitality.

Restaurant Module, Unit 1

PART I

1. Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?	你想吃什么？	What do you want to eat?
2. Suíbiàn. Nǐ diǎn ba.	随便。你点吧。	As you like. You order.
3. Wǒmen yào èrshige guōtiē.	我们要二十个锅贴。	We want twenty fried dumplings.
U. Wǒmen yào sìge bāozi.	我们要四个包子。	We want four bāozi.
5. Wǒmen yào liángwǎn suān là tāng.	我们要两碗酸辣汤。	We want two bowls of sour and hot soup.
6.	xiǎochīdiàn	小吃点	little eatery
<pa<<<<<<<<<<<<≤

NOTES ON PART I

chī: “to eat”. The verb “to eat” is often expressed using a general object compound, chī fàn, instead of the simple verb chī.

Nǐ chī fàn le ma?	你吃饭了马？	Have you eaten?

Wǒ hái méi chī fàn.	我还没吃饭。	I haven't eaten yet.

suíbiàn 随便: This word meaning “as you please”, or more literally “following convenience”, has a variety of uses.

Nǐ suíbiàn mài ba.	你随便买吧。	Buy what you want.

Nǐ qù bu qu? Suí nǐde biàn ba.	你去不去？随你的便吧。	Are you going? Do what you like.

guōtiē 锅贴: This has been translated here as “fried dumpling”, but actually
a guōtiē differs from a dumpling in several respects. We usually think of a dumpling as a solid lump of leavened dough dropped in soup to cook. A guōtiē, however, is made of thin, unleavened dough, which serves as a wrapper for a filling. This filling may be Chinese cabbage, port, beef, lamb, or any combination, thereof. Secondly, a guōtiē is not dropped in soup, but is steamed and fried, so that the bottom is crisp and the top is soft.

bāozi 包子: This is a round of steamed bread filled with salty stuffing (cabbage, pork, beef, shrimp, etc.) or sweet stuffing (red bean puree, walnuts, almonds, etc.). The steamed bread is made from a raised dough and forms a thick bun, somewhat similar in concept to a hamburger.

suān là tāng 酸辣汤: A thick spicy soup made of pork, white bean curd, “red bean curd” (actually dried chicken or pork blood), dried tiger lily flowers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and egg.

liǎngwǎn... 两碗酸; The word for “bowl”, wǎn 碗, is used as a counter here.

Taipei:

A conversation in a small restaurant.

M:	Yùzhēn, nǐ xiǎng chi shénme?		Yùzhēn, what do you want to eat?
F:	Suíbiàn. Nǐ diǎn ba.		As you like. You order.
M:	Wǒmen diǎn diǎn guōtiē, suān là tāng, hǎo bu hǎo?		We'll order some fried dumplings and sour and hot soup, Okay?
F:	Hǎo a.		Okay.
M:	Hái yào jǐge bāozi, zěnmeyàng?		How about a few bāozi, too?
F:	Hǎo a. Bù yào diǎn tài duō le.		Okay. Don't order too much.

(Now the man talks with the waitress.)

F2:	Nǐmen diǎn dian shénme?	你们点点什么？	What will you order?

M:	Wǒmen yào èrshige guōtiē, sìge bāozi, liǎngwǎn suān là tāng.	我们要二十个锅贴、四个包子、两碗酸辣汤。	We want twenty fried dumplings, four bāozi, two bowls of sour and hot soup.

F2:	Hǎo. Jiù lái.	好。就来。	Okay, it'll be here right away.

NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Hái yào jige bāozi, zěnmeyàng?: The toneless syllable ji-means “a few” or “several”. It may be difficult to distinguish between jige. “a few”, from jǐge, “how many” in rapid speech. Usually there will be other clues such as intonation and context to help you distinguish them. This is discussed again in Unit 3 of the Directions Module.

Bú yào diǎn tài duō le.: The phrase bú yào is used to mean “don't” in sentences expressing a command. You'll learn more about this in the Transportation Module. The marker le for new situation is used here to reinforce the idea of “excessive”. Whenever a speaker says something is excessive, he is actually saying that it has BECOME excessive.

Nǐmen diǎn dian shénme?: The first word diǎn is the verb “to order”. The second word diǎn (from yìdiǎn, “a little”) means “some”.

Èrshige guōtiē, sìge bāozi: You can tell from the amount ordered that the guōtiē are more or less bite-sized, while the bāozi are larger.



Taipei:



M:	Wǒmen chī dian dōngxi, hǎo bu hao?		Let's eat something, okay?

F:	Hǎo a. Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?		Reference NotesROkay. What do you want to eat?

M:	Chī dian diǎnxīn.		Some snacks.

F:	Nǐ chīguo guōtiē ma?		Have you ever eaten fried dumplings?

M:	Méi chīguo.		No.

F: Wǒmen kéyi zài zhège xiǎochìdiàn chī diǎn diǎnzīn, hǎo bu hǎo?		We can eat some snacks in this little eatery. Okay?

M: Hǎo. Tāmen dōu yǒu shénme?		Okay. What do they have?

F: Hěn duō dōngxi. Yǒu guōtiē, bāozi, suān là tāng.		Many things. Fried dumplings, bāozi, sour and hot soup.

M: Hěn hǎo, hen hǎo.		Good, good.

NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

xiǎochìdiàn: This is a small place where you can grab something to eat. (Xiǎochī means “snack”.) If you are in a city in China, you are probably not far from one. A xiǎochīdiàn is often run by one or two people. It may be arranged so that the cooking area faces the street, in which case you'll probably walk through the kitchen as you head for a table. Putting the kitchen at the front, facing the street, makes for better ventilation and allows people on the street to see and smell what is being cooked. Inside you are likely to find small tables without tablecloths, and stools. There is generally no menu, but some of the dishes may be written on a blackboard or on red pieces of paper which are hung on the wall. Since the xiǎochīdiàn is often a small operation, it may only offer a few things or it may specialize in serving one type of food, such as noodles or dumplings. The word xiǎo in xiǎochīdiàn, refers not to the size of the establishment, but to the types of food offered.

Tāmen dōu yǒu shénme?: The word dōu in this sentence refers to the object, not the subject. In other words, the sentence is translated as “What all do they have?” in this context. In another conversation the same sentence might mean “What do they all have?”.

This type of question with dōu expects an answer with more than one item mentioned. The dōu may be thought to refer to the object in the answer.

Nǐ dōu mǎi shénme le?	What all did you buy?

Wǒ mǎile shíge bāozi, sānjīn píngguo, liùpíng qìshuǐ.	I bought ten bāozi, three  catties of apples, six bottles of soda.

But notice that in the answer dōu is NOT used even though the object is plural in number or a series of items.

PART II

7.	Qǐng ni gěi wǒ kànkan nǐmende càidānzi.		Please give me your menu to look at.
8.	Nǐmen mài zhēng jiǎo ma?		Do you sell steamed dumplings?
9.	Gěi wo lái yìlóng zhēng jiǎo.		Bring me a basket of steamed dumplings.
10.	Nǐmen mài tāng miàn bu mai?		Do you sell soup-noodles?
11.	Nǐmen mài chǎo miàn bu mai?		Do you sell fried noodles?
12.	Yǒu shénme yàngde tāng miàn?		What kinds of soup-noodles are there?
13.	Gěi wo lái yìwǎn niúròu miàn.		Bring me a bowl of soupnoodles with beef.
11.	jiǎosí		boiled dumplings
15.	ròusí miàn		soup-noodles with shreds of pork
16.	pàigǔ miàn		soup-noodles with a pork ohop
17.	...shénmede		... and so on. (after a series of items)

NOTES ON PART II

zhēng jiǎo: These are crescent-shaped dumplings filled with cabbage and meat which are steam cooked. The steaming is done by-placing the dumplings in a bamboo basket, which is one layer in a stack of bamboo baskets called a zhēng lóng, and then placing the whole stack over a container of boiling water.

gěi wo lái ...: The verb lái here means not “to come” but “to bring” since it is followed by a noun. The word gěi is the prepositional verb “for”.

yìlóng zhēng jiǎo: Steamed dumplings are sold by the basket and served in the basket that they are steamed in. The word for one tier of such baskets is used as a counter, -lòng (yìlòng, liànglòng. etc.).

tāng miàn: This is the name for a class of dishes made of noodles and soup. Unlike the Western idea of soup with some noodles, tāng miàn is basically noodles with some soup added. Because Northern China is a wheat growing area, noodles are a staple in the diet of that region. A bowl of noodles can be used to make a side dish for a large meal, or, with a little soup and meat added, can be a meal in itself. Noodles are commonly made in six-to-ten-foot lengths in China, and are regarded as a symbol of longevity.

chǎo miàn: One of the verbs translated “to fry” is chǎo. It is also sometimes translated as “stir fry”. The Chinese language has several verbs meaning “to fry”. Chǎo means to fry in a little oil, stirring rapidly and constantly, not unlike sautéing.

niúròu miàn: This dish consists of noodles in soup with pieces of beef. The word for “beef” is niúròu, literally “cow”, niú and “meat”, ròu. In the names of Chinese dishes, the thing the dish is primarily composed of, in this case noodles, is at the end of the phrase. Those words coming before describe the additional foods with which the dish is prepared or the style in which it is prepared.

jiǎozi: A crescent-shaped dumpling, made of white dough and stuffed with a mixture of meat and scallions or mixed vegetables. Jiǎozi may be served steamed, zhēng jiǎo or boiled, shuǐ jiǎo. It is said that Marco Polo took the idea of these dumplings back to Italy inspiring the creation of ravioli.

ròusī miàn: This is noodles in soup with shreds of pork and vegetables. Actually, the word ròu means simply “meat”, not “pork”. But the basic meat of China has always been pork, and therefore ròu on a menu refers to pork unless otherwise specified.

shénmede: This word, used after a series of nouns, means “and so on” or “etcetera”.

Qìshuǐ, píjiǔ, shénmede dōu děi mǎi.		We need to buy soda, beer, and so on.

Taipei:

A conversation between a waiter and a customer at a small eatery.

M:	Nín yào chī diǎn shénme?		What do you want to eat?
F:	Qǐng ni gěi wo kànkan nǐmende càidānzi.		Please give me your menu to look at.
M:	Ōu, duìbuqǐ, wǒmen zhèli méiyou càidānzi. Wǒmen zhèli jiù mài zhéng jiǎo, tāng miàn, chǎo miàn, shénmede.		Oh, I’m sorry. We don’t have a menu. We only sell steamed dumplings, soupnoodles, fried noodles, and so on.
F:	Yǒu shénme yàngde tāng miàn?		What kinds of soup noodles are there?
M:	Yǒu niúròu miàn a, yǒu ròusí miàn a, hái yǒu páigǔ miàn.		There's soup-noodles with beef, soup-noodles with shreds of pork, and soup-noodles with a pork chop.
F:	Gěi wo lái yìwǎn niúròu miàn.		I’ll have a bowl of soupnoodles with beef.
M:	Hǎo. Nín yào bu yao zhēng jiǎo?		Good. Do you want some steamed dumplings?
F:	Hǎo. Zěnme mài?		Okay. How are they sold?
M:	Yìlóng zhēng jiǎo èrshikuài qián.		A basket of steamed dumplings is twenty dollars.
F:	Yìlóng yǒu duōshaoge?		How many in a basket?
M:	Yìlóng yǒu báge.		There's eight in a basket.
F:	Hǎo, gěi wo lái yìlóng zhēng jiǎo, lái yìwǎn niúròu miàn.		Okay, bring me a basket of steamed dumplings, a bowl of soup-noodles with beef.

