牛肉
beef
牛 = cow; 肉 = meat.
Mandarin guided learning
Read a menu and order a meal
You want beef noodles, know the price, and need to answer a follow-up about spice.
Picture the idea
Build a food word from pieces: 牛肉 = beef; 面 = noodles in this menu. 牛肉面 = beef noodles. This helps with familiar combinations; a dish name cannot reveal every ingredient or cooking method.
Useful words
鸡肉
chicken
鸡 = chicken; 肉 = meat.
面
noodles, in food names
Also has other meanings elsewhere. Read it in context.
米饭
cooked rice
Learn the pair as a food word.
碗
bowl / bowlful
One bowl of something: 一碗 + food.
辣
spicy
You will hear this when they ask about chili.
元
yuan
A money unit you see on menus. 28元 = 28 yuan.
要
want
我 = I; 我要 = I want / I will take.
Read the display
| 菜品 · dish | 价格 · price |
|---|---|
牛肉面 beef noodles | 28元 28 yuan |
鸡肉面 chicken noodles | 25元 25 yuan |
米饭 cooked rice | 5元 5 yuan |
Find the information
Which dish is beef noodles for 28 yuan?
- 鸡肉面 · 25元
- 牛肉面 · 28元
- 米饭 · 5元
Answer and explanation
牛肉面 · 28元
Read 牛肉 (beef) + 面 (noodles), then match the price in that same row.
Build your request
I + want + one bowl + beef noodles. 一碗 is the quantity unit; no word for “of” is needed.
我要一碗牛肉面。
I would like a bowl of beef noodles.
The sentence pieces
我
I
要
want
一碗
one bowl of
牛肉面
beef noodles
Understand the reply
要辣的吗？
Would you like the spicy version?
What does this reply mean?
- They are asking whether you want it spicy.
- They say there are no noodles.
- They are asking where you live.
Answer and explanation
They are asking whether you want it spicy.
Would you like the spicy version?
不要辣。
No chili / not spicy, please.
Use it in another situation
Swap 牛肉面 for 米饭: 我要一碗米饭. Point to an unfamiliar dish and use 我要这个. Ask about ingredients separately when they matter.