10 Chinese Phrases to Help You Order Food Delivery

Have you ever struggled with ordering food delivery in China? Were you intimidated unsure how to communicate with food delivery services in Chinese, and ended up hanging up the phone? Maybe you’ve tried to explain your address in Mandarin but the delivery guy couldn’t understand you?

Worry no more! Whether you’re an expat traveler, Chinese language learner – it’s time to equip yourself with essential Chinese phrases for food delivery. With these practical expressions you’ll learn how to order takeout in Chinese like a true 老板 (lǎobǎn) — boss. Mastering these Mandarin phrases for delivery will make your daily life in China smoother and boost your confidence in using real-life Chinese.

 

Calling a Restaurant to Order Takeout in Chinese

Ordering food delivery in Shanghai and throughout China is usually quick, affordable and often done through popular Chinese food delivery apps like Eleme (饿了么), Hema (盒马), or Meituan (美团).

However not all restaurants are available online and sometimes you’ll need to call the restaurant directly to place your order. In these cases using the right Chinese phrases for food ordering over the phone is essential. Whether you’re a foreigner living in China, a student, or a traveler – these basic Mandarin phrases for phone orders will help you communicate effectively and get your meal delivered to your door.

1. Do you offer take-out delivery?

• 你们能送外卖吗？
• Nǐmen néng sòng wàimài ma?

This is a must-know phrase for anyone trying to order food in Chinese. Whether you’re living in China or just visiting, learning how to ask “Do you offer take-out?” is key. When ordering food over the phone, use this phrase when calling restaurants that may not be on apps like Eleme, Meituan, Hema. It’s especially useful for foreigners in China who want to improve their Chinese for daily life Mandarin for food delivery.

2. Is there a delivery fee?

• 有外送费吗？
• Yǒu wài sòng fèi ma?

Asking about delivery fees is essential when ordering food in China, especially for those unfamiliar with food delivery systems in Chinese cities. This simple phrase helps you clarify if there are any extra costs for delivery. In China it’s a useful question for both expats and international students in China who are navigating the Chinese food ordering culture for the first time.

3. I would like one serving of/one/one bowl of

• 我要一份/一个/一碗
• Wǒ yào yī fèn/yīgè/yī wǎn

This phrase helps you specify the quantity and type of food when ordering take-out or delivery in China. Whether you’re asking for one serving one dish, one bowl it’s essential to know the different ways to express your order clearly in Mandarin. These variations will assist expats in China or international students in mastering food related vocabulary and order placement in China.

4. I don’t want any cutlery

• 不要刀叉
• Bù yào dāochā

This phrase is useful when you prefer not to receive any cutlery with your take-out food delivery in China. It’s essential to communicate your preferences clearly, especially in a restaurant or food delivery service knowing how to politely ask for no cutlery can make your experience smoother and more convenient. This phrase is perfect for international students, expats in China who are navigating Chinese culture and delivery systems.

5. Deliver to [insert your address]

• 送到。。。
• Sòng dào

This phrase is essential when ordering take-out delivery in China after confirming your food order you can simply say “送到 (insert your address)” to let the delivery driver know where to send your food. Knowing how to specify your address in Mandarin is key to a smooth food delivery experience. Make sure to include your address clearly when using this phrase to avoid confusion.

6. My phone number is

• 我的电话是。。。
• Wǒ de diànhuà shì

This is a crucial phrase when ordering food delivery in China. If the delivery driver needs to contact you for any reason. If you’re providing your phone number for the delivery service use this phrase. Knowing how to share your phone number in Mandarin will ensure you stay connected with your delivery service and won’t miss your food. This phrase is especially useful for international students expats who may not be fluent in Chinese, but still need to communicate essential information.

7. What time will it be delivered?

• 什么时候要送到？
• Shénme shíhou yào sòng dào?

This is a handy phrase to inquire about the delivery time of your food in China. It’s important to confirm delivery times especially if you’re in a hurry. this phrase is helpful when you need to track your delivery especially in busy cities like Shanghai.

Ordering delivery goes wrong

However, it happens numerous times that ordering online goes wrong (and it’s reasonable that this will “drive you crazy” (check out this cool phrase we learned in our previous article: “我要抓狂啦”): sometimes deliveries get lost, restaurants/stores run out of products, delivery guy can’t find your apartment… moreover – they usually really love to give you a call to sort the mess out.

Learning Chinese is all fun and games until you have to take/make that phone call. Firstly, you can’t see the person on the other side. Secondly, the person on the other side is most probably assuming you’re a native Chinese speaker. You can expect that the conversation will be fast paced, giving you no time to realise what’s about to hit you.

Useful Phrases When Ordering Delivery Goes Wrong:

8. Take-out was delivered wrongly

• 外卖送错了
• Wàimài sòng cuòle

9. I want a refund/change goods/cancel the order

• 我要退款／换商品／取消订单
• Wǒ yào tuì kuǎn/huàn shāngpǐn/qǔxiāo dìngdān

10.I am missing some goods

• 外卖缺少物品
• Wàimài quēshǎo wùpǐn

Good job, you used Chinese phrases to handle your delivery!

Once you handled this like a laoban make sure to give yourself a pat on the back and tell your delivery guy 谢谢慢走. He/she will appreciate it as these people are always in a hurry rushing through the streets of Shanghai and are facing dangerous conditions trying to beat the time allowed for delivering each order.

Warning: do not expect ANY phone call in Chinese to go smooth… ever. There is an infinite possibility of all kinds of dialects involved, a lots of “听不懂” but you’ll get there! Continue learning Chinese and try to pick up and use these phrases too, practice makes perfect and soon delivery services won’t even notice you’re not a native speaker.