NOTE ON THE DIALOGUE

duōshaoge: The word duōshao may be used either with or without a counter.

18.	ròusí chǎo miàn		fried noodles with pork shreds
19.	sānxiān chǎo miàn		three delicious fried noodles

sānxiān: This word occurs in the names of rice dishes, noodle dishes and soups. It can be roughly translated as “three delicacies”, more literally, “three fresh”. It means that the dish is made with two different meats, such as chicken and pork, and a seafood, such as shrimp, in addition to the vegetables.

Taipei:

A conversation at another small eatery.

F:	Nǐ xiǎng chī dian shénme?		What do you want to eat?

M:	Nǐmen zhèli mài guōtiē bu mai?		Do you sell fried dumplings here?

F:	Guōtiē, jiǎozi, wǒmen zhèli dōu bú mài. Wǒmen zhèli jiù mài miàn. Tāng miàn, chǎo miàn dōu yōu.		We don't sell fried dumplings or boiled dumplings at all. We only sell noodles. We have both soup-noodles and fried noodles.

M:	Yǒu shénme yàngde chǎo miàn?		What kinds of fried noodles are there?

F:	Yōu róusī chǎo miàn, yǒu sānxiān chǎo miàn.		There's fried noodles with strips of pork; and there's fried noodles with three delicious things.

M:	Wǒ yào sānxiān chǎo miàn.		I want fried noodles with three delicious things.

F:	Hǎo.		Fine.

PART III

20.	Wǒ yào chī chǎo jīdàn gēn huǒtuǐ.		I want to eat scrambled eggs and ham.
21.	Wǒ hē kāfēi.		I'll drink coffee.
22.	Wǒ hái yào kǎo miànbāo.		I also want some toast.
23.	Qǐng zài lái yìbēi kāfēi.		Please bring another cup of coffee.
24.	Nǐ yǒu shāobing ma?		Do you have sesame rolls?
25.	Wǒ yào liǎnggēn yóutiáo.		I want two deep-fried twists.
26.	Nǐ hē bu he dòujiāng?		Do you drink dòufiāng?
27.	Nǐ xǐhuan tiánde hàishi xiánde?		Do you like the sweet kind or the salty kind?
28.	Mínqtian zǎoshang gěi nin yùbei.		We'll prepare it for you tomorrow morning.

NOTES ON PART III

chǎo jīdàn: This is literally translated as “fried eggs”. Since chǎo means “to stir fry”, however, it actually refers to scrambled eggs.

kǎo miànbāo: “Toast”. This phrase is the verb kǎo “to roast” and the word for “bread”, miànbāo.

Qǐng zài lái...: Here again you see the verb lái used to mean “bring”. The word zài is the adverb “again”. Literally translated, this phrase means something like “Please again bring...”. This is the standard way to ask someone to bring more of something.

shāobing: This is a baked roll with layers of dough and covered with sesame seeds. It comes in two shapes, one oblong and the other round like an English muffin, only not as thick. It is usually eaten at breakfast.

liǎnggēn yóutiáo: This is a long, twisted, puffy roll which is deep-fried. It resembles a cruller, but it is not sweet. Literally, the name means “oil stick”. It is usually eaten at breakfast, along with dòujiāng and perhaps a shǎobing. The counter for long, thin objects, like yóutiáo is -gēn.

dòujiāng: This is a liquid produced when bean curd, dòufu, is made from soybeans. It is white, resembling milk, and high in protein. It may be flavored so that it is sweet or salty. It is sometimes called soybean milk.

tiánde/xiānde: Many foods in China such as bāozi and dòujiāng come in two sorts: tiánde and xiānde. Although the Chinese categorize foods as either salty or sweet, this does not mean that food which is labeled “salty” is terribly salty. Sometimes the label “salty” simply means “not sweet”.

Peking:

A conversation at the Peking Hotel.

M:	Zǎo!		Good morning!
F:	Nín hǎo! Nín xiǎng chī diar shénme?		How are you? What would you like to eat?
M:	Nǐmen yǒu shāobing, yóutiáo ma?		Do you have sesame rolls, and deep-fried twists?
F:	Shāobing, yóutiáo, jīntian méiyou. Míngtian chī ba! Nǐ hē bu he dòujiāng?		Today there aren't any crisp sesame rolls or deep-fried twists. How about having them tomorrow? Do you drink doujiang?
F:	Chī shāobing, yóutiáo, děi hē dòujiāng.		When you eat crisp sesame rolls or deep-fried twists you should drink doujiang.
F:	Nǐ xǐhuan tiánde háishi xiánde?		Do you like the sweet kind or the salty kind?
M:	Wǒ xǐhuan tiánde.		I like the sweet kind.
F:	Hǎo, míngtian zǎoshang gěi nín yùbei. Jīntian nín chī shénme?		All right, we'll prepare it for you tomorrow morning. What will you eat today?
M:	Wǒ chī chǎo jīdàn, huǒtuǐ, kǎo miànbāo.		I'll have scrambled eggs, ham and toast.
F:	Hē shénme?		What will you drink?
M:	Kāfēi.		Coffee.
F:	Hǎo.		Good.

(Later.)

M:	Qǐng zài lái yìbēi kāfēi		Please bring another cup of coffee.

F:	Hǎo.		All right.

NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Breakfast at the Peking Hotel: The Peking Hotel is said to have the best Western style food in the city. While they serve both Western and Chinese style lunches and dinners, they are not always prepared to serve certain kinds of Chinese breakfast foods, such as shāobing and yóutiáo. If you would like to eat these typical Chinese breakfast foods you should ask in advance.

29.	xīfàn		a gruel of rice and water usually eaten for breakfast
30.	mántou		steamed bread
31.	xīhóngshìshi		tomato juice
32.	júzi shuǐ		orangeade, orange juice
33.	shuǐguǒ		fruit
34.	xiāngjiāo		banana

xīfàn: This is another breakfast food. It is a white porridge made of rice and water. In the northern parts of China it is eaten along with salted pickles, ham, salted vegetables, salted eggs or peanuts.

mántou: “Steamed bread”. While the word miànbāo refers to Western style bread, mántou refers to a Chinese version of bread, a large steamed roll made of white dough. It is heavy and moist with no crust.

Vocabulary

bāozi		steamed rolls made of bread dough with a filling of meat and/or vegetables, or sweet bean paste. 
càidānzi (yìzhāng)		menu
chǎo		fried, to fry, sauté
chǎo miàn		fried noodles
chī		to eat                               
diǎn		to order                          
dòujiāng		soy bean milk, soy milk           
gěi nín yùbei		to prepare for you
gěi wǒ lái (noun)		bring me (something)      
guōtiē		steam-fried dumplings 
hē		to drink
huǒtuǐ		ham                                                 
-jiǎo		dumpling
jiǎosi		boiled dumpling
jīdàn		(chicken) egg
júsi shuǐ		orangeade, orange juice
kāfēi		coffee
kǎo		roasted, toasted           
là		peppery-hot                       
mántou		steamed bread
miàn		noodles
miànbāo		bread
niúròu		beef
niúròu miàn		soup-noodles with beef       
páigǔ miàn		soup-noodles with a pork chop     
Qǐng zài lái...		Please bring another...           
ròusī chǎo miàn		fried noodles with shreds of pork     
ròusi miàn		soup-noodles with shreds of pork                                                       
sānxiān chǎo miàn		noodles fried with three fresh things
shāobing		sesame rolls
...shénmede		...and so on
shuǐguǒ		fruit
suān		to he sour
suíbiàn		as you like
tāng		soup
tāng miàn		soup-noodles
tián		to be sweet
xián		to be salty
xiāngjiāo		banana
xīfàn		gruel of rice and water
xīhóngshìshí		tomato juice
yàngzi		kind, variety
yìlóng		a tier of a steamer
yóutiáo		deep-fried twist
zhēng		to cook something hy steaming

Restaurant Module, Unit 2

PART I

1.	Shénme shi kèfàn?		What is a fixed meal?
2.	Kèfàn jiù shi yíge tāng, yíge cài, hái yǒu fàn.		A “fixed meal” is a soup, a main dish, and rice.
3.	Kèfàn jiù yǒu yìzhǒng ma?		Is there only one kind of “fixed meal”?
4.	Nǐ shuō nǎge cài hǎochí?		Which dish did you say is tasty?
5.	Wǒ huì yòng kuàizi.		I can use chopsticks.
6.	Wǒ yòng kuàizi chī fàn.		I eat with chopsticks.
7.	Nǐ xǐhuan chī niúròu hāishi chī jī.		Do you like to eat beef or chicken?
8.	Wǒ xiǎng chī dian jiǎnddāde.		J want to tat something simple.
9.	Xiàcì zài chī biède.		Next time eat something else.
10.	qīngjiāo niúròu		beef with green pepper
11.	báicài ròusī		shreds of pork with cabbage
12.	xuèdòu jīpiàn		chicken slices with snow peas

NOTES ON PART I

kèfàn: This refers to a type of meal in which soup, a main dish, rice and tea are all served for one price. Much of the meal is prepared ahead of time, which makes it quick, convenient and inexpensive for the customer. It is referred to here as a “fixed meal”. Other translations are “fixed dinner”, “blue plate special” and “combination plate”.

Kèfàn jiù yǒu yìzhǒng ma?: When you ask this question, the person you are speaking to might think you are asking about the different price categories that kèfàn is available in. Restaurants which offer kèfàn often have an inexpensive, a moderate and a top-of-the-line kèfàn each day.

cài: This is the word for any dish which is not soup, rice or noodles.

yòng: Like the word gěi, “to give”, the word yòng can act as either a full verb or a prepositional verb. As a full verb, it means “to use”. As a prepositional verb, it means “with”. Here are some examples of both usages.

Nǐ kéyi yòng wǒde diànshàn.		You can use my electric fan.

Tā yòng kuàizi chī fàn.		He eats with chopsticks.

jī: While often the word for a type of meat, such as “beef”, niúròu, contains the syllable ròu, “meat”, the word for chicken does not.

xiàcì: The words for “last time”, “this time” and “next time” are formed according to the same principle as you've learned for other time words, like “last week” and “last month”.

shàngcì		last time
shàngge xīngqī		last week
shàngge yuè		last month    

zhècì		this time                                                   
zhège xīngqī		this week
zhège yuè		this month                                              

xiàcì		next time
xiàge xīngqī		next week
xiàge yuè		next month    


Taipei:

A conversation between an American woman and a Chinese friend, who are out to eat on their lunch hour.

M:	Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?		What do you want to eat?

F:	Wǒ xiǎng chī dian jiǎndānde.		I want to eat something simple.

M:	Nà, chī kèfàn zěnmeyàng?		Then how about eating a “fixed meal”?

F:	Shénme shi kèfàn?		What is a “fixed meal”?

M:	Kèfàn jiù shi yíge tāng, yíge cài, hái yǒu fàn.		A “fixed meal” is a soup, a main dish, and rice.

F:	Kèfàn jiù yǒu yìzhǒng ma?		Is there only one kind of “fixed meal”?

M:	Bù. Yǒu sān-sìzhǒng. Yǒu sìshikuàide, yǒu wǔshikuàide, yǒu liùshikuàide.		No. There are three or four kinds. There's the forty dollar kind, the fifty dollar kind, and the sixty dollar kind.

F:	Dōu yǒu shénme cài?		What main dishes do they have?

M: Jīntian yǒu báicài ròusī, qīngjiāo niúròu, xuědòu jīpiàn.	Today there's shreds of pork with cabbage, beef with green peppers, and chicken slices with snow peas.

