If you are not familiar with the language or customs, ordering coffee in China can be a frightening experience as well as fascinating and delectable. We hope that by providing you with this guide, you will be better equipped to order your favorite coffee, fully appreciate the expanding coffee culture in China, and appreciate it yourself.
Common verbs used to order a coffee
1.点 (diǎn) – order
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- 我要点一杯咖啡。(Wǒ yào diǎn yī bēi kāfēi.) – I want to order a cup of coffee.
2.要 (yào) – want
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- 我要一杯拿铁。(Wǒ yào yī bēi nátiěi.) – I want a latte.
3.叫 (jiào) – call for, order
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- 我叫一杯美式咖啡。(Wǒ jiào yī bēi měishì kāfēi.) – I’ll order a cup of Americano.
4.买 (mǎi) – buy
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- 我要买一杯卡布奇诺。(Wǒ yào mǎi yī bēi kǎbùqínuò.) – I want to buy a cappuccino.
5.喝 (hē) – drink
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- 我要喝一杯浓缩咖啡。(Wǒ yào hē yī bēi nóngsuō kāfēi.) – I want to drink a cup of espresso.
Different kinds of coffee in Chinese
拿铁 (nátiě) – latte
美式咖啡 (měishì kāfēi) – Americano
卡布奇诺 (kǎbùqínuò) – cappuccino
浓缩咖啡 (nóngsuō kāfēi) – espresso
香草拿铁 (xiāngcǎo nátiě) – vanilla latte
摩卡咖啡 (mókǎ kāfēi) – mocha
焦糖玛奇朵 (jiāotáng mǎqíduō) – caramel macchiato
Specify the sugar you prefer
The Chinese verb “加糖” (jiā táng) means “add sugar,” and the words “勺” (sháo) for “spoon” or “包” (bāo) for “packet” can be used to specify the amount of sugar.
- 我要一杯拿铁，加两勺糖。(Wǒ yào yī bēi nátiě jiā liǎng sháo táng.) – I want a latte with two spoons of sugar.
- 请给我来三杯美式咖啡，加三包糖。(Qǐng gěi wǒ lái sān bēi měishì kāfēi, jiā sān bāo táng.) – Please give me three cup of Americano with three packets of sugar.
- 我要一杯卡布奇诺，加一勺糖。(Wǒ yào yī bēi kǎbùqínuò, jiā yī sháo táng.) – I want a cappuccino with one spoon of sugar.
Specify the temperature you prefer
The word “温度” (wēndù), which means “temperature” in Chinese, can be used to describe the temperature. Here are some typical Chinese expressions you might use to request coffee at a particular temperature.
1.热咖啡 (rè kāfēi) – hot coffee
我要一杯热咖啡。(Wǒ yào yī bēi rè kāfēi.) – I want a cup of hot coffee.
2.冰咖啡 (bīng kāfēi) – iced coffee
我要一杯冰咖啡。(Wǒ yào yī bēi bīng kāfēi.) – I want a cup of iced coffee.
3.温咖啡 (wēn kāfēi) – warm coffee
我要一杯温咖啡。(Wǒ yào yī bēi wēn kāfēi.) – I want a cup of warm coffee.
4.热饮 (rè yǐn) – hot beverage
我要一杯热饮，温度不要太高。(Wǒ yào yī bēi rè yǐn, wēndù bú yào tài gāo.) – I want a hot beverage, not too hot.
5.冰镇饮料 (bīng zhèn yǐnliào) – iced beverage
我要一杯冰镇饮料，温度要凉爽。(Wǒ yào yī bēi bīng zhèn yǐnliào, wēndù yào liángshuǎng.) – I want an iced beverage, with a cool temperature.
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