F:	Nǐ shuō nǎge cài hǎochī?		Which dish do you say is more tasty?

M:	Dōu hěn hǎo. Jīntian nǐ kéyi chī qīngjiāo niúròu. Xiàci zài chī biéde.		They are all good. Today you might eat beef with green peppers. Next time eat something else.

F:	Hǎo.		Okay.

M:	Hǎo. Nǐ yào yíge qīngjiāo niúròu. Wǒ lái yíge xuědòu jīpiàn.		Okay. You take the beef with green peppers. I'll have the chicken slices with snow peas.

M:	Nǐ huì yòng kuàizi ba?		You can use chopsticks, I suppose?

F:	Wǒ zài Měiguo yǐjing xuéguo.		I learned in America,

NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Nà: At the beginning of the sentence, nà means “then” or “well then”.

Yǒu sān-sìzhǒng: “three or four kinds”. Two consecutive numbers may be used together to give the idea of an approximate figure. The exception to this rule is that 10 and multiples of 10 can not combine with the number coming immediately before or after them. You will learn this in more detail in the Transportation Module.

Hǎo. Nǐ yào yíge qīngjiāo niúròu.: While at an informal meal each person at the table may choose one of the dishes, everyone at a Chinese meal eats from all the dishes, which are put in the center of the table.

Taipei:

A conversation in a small restaurant.

M:	Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?		What would you like to eat?

F:	Wǒ xiǎng chī dian jiǎndǎnde.		I would like to eat something simple.

M:	Nà wǒmen chī kèfàn ba.		Then let's eat the “fixed meal”.

F:	Hǎo a. Nǐ chīguo tāmen zhèlide kèfàn ma?		Okay. Have you eaten any of their “fixed meals” here?

M:	Chīguo.		Yes.

F:	Hǎo bu hǎochī?		Are they tasty?

M:	Dōu hèn hǎochī.		All were very tasty.

F:	Kèfàn dōu yǒu shénme yàngde cài?		What kinds of main dishes are there in the “fixed dinners”?

M:	Yǒu sānzhǒng. Yìzhǒng shi qīngjiāo niúròu, yìzhǒng shi báicài ròusī, yìzhǒng shi xuědòu jípiàn.		There are three kinds. One kind is beef with green peppers, one kind is pork shreds with cabbage, one kind is chicken slices with snow peas.

F:	Wǒ yào qīngjiāo niúròu.		I’ll have the beef with green peppers.

M:	Wǒ yào xuédòu jīpiàn.		I’ll have the chicken slices with snow peas.

MOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Hǎo bu hǎochī?: The compound hǎochī, “to be tasty”, can be broken apart to form a question.

Kèfàn dōu yǒu shénme yàngde cài?: The adverb dōu in this sentence refers to the plural subject kèfàn, “fixed dinners”.

PART II

13.	Wǒ yào xiārén chǎo miàn.		I want fried noodles with shrimp.
14.	Wǒmen hái yào yíge báicài dòufu tāng.		We also want a cabbage and bean curd soup.
15.	Huǒtuǐ chāo fàn bú cuò.		The fried rice with ham is not bad.
16.	Liǎngge cài yíge tāng gòu le.		Two main dishes and one soup is enough.
17.	Bié kèqi.		Don't be formal. (Don't stand on ceremony.)
18.	Wǒ yǐjing bǎo le.		I've already had my fill.
19.	Qǐng ni gěi wǒ zhàngdānzi.		Please give me the check.
20.	Jiù zhèyàng le.		That'll be it.
21.	Nǐ duō chī yidiǎn.		Eat a little more.
22.	Wǒ zài chī.		I am eating.

NOTES ON PART II

xiārén: This word refers to small shrimp without shells.

dòufu: “Bean curd”. This is a soft white substance made from soybeans, with the consistency of jello or custard. It has only a faint taste, but is rich in protein and minerals. It is a staple found all over the Orient and may be found in everyday food as well as festive foods.

bú cuò: This phrase is used for “not bad”, in the sense of “pretty good”, “pretty well”, “all right”.

Bié kèqi: Because this phrase is one of the most basic phrases in the system of Chinese customs and manner, it is difficult to translate. Here, it may be translated as “Don't be formal.” or “Don't stand on ceremony.” But it should be viewed in context to determine its full meaning.

bǎo: This is an adjectival verb meaning “to be satisfied”, literally “to be full”.

Nǐ duō chī yìdiǎn: Notice the word order of this sentence. The word duō is used as an adverb, and therefore precedes the verb chī. The word yìdiǎn is used as the object of the action and therefore follows the verb.

Wǒ zài chī: The word zài can be used as a marker of ongoing action. You’ll learn more about this in the Meeting Module.

Taipei:

A conversation between two friends in a small restaurant at lunchtime.

M:	Zhèlide chǎo miàn, chǎo fàn gēn tāng miàn dōu bú cuò.		The fried noodles, fried rice and soup-noodles are all good here.

F:	Děng wǒ kànkan càidānzi. ... Wǒmen yào yíge xiārén chǎo miàn, hǎo bu hao? Nǐ zài diǎn yíge ba.		Wait while I have a look at the menu. ... We'll have a fried noodles with shrimp. Okay? You order something else.

M:	Wǒmen yào yíge huǒtuǐ chǎo fàn, hǎo bu hao? Zài yào yíge cài gēn yíge báicài dòufu tāng.		We'll have a ham fried rice, all right? And another main dish and a cabbage and bean curd soup.

F:	Wǒ xiǎng tài duō le. Bú yào cài le.		I think that's too much. Let's not have the main dish.

F:	Jiù yào yíge chǎo fàn, yíge miàn, yíge tāng, jiù gòu le.		If we Just have one fried rice, one noodle dish, and one soup, then that'll be enough.

(Now the man speaks to the waiter.)

M:	Wǒmen yào yíge xiārún chǎo miàn, yíge huǒtuǐ chǎo fàn, hái yào yíge báicài dòufu tāng. Jiù zhèyàng le.		We want a fried noodles with shrimp, a ham fried rice, a cabbage and bean curd soup. That'll be it.

(Later while they are eating.)

F:	Zhège xiārén chǎo miàn hěn hǎo chī. Huǒtuǐ chǎo fàn yě bú cuò. Nǐ duō chī yìdiǎn. Bié kèqi.		The fried noodles with shrimp is very good. The ham fried rice isn't bad either. Eat a little more. Don't be formal. (Please help yourself.)

M:	Wǒ zài chī. Nǐ yě bié kèqi. Duō chī yìdiǎn.		I am eating. Don't you be formal either. Eat a little more.

(After they have finished eating.)

M:	Nǐ yào bu yao chī diǎn tián diǎnxīn?		Do you want to eat some dessert?

F:	Bú yào le. Wǒ yǐjing bǎo le.		I don't want any more. I’ve already had my fill.

(He speaks with the waiter.)

M:	Qǐng ni gěi wo zhàngdānsi.		Please give me the check.

NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Nī zài diǎn yíge ba.: The word zài here means “additionally” or “more”.

Wǒ xiǎng tài duō le, Bú yào cài le ba.; Here are two examples of the marker le for new situations. In the first sentence it is necessary to use le to indicate that the food order has now become too much. In the second sentence, it is necessary to use the marker le to indicate that the meat and vegetable is not wanted anymore.

23.	Wǒ chīde h3 bǎo le.		I’ve had plenty.

Taipei:

At another small restaurant:

M:	Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?	What do you want to eat?

F:	Wǒmen diǎn yíge chǎo miàn, yíge chǎo fàn. Zài lái yíge tāng, zěnmeyàng?	We’ll order a fried noodles, and a fried rice, and also have them bring soup, all right?

M:	Hǎo a. Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme chǎo miàn, chǎo fàn a?	Okay. What kind of fried noodles and fried rice do you want to eat?

F:	Suíbiàn. Nǐ diǎn ba.	As you like. You order.

M:	Wǒmen diǎn yíge xiārén chǎo miàn, yíge huǒtuǐ jīdàn chǎo fàn. Hǎi lái yíge báicài dòufu tāng, hǎo bu hao?	We’ll order a fried noodles with shrimp, a fried rice with ham and eggs, and have them bring a cabbage and bean curd soup, all right?

F:	Hǎo.	Good.

(After they have finished eating.

M:	Nǐ xiǎng bu xiang chī dian tiánde dōngxi?	Do you want to eat something sweet?

F:	Bú yào le. Wǒ bǎo le.	I don't want anything else. I've had enough.

M:	Nǐ bié kèqi a!	Have some more!

F:	Wǒ bú shi kèqi. Wǒ chīde hěn bǎo le.	Thanks. I've had plenty.


NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Zài lai yíge tāng, zěnmeyàng?: Here you see another example of the word zài. meaning “additionally” or “more”.

Nǐ xiǎng bu xiang chī dian tiǎnde dōngxi?: The Chinese are not accustomed to eating desserts as are some other cultures. While they have invented some rather lucious desserts, these are usually served only at more formal dinners. At a modest meal or in a xiǎochīdiàn, the only dessert available is probably fruit.

PART III

24.	Wǒ zhīdao nǐ xīhuan chī làde.	I know you like to eat peppery-hot things.
25.	Dángrán hái yào yíge tāng.	Of course, we'll also want a soup.
26.	Nǐ jiàode tài duō le.	You've ordered too imich.
27.	Mapó dòufu.	a spiay Szechuan dish made with bean curd
28.	yúxiāng qiézi	aromatic fish-style eggplant (A Szeahwan dieh)
29.	gōngbǎo jīdīng	diced chicken, bamboo shoots, onions, and red peppers (a Szeahwan dish)
30.	xiārén guōba tāng	shrimp and sizzling rice soup
31.	básí píngguo	spun taffy apples

NOTES ON PART III

zhīdao: The verb “to know”, zhīdao is a state verb and therefore can be negated, only with the syllable bù.

Wǒ zuótian bù zhīdao tā zài nār.	Yesterday I didn’t know where he was.

Notice also that the verb “to know, zhīdao, has a neutral tone on the last syllable. But when it is negated, the verb “to know” has tones on all syllables, bù zhīdào.

Nǐ jiàode tài duō le.: “You've ordered too much.” A more literal translation might be “What you’ve ordered is too much. The phrase Nǐ jiàode is a modifying phrase with the modified noun (perhaps “food” or “dishes”) deleted.

Mápó dòufu: This is a peppery hot dish made of bean curd, finely chopped beef or pork and hot bean paste. This dish is typical of the Szechwan style of cooking, which is noted for hot spicy dishes.

yúxiāng qiézi: This name literally means “fragrant-fish eggplant”. However, there is no fish used in the preparation of the dish. It is made with scallions, ginger, garlic, hot bean paste, vinegar and soy sauce. Yúxiāng refers to a famous Szechwan manner of preparation which was originally used to make fish dishes, but was later applied to other foods, such as pork, beef, and eggplant.

jīdīng: Earlier you saw the word jīpiān, “chicken slices”, now you see the word jīdīng, which means “chicken cubes” or “diced chicken. Both are commonly used in the names of dishes.

gōngbǎo jīdīng: This is a famous dish which originated in Szechwan. It is made with diced chicken, bamboo shoots, scallions, red peppers, soy sauce, and garlic.

xiārén guōba tāng; This is a shrimp and tomato soup into which squares of dried crispy rice are dropped. These squares of rice bear some resemblance to “rice crispies”. They are the crisp browned part of the rice left at the bottom of the pot. As the crispy rice squares are poured into the hot soup, a sizzling, crackling sound is given off.

básī píngguo: This is a dessert made of apple slices Which are covered with a light batter and deep fried. The fried apples are then dipped in a hot mixture of sugar-syrup and sesame seeds. The apples are coated much in the same way taffy apples are. These hot sugar-coated apples are then dropped into a bowl of ice water, which hardens the sugar syrup covering into a crisp candy coating. The result is a dessert which combines a number of textures and tastes. The name for this dessert is translated many ways: “spun taffy apples”, “caramel apple fritters”, “pulled silk apples”. Bananas can also be prepared in this way.

Taipei:

A conversation between two Chinese friends who are out to dinner in a Szechwan restaurant.

M:	Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme cài?		What would you like to eat?

F:	Suíbiàn. Nǐ diǎn ba.		As you like. You order.

M:	Wǒ zhīdao nǐ xīhuan chī làde. Wǒmen diǎn yíge Mápó dòufu, yíge yúxiāng qiézi, yíge gōngbǎo jīdīng, zěnmeyàng? Dāngrán hái yào yíge tāng.		I know you like to eat peppery-hot things. How about if we order Mápó bean curd, yúxiāng eggplant and chicken cubes with red peppers? Of course we'll also want a soup.

F:	Ei, nǐ jiàode tài duo le. Wǒmen liǎngge rén jiào liǎngge cài, yíge tāng jiù gòu le.		Hey, you’ve ordered too much. If the two of us order two dishes and one soup, that will be enough.

M:	Hǎo. Nàme nǐ shuō wǒmen jiào něi liǎngge cài.		Okay. Then which two dishes do you say we should order?

F:	Yíge Mápó dòufu, yíge gōngbǎo jīdīng, hǎi yào yíge xiārén guōba tāng, hǎo bu hao?		Mǎpé bean curd, chicken cubes with red peppers, and shrimp and sizzling rice soup, okay?

M:	Hǎo. Zài yào yíge bǎsī píngguo.		Okay. And spun taffy apples.

F:	Hǎo.		Okay.

NOTES ON THE DIALOGUE

Dinner in a Szechwan Restaurant; China has a rich and varied tradition of cooking, due to the size of the country, the many different foods available, and the long history of its culture. The numberous styles of cooking may be grouped into the following schools: The Northern School (Jīng cài), The Sichuan School (Chuān Cài), The Húnán School (Xiāng Cài), The Shànghǎi School (Hù Cài). The Fújiàn School (Mǐn Cài), The Canton School (Yuè Cài), each with its own distinct style and famous dishes. It is common to find restaurants representing most of these schools of cooking in many cities in China.

Dāngrán hái yào yíge tāng: The speaker says “Naturally we'll also want a soup.” because soup is a part of every Chinese meal, from the simplest lunch to the most elaborate dinner. The reason for this is that, unless toasts are being drunk, the Chinese do not drink beverages along with their meal. The soup, which is served at the end of the meal, is the main liquid of the meal.

32.	xīhíngshī (Northern China)	tomato
33.	fānqié (Southern China)	tomato
34.	chāsi	fork
35.	dāosi	knife
36.	shaór (sháozl)	spoon
37.	tiáogēng	spoon

sháor (sháozi)/tiáogēng: The word sháor is used more in Peking, while tiáogēng is used in other parts of the country, too.

Vocabulary

báicài		cabbage
bǎo		to be satisfied
biéde		other, different
bié kèqi		don't be formal; don't stand on ceremony
bú cuò		“not bad”, in the sense of “pretty good”, “pretty well”
cài		main dishes, food
chāzi		fork
dāngrán		naturally, of course
dāozi		knife
dòufu		soy bean curd
fānqié		tomato
hǎochī		to be tasty, good to eat
Jī		chicken
jiǎndānde		something simple
jiào		to order
jīdīng		diced chicken
jīpiàn		chicken slices
kèfàn		“fixed meal”, a type of meal in which soup, a main dish, rice and tea are all served for one price.
qiézi		eggplant
qingjiāo		green pepper
shàor		spoon
tiàogēng		spoon
xiàci		next time
xiārén		shrimp
xihóngshì		tomato
xuédòu.		snow peas
yìzhǒng		a kind, one kind
yòng		to use; with
yòng kuàizi		to use chopsticks; with chopsticks
zhàngdānzi		check
zhīdao		to know

Restaurant Module, Unit 3

PART I

1.	Wǒ bù dōu kàndedǒng.	I can’t read all of it.  

2.	Tīngting nǐde jiànyì ba.	Let’s hear your suggestions.      

3.	Jīntiande huánghuā yú hěn xīnxian.	Today’s yellow fish is fresh.  

4.	Lái ge Hóngshāo Yú gen yíge Cōngbào Niúròu, zài lái yige Yúxiāng Qiézi, hǎo bu hao?    How about having one Red-cooked Fish and one Beef with Spring Onions, and then how about an Aromatic Fish-style Eggplant?

5.	Wǒ hěn xīhuan Zhàcài Ròusī Tāng.  I like Szechwan Hot Pickled Cabbage and Pork Shreds Soup.  

6.	Nǐmen yào chī mǐfàn háishi huājuǎr?   Do you want to eat rice or flower-rolls? 

7.	Qǐng ni suàn yíxià zhàng, bǎ xiǎofèi yě suàn zài lǐmian.	Please figure out the bill, and figure in the tip, too.

8.	Nǐmen jǐwèi?          How many are you?     

9.	Wǒ gěi nǐmen zhǎo ge wèizi.	I’ll look for seats or you.  

10.	Jintiande cài dōu zài hēibǎnshang xiězhe ne.	The dishes for today are written on the blackboard. 

11.	Zhèr shi gōngnóngbīng shítáng.	This is a “laborers”, “farmers”, and “soldiers” dining hall. 

12.	Zhèr mèi shénme hǎo cài, chīdelái ma?	There really aren’t any unusually good dishes here. Is it all right for you?

NOTES ON PART I

kāndedǒng: This is a compound verb of result meaning “can read and understand (it)”. Its negative counterpart is kànbudǒng, “can’t read and understand (it)”. See Meeting Module. Reference Notes for Unit 1 for a discussion of compound verbs of result.

Tā xiěde zì, wǒ kānbudǒng.	I can't read (understand) his writing.

Huánghuā Yú: The Seiaena Schelegelì is translated here as “yellow fish”. It is sometimes referred to in Chinese as huáng yú. In English, it is also called croaker, drum fish, or China Bass. Since the huánghuā yú is a fish native to China, any American fish name given to it, such as croaker, is at best only a rough equivalent.

Hóngshāo Yú: The “red-cooked” style of cooking involves stewing the meat, or in this case, the fish, in soy sauce, sherry and water. It is called “red-cooked” because of the reddish-brown color the soy sauce gives the dish.

Cōngbào Niúròu: Beef with Spring Onions. Literally, this means “spring onions-fried beef”. Bào is another method of cooking. It is similar to chǎo “sauté”, but uses less oil and highet heat.

Zhàci Ròusī Tāng: Although translated here as “Szechwan Hot Pickled Cabbage,” zhàci is properly made from mustard green roots preserved with salt and hot pepper. It can be used to flavor foods or it can be eaten by itself.

mǐfǎn: This word refers to cooked rice. It can also refer to rice dishes, such as chǎo fàn.

huājuǎr: Flower-rolls are made of steamed bread, which has been shaped into layers resembling petals.

suàn yíxià zhàng: The verb suàn means “to figure, to calculate”. Suàn zhàng means “to figure accounts”, “to calculate the bill”. Here the word yíxià follows the verb. The use of yíxià after a verb has an effect similar to reduplicating the verb, that is it makes the action more casual.

zài hēibǎnshang xiězhe ne: -Zhe is the marker of DURATION of actions and states. It indicates that an action or state lasted for an amount of time. The marker ne, on the other hand, marks ONGOING (and therefore present) actions or states. In this expression the marker -zhe tells us that at some time the dishes CONTINUE in the state of being written on the blackboard, and the marker ne tells us that that state is GOING ON now. -Zhe is used in sentences to describe activities which last over a period of time, whether that time is past, present or future. A verb plus -zhe in Chinese often corresponds to the ’-ing’ form of the verb in English.

Zǒuzhe qù kéyi ma?	Can you get there by walking?

Wǒmen zuòzhe shuō huà, hǎo bu hao?	Let's sit awhile and talk, okay?

Míngtian wǎnshang, wǒmen shi zuòzhe chī, háishi zhànzhe chī?	Tomorrow night will it be a sit-down dinner or will we eat standing up?

Tā hái bìngzhe ne.	He is still sick.

gōngnóngbíng: This expression is a conglomeration of the words for “worker”, gōngren, “farmer”, nóngmín, and “soldier”, bìng. Notice that the first syllable (or only syllable) of each is used to make this abbreviated form.

chīdelái: This is a compound verb of result with the syllable -de- inserted between the action verb and the ending verb. This pattern is ₍used to express the meaning “able to ____”. Usually the second verb of the compound expresses the specific result of the action, but here the verb lái expresses only the general idea of result. (The verb lái in this position has been called a “dummy result ending”. Qù can also be used this way.) Although no specific result is expressed here, the pattern is still used because it expresses the idea of “can” or “able to”.

Měiguo cài, wǒ zuòdelúi; Zhōngguo cài, wǒ zuòbulái.	I can cook American food, I can't cook Chinese food.

Měiguo cài, wǒ huì zuò; Zhōngguo cài, wǒ bú huì zuò.	I can cook American food, I can't cook Chinese food.

Peking:

Three American women, who have spent the morning sightseeing, enter a cafeteria in a park. It is lunchtime and there are many people. As the women get in line to order, an attendant in the cafeteria comes up to them.

M:	Nǐmen sānwèi ma?! Wǒ gěi nǐmen zhǎo ge wèizi, zhèr rén tài duō. Qǐng gěn wo lái.	There are three of you?! I’ll look for seats for you. There are too many people here. Please follow me.

F:	Xièxie.	Thank you.

(After sitting down.)

M:	Nǐmen yào chī diar shénme?	What would you like?

F:	Tāmen dōu xiǎng chī shénme? (looking at her friends and deferring politely.)	What would they like?

M:	Jīntiande cài dōu zài hěibǎnshang xiězhe ne.	The dishes for today are written on the blackboard.

F:	Wǒ bù dōu kàndedǒng. Tīngting nǐde jiànyì ba.	I can't read all of it. Let's hear your opinion.

M:	Jīntiande huánghuā yú hén xīnxian. Lái ge Hóngshāoyú, yige Cōngbào Niúròu, zài lái yíge Yúxiāng Qizi, hǎo bu hao?	Today's yellow fish is fresh. How about one Red-cooked Fish, one Beef and Spring Onions, and one Aromatic Fish-style Eggplant, all right?

F:	Hǎo. Jīntian yǒu shénme tāng?	What kind of soup is there today?

M:	Jīntian shi Xīhóngshì Jīdàn Tāng.	Today it's Tomato and Egg Soup.

F:	Wǒ hěn xǐhuan Zhàcài Ròusī Tāng. Nǐmen yǒu ma?	I like Szechwan Hot Pickled Cabbage and Pork Shreds Soup very much. Do you have it?

M:	Wǒmen kéyi gěi nǐ zuò.	We can make some for you.

F:	Hǎojíle.	Wonderful.

M:	Nǐmen yào chī mǐfàn háishi huājuǎr?	Do you want to eat rice or flower rolls?

F:	Lái sānwǎn fàn, sānge huājuǎr ba.	How about bringing three bowls of rice and three flower-rolls?

M:	Nǐmen huì yòng kuàizi ba?	Can you use chopsticks?

F:	Huì yòng, kěshi yòngde bú tài hǎo.	Yes, but not too well.

(After eating.)

F:	Cài hěn hǎo.	The food was good.

M:	Nín chīhǎo le?! Wǒmen zhèr shi gōngnóngbīng shítáng. Mei shénme hǎo cài. Chīdelái ba?	Are you finished?! This is a “laborers”, “farmers, and “soldiers” dining hall. There really aren't any unusually good dishes here. Was it all right for you?

F:	Fēicháng hǎo. Wǒmen dōu chīde hěn bǎo. Yígòng duōshao qiǎn?	It was very good! We've all had plenty. How much is it altogether?

M:	Nín děng wo suànsuan... Yígòng wǔkuài liù.	Wait while I figure it out... Altogether it's five dollars and sixty cents.

F:	Xièxie. Zàijiàn.	Thank you. Good-bye.

M:	Bú xiè. Qǐng zài lái.	Don't mention it. Please come again.

NOTES AFTER DIALOGUE IN PART I

Notice that in this situation the cafeteria attendant does not let the foreigners stand in line for their food. Instead he waits on them getting them special food when possible. The Chinese feel that foreigners are their guests and should be treated accordingly.

Wǒ bù dōu kàndedǒng: Notice that the American woman chooses a rather indirect way of letting the Chinese attendant know that she cannot read. In the lines following, the attendant answers back simply suggesting some of the more tasty dishes, a courteous and face-saving response.

Huì yòng, kěshi yòngde bú tài hǎo: This is another courteous response. Here the American lets it be known that they can handle chopsticks, but does so modestly.

Chīdelái ba?: Literally, “Was it edible?” or “Could you eat it?”

Taipei:

Three friends enter a restaurant in downtown Taipei at lunchtime. A waiter comes up to them.

M:	Qǐngwèn, jǐwèi?	May I ask, how many are you?

F:	Wǒmen yǒu sānge rén.	There are three of us.

M:	Qǐng gēn wo lái. Zuò zài zhèli zěnmeyàng?	Please follow me. How about sitting here?

F:	Hǎo, xièxie.	Fine, thank you.

(After sitting down.)

M:	Zhè shi càidān. Xiǎng diǎn xiē shénme cài?	This is the menu. What dishes would you like to order?

F:	Wǒmen gāng cóng Měiguo lái. Duì Zhōngguo cài bú tài dǒng. Qǐng ni jièshào yíxià nǐmen zhèlide cài ba.	We've just come from America. We don't know much about Chinese food. Please tell us about the dishes here.

M:	Wǒmen zhèlide Hóngshāo Yú hěn bú cuò. Cōngbào Niúròu, Yúxiāng Ròusī yě hěn hǎo.	The Red-cooked Fish is not bad here. The Beef with Spring Onions and the Aromatic Fish-style Pork are also good.

F:	Nà jiù jiào zhè sānge cài ba.	Then we’ll order these three dishes.

M:	Yào bu yao lái ge tāng?	Would you like to order a soup?

F:	Nǐmen yǒu meiyou Zhàcài Ròusī Tāng?	Do you have Szechwan Hot Pickled Cabbage and Pork Shreds Soup?

M:	Yǒu. Lái jǐwǎn fàn?	Yes. And how many bowls of rice shall I bring?

F:	Xiān lái sānwǎn. Bú gòu zài jiào.	First bring three bowls. If that is not enough, then we’ll order more.

M:	Nǐmen huì bu hui yòng kuàizi? Rúguo bù fāngbian wo kéyi gěi nǐmen huàn chāzi.	Can you use chopsticks? If it’s not convenient for you, I can change them to forks.

F:	Bú yòng le. Wǒmen dōu xǐhuān yòng kuàizi. Òu! zhèli shǎole yíge tiáogéng Qīng ni zài ná yige lái.	It’s not necessary. We all like to use chopsticks. Oh, we're short one spoon here. Please bring another.

M:	Hǎo, wo jiù lái.	Okay, I'll be right back.

(After eating:)

M:	Chī hǎole ba? Cài zěnmeyàng?	Are you finished? How was the food?

F:	Cài hěn hǎo. Wǒmen chīde hěn bǎo. Qǐng ni suàn yíxià zhàng, bǎ xiǎofèi yě suàn zài lǐmian.	The food was good. We've had plenty. Please figure out the bill, and figure in the tip, too.

M:	Hǎo, xièxie. Zhè shi zhàngdān.	Okay, thank you. This is the bill.

F:	Zhè shi sānbǎi kuài. Bú bi zhǎo le. Wǒmen zǒu le. Zàijian.	Here is three-hundred dollars Keep the change. We're leaving. Good-bye.

M:	Xièxie. Zàijiàn.	Thank you. Goodbye.

NOTES AFTER DIALOGUE IN PART I

Wǒmen gāng cóng Mèiguo lái: In this sentence and the ones which follow the American modestly explains their situation and then asks for help. The waiter replies in a friendly and polite manner.

PART II

1.	Wǒmen hái méi chī yǒumíngde Kǎo Yángròu.	We still have not eaten the famous Mongolian Barbecued Lamb.

2.	Chī Shuàn Yángròude shíhou hái chī shénme?	When you’re having Mongolian Hot Pot, what else do you eat with it?

3.	Chúle niú-yángròu yǐwài, yǒu shāobing, hái yǒu báicài, fěnsī, shénmede.	Aside from beef and lamb, there’s shaobing, cabbage, cellophane noodles and so on.

4.	Chī Shuàn Yángròu, dōu yǒu shénme zuéliào?	When you're having Mongolian Hot Pot, what condiments are there?

5.	Eng! Shuōde wǒ dōu è le.	We’ve talked so much I've gotten hungry.

6.	Yǒu jiàng yóu, xiāng yóu, xiāng cài, dòufù lǔ, zhīma jiàng, shénmede.	There's soy sauce, sesame oil, Chinese parsley, fermented bean curd sauce, sesame paste, and so on.

7.	Qù Hóngbīnlóu ba.	Let's go to the Hóngbinlóu.

8.	Duì, jiù shi nèige Huímín fànguǎr.	Right, it's that Moslem restaurant.

NOTES ON PART II

yǒumíng: “To be famous”, literally, “to have a name”, is always negated with méi.

Kǎo Yángròu: This is Mongolian Barbecued Lamb. It is thin slices of lamb dipped in a sauce of soy sauce, scallions, Chinese parsley, sugar, and sherry, and other condiments you can mix to your own taste, then grilled quickly over high heat. This meal is prepared at specialty restaurants which usually serve little else.

Shuàn Yángròu: This meal requires that a pot with a source of heat beneath it (huǒguō, literally “fire pot”) be placed in the middle of the table. Usually the pot is shaped in a ring with a chimney containing the heat source in the center. Each guest cooks his meat and vegetables in the boiling water of the fire pot, often with four or five people simultaneously keeping track of their food as it is cooking. After his meat is cooked he then dips it into various sauces and eats it. By the end of the meal, the water in the pot has become a highly flavored soup. Fěnsī (see below) and vegetables are then dropped into it, and it is eaten.

chúle...yǐwài: This pattern is used to express the idea “except for...”, “besides...”, or “aside from...”. The second part, yǐwài, is sometimes omitted.

Wǒ chúle mǎi yìběn shū, hái yào mǎi yìběn zázhì.	In addition to buying one  book, I also want to buy one magazine.

fěnsī: These are called “cellophane noodles” because their appearance is clear and glass-like. They are made from pea-starch and are sometimes called pea-starch noodles.

zuóliào: This refers to various sauces used to dip the lamb in, and therefore translates as “condiment”. In other contexts, zuóliào can mean “ingredient”.

shuōde wǒ dōu è le: Here you see a verb, shuō, the syllable de, and the result of the action of talking (wǒ dōu è le.) A literal translation of the expression might be “Talk to (the point that) I'm already hungry.” The marker de carries the meaning “to the point of”, “to the extent that” in this expression.

xiāng cài: A coarse, leafy, strong tasting type of parsley.

Peking:

This conversation takes place in late spring in Peking. A foreign student talks with a few of his Chinese classmates.

M:	Wǒ lái Běijīng zhènme jiǔ le, hái méiyou jīhui qù chi yōumíngde Kao Yángrōu, Shuàn Yángrōu.	I've been in Peking for so long and I haven't yet had the chance to eat  the famous Mongolian Barbecued Lamb or Lamb Hot Pot.

F:	Rúguo xiǎng chī, jiù kuài qù chī ba. Tiān rè le, jiù méiyou le.	If we want to eat it, then we should go soon. There won’t be any available after the weather gets warmer.

M:	Nà zhǎo jige péngyou zhèige Xīngqīliù qu chī Shuàn Yángrōu. Nī shuō dào nǎr qù chī?	Well then, let's find some friends and go eat Mongolian Lamb Hot Po this Saturday. Where do you think we should go?

F:	Qù Hōngbīnlóu ba. Nèige fànguǎr hěn hǎo.	Let's go to the Hōngbīnlōu. That's a good restaurant.

M:	Hōngbīnlóu?! Shì bu shi zài Xīdān nàr? Wǒ jìde wǒ qù nàr chīguo guōtiē.	Hōngbīnlōu?! Is that over by the Xīdān? I remember I went there once and ate guōtiē.

F:	Duì, jiù shi nèige Huímín fànguǎr.	That's right, it's that Moslem restaurant.

M:	Tāmende guōtiē zhēn hǎochī yě piányi.	Their guōtiē are really tasty and cheap.

F:	Wǔge guōtiē yìmáoèr, shì bu shi?	Five guōtiē for twelve cents, right?

M:	Shì, wǒ chīle shíwǔge, méi chī biéde, chīde hěn bǎo. Ei! Chī Shuàn Yángròude shíhou hái chī shénme?	Yes, I ate fifteen, didn't eat anything else, and was full. Hey, when you're having Lamb Hot Pot, what else do you eat?

F:	Chúle niú-yángròu yǐwài, yǒu shāobing, hái yǒu báicài, fěnsī, shénmede.	Aside from beef and lamb, There's shāobing, cabbage cellophane noodles and so on.

M:	Chī Shuàn Yángròu dōu yǒu shénme zuōliào?	When you're having Mongolian Hot Pot, what condiments are there?

F:	Yǒu jiàng yóu, xiāng yóu, xiāng cài, dōufu lǔ, zhīma jiàng, shénmede.	There's soy sauce, sesame oil, Chinese parsley, fermented bean curd sauce, sesame paste, and so on.

M:	Eng! Shuōde wǒ dōu è le, yě dào chī zhōngfànde shíhou le.	Oh, we’ve talked so much I've gotten hungry, and it's lunch time.

F:	Zǒu, qù shítáng chī fàn qù.	Let's go, we'll go to the dining hall and eat.

Taipei:

This conversation takes place in winter in Taipei. A foreign student and some of his Chinese classmates are in a northern Chinese restaurant, waiting for the food to come.

F:	Jīntian chī Shuàn Yángrōu hěn hǎo.	It's nice to be having Mongolian Hot Pot today.

M:	Shì, wǒ zǎo jiù tīngshuō Shuàn Yángròu shi yǒumíngde Zhōngguo běifāng cài.	Yes, I've heard for a long time that Mongolian Hot Pot is a famous northern Chinese dish.

F:	Chī Shuàn Yángròu, rén duō, chīqilai fēicháng yǒu yìsi.	If we have more people, eating Mongolian Hot, Pot is very interesting.

M:	Tīngshuō chī Shuàn Yángròude shíhou yào yòng hěn duō zuóliào, shì bu shi?	I've heard that when you eat Mongolian Hot Pot, you use a lot of condiments.

F:	Duì, yǒu jiàng yóu, xiāng yōu, xiāng cài, dòufu lǔ, zhīma jiàng. Chúle ròu gēn zuōliào yǐwài, hái yǒu báicài, dòufu, fěnsī, shénmede.	That's right, there's soy sauce, sesame oil, Chinese parsley, femented bean curd sauce, and sesame paste. Aside from the meat and the condiments, there are also cabbage, dōufu, cellophane noodles, and so on.

M:	Dōngxi zhēn bù shǎo a.	There are really lots of things.

F:	Hǎo, nǐ kàn, lái le.	Good, look, it's here.

NOTES AFTER DIALOGUE IN PART II

běifāng cài: The syllable -fāng means “place” or “region”. It is added to direction words to form the name of a place. Běifāng cài refers to Northern Chinese cuisine. Nánfāng cài refers to cuisine south of the Yangtze river, including the Shanghai school of cooking and the Cantonese school of cooking.

PART III

1.	Zhèxiē cài dōu shi wǒ zìjǐ zuòde.	I cooked all these dishes myself.
2.	Wǒ juéde Zhōngguo rén jiāli zuòde cài zhēn hǎochī.	I feel that Chinese home-cooked dishes are truly tasty.
3.	Lái ge báobǐng gēn Mùxu Ròu.	Have a báobíng and some Moshi Pork.
4.	Zhège sùcài hěn xiāng.	This vegetarian vegetable dish is very fragrant.
5.	Zhège cāi jiao Tángcù Báicài.	This dish is called Sweet and Sour Cabbage.
6.	Nǐ yào bu yao dian Qīngdòu Xiārén.	Would you like some Shrimp with Green Peas?

NOTES ON PART III

báobǐng: These are thin, wheat cakes, usually rolled out and cooked in pairs that are separated before use. They resemble thin, French crepes in appearance. They are eaten with dishes instead of rice.

Mùxu Ròu: This is a pork dish cooked with egg. It is eaten with báobǐng. A spoonful of Mùxu Ròu is placed in the middle of a báobǐng. Then it is rolled up and eaten.

sùcài: This is a vegetable dish made with no meat sauces or flavorings at all, and is therefore correctly called a vegetarian vegetable dish. Although sùcài are made without the use of meat sauces or meat flavorings, they are often artfully seasoned and formed in such a way that they resemble meat very closely.

xiāng: This is the adjectival verb “to be fragrant”. Zhège sùcài hěn xiāng., could also be translated as “This vegetarian vegetable dish has a good aroma”. The verb xiāng is often used when talking about food to refer to dishes with garlic or ginger.

Taipei:

Miss Wang invites an American couple, Mr. and Mrs. White to her apartment for dinner. They are just sitting down to dinner.

F:	Qing zuò! Qing zuò! Dōu shi wō zìjl zuòde. Bu zhīdào hǎo bu hǎochī.	Please sit down. Please sit down. ... I made this all myself. I don’t know if it’s tasty or not.

M:	Yídìng hǎochī. Wō juǎde Zhōngguo rén jiāli zuòde cài zhēn hǎochī.	It will certainly be tasty. I feel that Chinese home-cooked dishes are truly tasty.

(As she gives Mr. White some food, , Miss Wang says:)

F:	Lái ge báobǐng gēn Mùxu Ròu.	Have a báobǐng and some Moshi Pork.

M:	Zhège sùcài hěn xiāng. Jiào shénme?	This vegetarian vegetable dish is very fragrant. What is it called?

F:	Jiào Tǎngcù Báicài.	It's called Sweet and Sour Cabbage.

M:	Wáng Xiǎojie, nǐ hěn huì zuò cài. Nǐ shi zài náli xuéde?	Miss Wang, you really know how to cook. Where did you learn?

F:	Jiù shi zài jiāli xuéde. Wǒ mùqin hěn huì zuò cài, kěshi wǒ jiù huì zuò jige cài, yě zuòde bú tài hǎo.	I just learned at home. My mother really knows how to cook, but I only know how to cook a few dishes, and I don’t make those very well.

M:	Nǐ tài kèqi. Zhège shi xiā ba.	You're too polite. This must be shrimp.

F:	Duì le. Zhège shi Qīngdòu Xiārén. Nǐmen hái yào bu yao diǎn fàn?	That's right. This is Shrimp with Green Peas. Would you like some more rice?

M:	Bú yào le. Wǒmen yǐjīng chīde hěn duō le.	No. We've already eaten a lot.

F:	Hǎo. Qǐng nǐmen duō chī diǎn cài.	All right. Please have more of the dishes.

Vocabulary

báobǐng	thin rolled, wheat-flour pancake  
chīdelái	Is it all right for you (to eat)? 
chúle ... yīwài	aside from, in addition to  
cōng	scallion
Cōngbào Niúròu	Beef with Spring Onions              
cù	vinegar                                                    
dòufu lǔ	fermented bean curd sauce         
è	to be hungry                      
fěnsī	cellophane noodles                
gōngnóngbīng	workers, farmers, soldiers        
hēibǎn	blackboard
Hóngbīnlóu	name of a restaurant
Húngshāo Yú	Red-cooked Fish          
huājuǎr	flower-rolls
huánghuā yú	yellow fish              
Huímín	Moslem                                              
jiànyì	proposal, suggestion
jiàng you	soy sauce
juéde	to feel that                         
kǎo	to roast                          
Kǎo Yángròu	Mongolian Barbecued Lamb          
mǐfàn	rice (cooked)                     
Mùxu Ròu	Moshi Pork (pork fried with eggs) and served with báobǐng           
qīngdòu	green peas
Qingdòu Xiārén	Shrimp with Green Peas            
shítáng	eating hall
Shuàn Yángròu	Mongolian (Lamb) Hot Pot
suàn	to calculate, figure out
suàn zhàng	to figure out the check
sùcài	vegetable dishes    
tángcù	sweet and sour                    
Tángcù Báicài	Sweet and Sour Cabbage            
-wèi	counter for persons (polite)      
wèizi	seat, place                       
xiāng	to be fragrant
xiāngcài	Chinese parsley
xiāngyóu	sesame oil
xiǎofèi	tip, gratuity        
xínxian	to be fresh                             
yángròu	lamb
yǒumíng	to be famous                 
zhācāi	hot pickled, cabbage (Szechwan)   
-zhe	marker of DURATION of an action   
zhīma jiàng	sesame paste
zìjǐ	oneself
zuóliào	condiments, ingredients           

Restaurant Module, Unit 4

PART I

1.	Wō dǎsuan zhèige Xīngqīliù wǎnshang liùdiǎn zhōng dìng yìzhuō xí.	I’d like to arrange a (one table) dinner party for this Saturday evening at six o'clock.

2.	Wǒ xiǎng zài nǐmen nàli qǐng liǎngzhuō kè.	I'd like to have two tables of guests at your place.

3.	Nǐ yào duōshao qiánde biāozhǔn?	What price level would you like?

4.	Nǐ kàn duōshao qián yíge rén héshì ne?	What price per person do you think would be suitable?

5.	Wǒmen qǐngde kèren duōbàn shi Zhōngguo rén.	Most of the guests that we invited are Chinese.

6.	Cài shi nǐ zìjī diǎn ne háishi ràng wǒmen pěi ne?	Will you choose the dishes yourself or have us select them?

7.	Sìge lěngpǎn, liùdào cài, yíge tāng, yíge tiáncài, zěnmeyàng?	How about four cold dishes, six main courses, one soup, and one dessert?

8.	Jiǔ deǐ lìngwài suàn.	The liquor is figured separately.

9.	Ěméi Cāntīng	The Omei Restaurant. (A restaurant in Taipei.)

10.	Xiàge Xīngqītiān shi wǒ xiānshengde shēngri.	Next Sunday is my husband’s birthday.

11.	Fēngzéyuàn.	(The name of a restaurant in Peking.)

NOTES ON PART I

dìng yìzhuō xí; “To arrange a formal dinner”, more literally “to make arrangements for a one table banquet”. The counter for xí, “a feast or banquet”, is -zhuō, “table”.

duōshao qiánde biāozhǔn: “What price level”. Biāozhún literally means “standard”. Duōshao qiánde biāozhǔn could also be translated more literally as “a standard costing how much”, where duōshao qián “how much does it cost?” modifies biāozhǔn, “standard'.” You will also hear duōshao qián biāozhǔnde, with the marker de placed at the end of the phrase. In this case the whole phrase “what price level” modifies the noun jiǔxí, “banquet”, which has been left out of the sentence because it is understood.

kè: This word for guest is interchangeable with kèren.

duōbàn: “Most of...”. Duōbàn is a noun and is used in the subject position.

Tāmen duōbàn dōu bú qù.	Most of them are not going.

Duōbàn shi niàn Zhōngwén ne.	Most of them are studying Chinese.

ràng wǒmen pěi...: “Have us select...”, or more literally “allow us to select...”. The verb pel means “to match”. Dishes are matched to make a formal menu in Chinese.

lěngpán: “Cold dishes” or appetizers start off the menu in a formal Chinese dinner. Four cold dishes followed by six to eight main courses, a soup and a dessert is one type of menu arrangement used for formal dinners. Four cold dishes, four sautéed dishes and four main dishes, soup and dessert in another type of formal menu.

Cold dishes are usually prepared so as to be pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. Cold cooked meats and vegetables are arranged in colorful designs.

jiǔ: Literally, this means “liquor”. It is a term referring to any kind of alcoholic beverage from light beers and wine to hard liquor.

Ěméi Cāntīng; This is the name of a restaurant offering Szechwan style cuisine. Omei (fimái) is the name of a mountain range running through Szechwan.

Peking:

A conversation on the telephone.

M:	Wèi!	Hello!

F: Wèi! Shi Fēngzéyuán ma?	Hello! Is this the Fengzeyuan?

M:	Shi a! Nín nǎr a?	Yes. Who is this?

F:	Wǒ xìng Huái Tè.		My name is White.

M:	Ōu, Huái Tè Nushì.	Oh, Ms. White.

F:	Wǒ dǎsuan zhèige Xīngqīliù wǎnshang liùdiǎn zhōng dìng yìzhuō xí.	I'd like to arrange a (one table) dinner party for this Saturday evening at six o'clock.

M:	Duōshǎowèi ne?	How many people?

F:	Shíge rén.	Ten people.

M:	Nín yào duōshao qiánde biāozhǔn?	What price level would you like?

F:	Nǐ kàn duōshao qián yíge rén héshì ne?	What price per person do you think would be suitable?

M:	Wǒmen yǒu shíèrkuài qián biāozhǔnde, yǒu shíwǔkuài qián biāozhǔnde, yè yǒu èrshikuài qián biāozhǔnde. Hái yǒu gèng guìde.	We have a 012 standard, a 015 standard and a 020 standard. There are also more expensive ones.

F:	Ōu, wǒ xiāng shíwǔkuài qián biāozhǔnde jiù xíng le.	Oh, I think the 015 standard will be all right.

M:	Cài shi nín zìjǐ diǎn ne háishi ràng wǒmen pèi ne?	Will you choose the dishes yourself or have us select them?

F:	Wǒ bú tài dǒng. Nǐmen gěi wo pèi ba.	I don't know too much about it. You select them for me.

M:	Eng, hǎo ba. Wǒmen gěi nin peì. ... Yíge dà lěngpán, bádào cài, yíge tāng, yíge tiáncài.	Mun, okay. We'll select for you. One large cold platter, eight main courses, one soup, and one dessert.

F:	Hǎo.	Good.

M:	Ōu, nǐmen hē jiǔ ma?	Oh, will you be drinking something (alcoholic)?

F:	Hē, kěshi hēde bú tài duō.	Yes, but we won't be drinking too much.

M:	Jiǔ děi lìngwài suàn.	The liquor is figured additionally.

F:	Ōu, nà mēi wènti.	Oh, that's no problem.

M:	Hǎo. Jiù zhènme bàn ba.	Okay. Then let's do it that way.

F:	Hǎo. Xièxie ni.	Good. Thank you.

NOTES FOLLOWING DIALOGUE I

Nǐ yào duōshao qián biāozhǔnde?: In restaurants in Peking, dinners for a group of people can be arranged on a price per person basis. The restaurants often have several standard priced menus to choose from.

Yíge dà lěngpǎn: One large cold platter instead of several smaller cold dishes may be used in making up the menu for a dinner. One large cold platter, eight main courses, a soup and a dessert is another type of menu for a dinner.

12.	Hóngshāo Yúchì	Red-cooked Shark's Fin
13.	Xiāngsū Yā	Fragrant Crispy Duck
14.	Gānshāo Míngxiā	Dry-cooked Jumbo Shrimp Szechuan Style
15.	Fùguì Jī	Beggar's Chicken
16.	Tángcù Yú	Sweet and Sour Fish
17.	Mìzhī Huǒtuǐ	Ham in Honey Sauce
18.	Dōnggua Zhōng	Winter Melon Soup served in the Carved Melon Shell
19.	Bābǎo Fàn	Eight Jewel Rice
20.	Xìngrén Dòufu	Almond Pudding

NOTES ON VOCABULARY NOS. 12-20

Hóngshāo Yúchì: Shark’s Fin is considered a delicacy by the Chinese because it is rare, nutritious and has a smooth, chewy texture when cooked. Some people think that it is best prepared in the red-cooked style.

Xiāngsū Yā: Fragrant Crispy Duck is marinated and steamed with onions, wine, ginger, pepper and anise, then deep fried quickly for a crispy result. This method of preparing duck is an example of southern style cooking.

Fùguì Jī: “Beggar’s Chicken” is a whole chicken wrapped in wet clay, then roasted until very tender. It is said that this method of preparation was first used by beggars. Originally this dish was called Jiǎohua Jī, literally “Beggar's Chicken”; but as the dish became popular among the upper class, the name changed to Fùguì Jī, literally “Riches and Honor Chicken”.

Dōnggua Zhōng: Winter melon, mushrooms, and ham go into this soup. On festive occasions the melon shell is carved with decorations, such as dragons, and used as a bowl for serving the soup. This is a Cantonese specialty.

Xìngrěn Dòufu: This is translated here as “Almond Pudding”. Because Xìngrén Dòufu, with its light consistency, is somewhere between a pudding and a gelatin, “Almond Gelatin” would also be a fitting translation of the name.

Bābǎo Fàn: “Eight Jewel Rice”. This is sweet sticky rice (nòmǐ) with preserved fruits. The rice is shaped into a mound and decorated with some of the preserved fruit.

Taipei:

An American woman calls a restaurant in Táiběi.

M:	Wèi. Éméi Cāntīng.	Hello. Omei Restaurant.

F:	Wèi. Wǒ shi Bái Tàitai. Xiàge Xīngqītiān shi wǒ xiānshengde shēngrì. Wǒ xiǎng zài nǐmen nàli qìng liāngzhuō kè.	This is Mrs. White. Next Sunday is my husband's birthday. I'd like to invite two tables of guests at your place.

M:	Hāo, hǎo.	Good, good.

F:	Wǒmen yǒu èrshige rén. Wǒ yào dìng liǎngzhuo cài. Nǐ kàn děi duōshao qián?	There will be twenty of us. I'd like to reserve two tables and order some dishes. How much do you think it will cost?

M:	Zuì shǎo děi wǔqiān kuài yìzhuō. Nǐ shi Měiguo rén ma?	At least five thousand dollars a table. Are you an American?

F:	Shì. Wǒ shi Měiguo rén.	Yes, I'm an American.

M:	Nǐ qǐngde kèren ne?	And the people you've invited?

F:	Duōbàn shi Zhōngguo rén.	Most of them are Chinese.

M:	Hǎo. Wǒ xiāngyixiang zěnme gěi ni pèi cài. ... Èng. Yíge dà lěngpán, liùdào cài, yíge tāng, yíge tiāncài, zěnmeyàng?	Okay. Let me think how I'll choose the dishes for you. ... Mmn. How about one large cold dish, six main dishes, one soup, and one dessert?

F:	Èng. Hǎo! Hǎo! Nǐ gěi wo shuōshuō liùdào cài shi shénme cài.	Mmn. Good. Good. Tell me a bit about what the six main course are.

M:	Nǐmen xǐhuan chī làde, shì bu shi?	You like to eat hot dishes, don't you?

F:	Duì. Wǒmen xǐhuan chī làde.	That's right. We like to eat hot dishes.

M:	Hǎo. Wǒ gěi ni pèi jige là cài. Dìyī, Hóngshāo Yúchì.	Okay. I'll select some hot dishes for you. First, Red-cooked Shark's Fin.
F:	Hǎo.	Good.
M:	Dìèr, Xiāngsū Yā.	Second, Fragrant Crispy Duck.
F:	Hǎo.	Good.
M:	Dìsān, Gānshāo Míngxiā.	Third, Dry-cooked Jumbo Shrimp Szechwan Style.
F:	Hǎo.	Good.
M:	Dìsì, Fùguì Jī.	Fourth, Beggar's Chicken.
F:	Hǎo.	Good.
M:	Zài lái yíge Tángcù Yú gēn yíge Mìzhī Huǒtuǐ zěnmeyàng?	And how about a Sweet and Sour Fish and a Ham in Honey Sauce, too?
F:	Hěn hǎo, hěn hǎo. Tāng shi shénme tāng?	Very good, very good. What is the soup?
M:	Dōnggua Zhong.	Winter Melon Soup served in the carved Melon Shell.
F:	Hǎo.	Good.
M:	Tiáncài nǐ kàn yào Básī Píngguo, háishi Bābǎo Fàn, hǎishi Xìngrén Dòufu?	For dessert do you think you want Spun Taffy Apples, or Bight Jewel Rice, or Almond Pudding?
F:	Wǒ kàn Bābǎo Fàn hǎo yìdiǎn.	I think the Right Jewel Rice would be better.
M:	Hǎo.	Fine.


PART II

21.	Mǎdīng Nǚshì, jīntian shi gěi ni sòngxíng.	Ms. Martin, today we bid you farewell.

22.	Nǐ shi zhǔkè.	You are the guest of honor.

23.	Dàjiā dōu qǐng zuò.	Everyone, please sit down.

24.	Bié jīn gěi wo jiān cài.	Don’t just be selecting out food for me.

25.	Qǐng dàjiā dōu gān yìbēi.	Let's all drink a glass.

26.	Zhù tā shēntǐ jiànkāng, gōngzuò shùnlì.	Let's all wish her good health and work that goes well.

27.	Hái yào zhù ta yílù píngān!	And we also want to wish her a good journey!

28.	Wǒ bú huì hē jiǔ. Dàjiā dōu suíyì ba.	I'm not much of a drinker. Please everyone, drink as you like.

29.	Zuī jī	Drunken Chicken

NOTES ON PART II

zhǔkè: At a Chinese banquet the guest of honor sits farthest away from the door, the inner-most place in the room. The host sits nearest the door, on the serving side of the table.

Bié jǐn gěi wo jiǎn cài: This expression is often used at dinner parties. It is good hospitality for the host or hostess to serve the guests individually from time to time, picking out tender morsels for them. Fellow guests may also do this for the guest of honor.

gān yìbēi: Drink a glass”, literally “dry a glass” (meaning “o make the glass dry by emptying it”). Since wine cups are small, the usual toast is Gān bēi!. “Bottoms up!” For people who don't like to drink too much, the phrase Suíyì, “As you like”, will serve as a reply indicating that the whole cup need not be emptied. See the note on suíyì below.

Zuì jī: “Drunken Chicken”. The name of this dish comes from the way in which it is prepared. The verb zuì “to get drunk”, refers to the fact that the chicken is marinated in wine at least over-night. This dish originates with the Shanghai school of cooking. It is served cold.

Wǒ bú huì hē jiǔ. Dàjiā dōu suíyì ba.: Chinese drinking etiquette requires that if someone doesn’t want to participate in the full range of drinking activities, he should so indicate early on.

Peking:

M:	Hèi! Nǐmen dōu lái le. Qǐng zuò, qǐg zuò. ... Mǎdīng Nǚshì, jīntian shi gěi ni sòngxíng. Nǐ shi zhǔkè. Qǐng ni zuò zài zhèr.	Hey! You’ve all come. Please sit down, please sit down. Ms. Martin, today we bid you farewell. You are the guest of honor. Please sit here.

F1:	Hǎo. Xièxie, xièxie.	Okay, thank you, thank you.

M:	Dàjiā dōu qǐng zuò.	Everyone please sit down.

(After everyone has sat down and chatted for awhile, the co,d dishes and wine are served.)

M:	Mǎdīng Nǚshì, nǐ chī diǎr zhèige lěngpán.	Ms. Martin, have some of this cold dish.

F1:	Hǎo, wǒ zìjī lái. ... Eng, zhèige Zuì Jī zuòde zhēn hǎo.	Fine, I'll serve myself. ... Mmn, this Drunken Chicken is made really well.

M:	Yàoshi xǐhuan chī jiù duō chī yìdiǎr.	If you like it then have a little more.

(Here he serves or points to the dish with his chopsticks.)

F1:	Hǎo.	All right.

(Ms. Martin turns to Section Chief Wang who is sitting next to her and has just given her a little bit of one of the dishes.)

F1:	Wáng Kēzhǎng! Nǐ yě chī a!  Bié jǐn gěi wo jiān cài.	Section Chief Wang. You eat too! Don't just be selecting out food for me.

F2:	Hǎo. Wǒ chī, wǒ chī.	Okay, I’m eating.

M:	Jīntian wǒmen gěi Madīng Nǚshì sòngxíng. Qǐng dàjiā dōu gān yìbēi! Zhù tā shēntī jiànkāng, gōngzuò shùnlì.	Today we bid Ms. Martin farewell. Let’s all drink a glass. Let's all wish her good health and work that goes well.

F2:	Hái yào zhù tā yílù píngān!	And we also want to wish her a good journey!

F1:	Xièxie Lǐ Chùzhǎng, Xièxie Wáng Kēzhǎng. Xièxie dàjiā. Wǒ bú huì hē jiǔ. Dàjiā suíyì ba.	Thank you Division Chief Li. Thank you Section Chief Wang. Thank you everyone. I'm not much of a drinker. Everyone drink as you like.

(The hot dishes are now being served.)

M:	Dàjiā mànmār chī. Duō chī yìdiǎr.	Everyone take your time. Have a little more.


NOTES FOLLOWING PART II DIALOGUE

Most of the entertaining at a Chinese dinner party takes place at the dinner table, although there is some tea drinking and chatting both before and after the meal in other rooms. The dinner is served at a leisurely pace so that each dish may be savored and talked about. A good dish is appreciated for its appearance as much as its taste, texture and aroma. As each dish is eaten, toasts will be made. The host will start off by toasting the guest of honor and then other guests as a group. As the evening progresses he will toast each guest in turn and each guest will probably propose a toast of his own in honor of the host. A strongly flavored liquor (gāoliang jiǔ). a milder rice wine (huáng jiǔ). or beer may be served. Guests usually drink only when toasting. If you'd like to take a drink of something you either propose a toast or catch someon's eye and silently toast each other.

mànmār chī In sentences expressing commands or requests, an adjectival verb describing manner precedes the main verb.

Kuài yìdiǎr kāi!	Drive a little faster!

Kuài lái!	Come here quickly!

In the sentence, mànmār chī, the adjectival verb coming before the main verb, màn, is reduplicated with the second syllable changing to a high tone. This also happens in a few other instances.

Kuàikuārde chī!	Quickly eat!

Hǎohāode zuò!	Do it well!

PART III

30.	Xiànzài ràng wǒmen dàjiā jìng ta yìbēi.	Now let's all toast her.
31.	Zhèige Kǎo Yā nǐ yě chángchang.	You must also taste the Peking Duck
32.	Wǒ xiān ná yige báóbǐng. Ba yā ròu fàngzai zhōngjiān. Zài bā cōng gēn jiàng fàngzai yā ròu shàngtou. Ránhòu juǎngilai jiù kéyi ohī le.	I first take a pancake. (Be is separating one pancake.) Take the duck meat and put it in the middle. Then take the scallion and the paste and put it on top. After that, roll it up, and then you can eat it.
33.	Xūn Jī	Smoked Chicken
3U.	Zhà Xiāqiú	Balls

NOTES ON PART III

jìng: This is the verb “to offer (something) respectfully”. It is used here ceremonially in the phrase “offer her a glass” meaning “to toast her”.

Juǎnqilai: This compound verb is made of juǎn. “to roll”, qǐ, “to rise, go or come up”, and lái “to come”. Both Peking Duck and Mùxu Ròu are eaten rolled up in pancakes.

Xūn Jī: For this dish, chicken is smoked in a vapor from burning tea leaves. This example of Peking cuisine is served as a cold dish or a hot dish.

Zhá Xiāqiú: Zhá is the verb “to deep fry”. This is a Shanghai dish of shredded shrimp shaped into balls and then deep fried.

jiàng: “Paste”. The paste which is eaten with Peking Duck is tiánmiànjiàng. “sweet bean paste”.

Taipei;

M:	Jīntan wǒmen dàjiā zài zhèli chī fàn shi huānyíng Wèi Xiaójie cóng Měiguo dào Táiběi lái gōngzuò. Xīwang tā zài wǒmen gōngsi gōngzuo shùnlì. ... Xiànzài ràng wǒmen dàjiā jìng tā yìbēi!	Today we are all here at this banquet to welcome Miss Williams who has come from America to work in Taipei. We hope that her work at our company goes smoothly. ... Now let's all toast her!

F:	Xièxie, xièxie.	Thank you! Thank you!

(The hot dishes are being served.)

M:	Wèi Xiáojie, zhè shi Kǎo Yā. Nǐ zài Měiguo chīguo méiyou?	Miss Williams, this is Peking Duck. Have you ever eaten this in America?

F:	Méiyou. Wǒ zài Měiguo chīguo jicì Zhōngguo fàn, kěshi méi chīguo Kāo Yā.	No. I've eaten Chinese food several times in America, but I've never eaten Peking Roast Duck.

M:	Hāo. Wǒ gàosu ni zěnme chī. Wǒ xiān ná yíge báobǐng. Bǎ yā ròu fàngzai zhōngjiān. Zài bǎ cōng gēn jiàng fàngzai yā ròu shàngtou. Ránhòu juǎnqilai jiù kéyi chī le.	Okay, I'll tell you how>it is eaten. I first take a báobīng and put the duck meat in the middle. Then take a scallion and some paste and put it on top of the duck meat. After that, roll it up, then you can eat it.

F:	Hāo. Wǒ zhīdao le.	Good, now I've got it.

(Miss Williams tries it.)

F:	Eng. Zhège Kāo Yā zhēn hǎochī.	Mnn. This Peking Duck is really tasty.

M:	Zhège Xūn Jī gēn Zhá Xāqiú nǐ yè chángchang.	You should try the Smoked Chicken and the Deep Fried Shrimp Balls, too.

F:	Hǎo. Hǎo. Wǒ zìjǐ lái.	Good. I'll serve myself.

(After they finish eating.)

M:	Wèi Xiáojie, ni chībǎo le ma?	Miss Williams, have you eaten your fill?

F:	Chībǎo le.	Yes.

M:	Jintian wǎnshangde cài nǐ zuì xǐhuan nǎge a?	Which of tonight's dishes do you like the most?

F:	Mèige cài dōu hǎochī. Kěshi wǒ zuì xǐhuan Kǎo Yā.	All the dishes are tasty. But I like the Peking Roast Duck best.

M:	Òu, nà hǎo. Xià yícì wǒmen kéyi zài lái zhèli chī Kǎo Yā.	Oh, that's good. We'll have to come here again to eat Peking Roast Duck sometime.

F:	Hěn hǎo. Hěn hǎo. Xièxie, xièxie.	Good. Thank you.

NOTES AFTER DIALOGUE FOR PART III

Wǒ zìjī lái: This is a polite way for a guest to respond when the host has been serving him specially.

Xià yícì wǒmen kéyi zài lái zhèli chī Kǎo Yā.: The use of the phrase xià yícì makes it sound as if they are making definite plans about the next time they come to eat here, when in fact they are Just talking generally about some future time. In English, we use “sometime” rather than “next time”, as in “We'll have to get together again sometime.”

Vocabulary                        

Bābǎo Fàn	Eight Level Rice
biāozhǔn	level or standard        
cháng	to taste, to savor                
dàjiā	everybody
-dào	counter for a course of a meal
dìng yìzhuō xí	reserve a table for a dinner party     
Dōnggua Zhōng	Winter Melon Soup served in the Carved Melon Shell  
duōbàn	most of, the greater part of      
Emèi Cāntīng	The Omei Reetaurant (a restaurant in Taipei)
Fēngzéyuán	The name of a reetaurant in Peking     
Fùguì Jī	Beggar's Chicken                 
Gānshāo Míngxià	Dry-cooked Jumbo Shrimp, Szechuan Style        
gān yìbēi	to drink a glass (lit. to make a glass dry)  
gōngzuò shùnlì	the work that goes well   
héshì	to be suitable, to be fitting
Hóngshǎo Yúchī	Red-oooked Shark's Fins
jiǎn	to select, pick out
jiànkāng	to be healthy
jiàng	paste, bean paste
jǐn	(continually), only, Just
jìng	to offer someone something
jiǔ	liquor, wine     
juǎnqilai	to roll up                             
Kǎo Yā	Peking Duck
kè (kèren)	guest(s)                                 
lěngpán	cold dish
lìngwài	in addition to, additionally        
míngxiā	shrimp
Mìzhi Huǒtuǐ	Ham in Honey Sauce                                          
pèi	to find something to match, to match things   
peì cài	to select dishes for a formal menu    
ràng	to allow, to have someone do something     
shēngrì	birthday                          
shēntǐ jiànkāng	good health 
shùnlì	to go well, without difficulty
sòngxíng	to see a person off
suíyì	according to  one's wishes                                                                
Tángcù Yú	Sweet and Sour Fish
tiáncài	dessert
Xiāngsū Yā	Fragrant Crispy Duck
Xīngrèn Dòufu	Almond Pudding
Xūn Jī	Smoked Chicken
yā	duck                              
yílù píngān	have a nice trip; bon voyage (lit. a safe journey)     
yú	fish                                              
yúchì	shark's fin                  
zhù	to wish (someone something)
zhǔkè	guest of honor
Zhá Xiāqiú	Deep Fried Shrimp Balls
zhāngjiān	middle
Zuì Jií	Drunken Chicken                                   

FOODS

Ròu	(Meat)	Unit

huǒtuǐ	ham	1
niúròu	beef	1
páigu	spare ribs	-
yángròu	lamb	3
zhūròu	pork	-         

Jī, Yāzi	(Chicken, Duck)	

jī	chicken	2
yā, yāzi	duck	4

Yú Xiā	(Fish and Shrimp)	

bàoyú	abalone	-
dàxiā	prawn	-
huánghuā yú	yellow fish	3
lóngxiā	lobster	-
pángxie	crab	-
xiārén	shrimp	2
yóuyú	squid	-
yúchì	shark's fin	4

Shuǐguo	(Fruit)	

fènglí	pineapple (Taiwan)	-  
buōluó	pineapple (Mainland)	-
júzi	tangerine (Taiwan)	-    
júzi	orange (Mainland)	-    
lìzhī	lichee	-               
lǐzi	plum	-                
liǔdīng	orange (Taiwan)	-     
mángguo	mango	-                
píngguo	apple	-               
pútao	grape	-                
xiāngjiāo	banana	-           
xīgua	watermelon	-          

Qīngcài	(Vegetables)	-

bái luóbo	white radish	-
bāicài	cabbage	2
bōcài	spinach	-
cōng	scallion, green onion	3
dōnggū	dried black mushroom	-
dōnggua	winter melon	-
dōngsǔn	bamboo shoot	-
dòuyá	bean sprouts	2
fānqié	tomato	-
húluóbo	carrot	-
huángguā	cucumber	-
là jiao	red (hot) pepper	-
mùěr	wood ear, tree fungus	-
qiézi	eggplant	2
qīngdòu	green peas	-
qīngjiāo	green pepper	-
qíncài	celery	-
xiāngcài	Chinese parsley	3
xīhóngshì	tomato	2
xuědòu	snow pea pods	2
yángcōng	onion	-
yánggū	button mushroom	-

Zuóliao	Spices	-

gālǐ	curry	-
huājiāo	fragrant (Szechwan) pepper	-
hújiāo	black pepper	-
jiāng	ginger	-
jièmo	mustard	-
suàn	garlic	-
yán	salt	-
zhīma	sesame seed	-



Yóu	
<pa<Oil	

háo yóu	oyster sauce	-
hóng yóu	red (hot) pepper oil	-
huāshēng yóu	peanut oil	-
jiàng yóu	soy sauce	-
là yóu		red (hot) pepper oil	-
má yóu		sesame oil (Taiwan)	-
xiāng yóu	sesame oil (Mainland)	-

Jiàng	(Sauces, Pastes)	


douban jiàng	bean paste	-
tiánmiàn jiàng	sweet bean paste	-
zhīma jiàng	sesame paste	-

Jiǔ	(Liquor)	-                     

gāoliáng jiǔ	gāoliáng win (sorghum)	-
huáng jiu	yellow wine	-
píjiǔ	beer	-
pútáo Jiǔ	grape wine	-
Shāoxīng jiǔ	(a yellow vine made in Shaoxing)	-

Zá Xiàng	(Miscellaneous)	

báobǐng	thin rolled, wheat-flour pancake	3
chá	tea	-
cù	vinegar	3
dòufu	bean curd	2
dòufu lǔ	fermented bean curd	3
dòujiāng	soybean milk, soy milk	1
fǔnsī	cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles	3
jīdàn	chicken egg	3
kāfēi	coffee	1
miàn	wheat-flour noodles	1
miànbāo	bread	1
miànfěn	flour	-
mǐfěn	rice, or rice flour noodles	-
pídàn (Táiwan)	preserved egg	-
sònghuā dàn (Mainland)	preserved egg	-
zhàcài	hot pickled cabbage (Szechwan)	3