This guide uses traditional characters and tone-marked pinyin. The examples suit a beginner speaking to an instructor or another participant; ask the instructor which language they’ll use before you book.

Five phrases to take to the table

Keep the question on your phone and point to the tool or stroke as you speak. The English sits beside each Mandarin line so you can check what you’re asking.

Know the tools before you start

At a calligraphy workshop in Ximending, beginners practise brush movements and basic strokes with an instructor. The studio says it provides brushes, ink, and paper, and Mandarin isn’t required. Its page lists a 1.5-hour session for up to five people; check the current details with the studio when you enquire.

毛筆 máobǐ is the brush; 墨 mò is ink; 筆畫 bǐhuà is a written stroke. The Taiwan Ministry of Education’s dictionary defines máobǐ as a brush used for writing or painting, and its entry for 筆畫 describes the marks that make up a character. These are words you can use while looking at the tools in front of you.

To ask how much ink to use, point to the brush and ask 要用多少墨？ Yào yòng duōshǎo mò? (“How much ink should I use?”). Then watch the instructor’s answer instead of guessing how deep to dip the brush.

Ask about a stroke, then check the answer

When you point to one mark, 這一筆 zhè yì bǐ means “this stroke.” It helps the instructor see exactly where you’re stuck. If you mean the order of several marks, ask 筆順是什麼？ Bǐshùn shì shénme? (“What’s the stroke order?”). The education ministry defines 筆順 as the order in which you write a character’s strokes.

After the instructor demonstrates, hold up your practice sheet and ask 這樣可以嗎？ Zhèyàng kěyǐ ma? (“Is it okay like this?”). If you missed the movement, 可以再示範一次嗎？ asks for another demonstration without claiming you understood the first one.

A short two-way exchange

This is a practice exchange, not a transcript from a particular class. The instructor’s reply gives you something to listen for while you watch their hand.

• You: 這一筆怎麼寫？ Zhè yì bǐ zěnme xiě? — How do I write this stroke?
• Instructor: 我示範一次。 Wǒ shìfàn yí cì. — I’ll show you once.
• You: 可以再示範一次嗎？ Kěyǐ zài shìfàn yí cì ma? — Could you show me again?
• Instructor: 可以。 Kěyǐ. — Sure.
• You: 謝謝，這樣可以嗎？ Xièxie, zhèyàng kěyǐ ma? — Thanks. Is it okay like this?

If an explanation goes too fast, say 不好意思，可以說慢一點嗎？ Bù hǎoyìsi, kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma? (“Sorry, could you speak a little slower?”). You can also point to the stroke and ask for another demonstration. The class works through watching and trying as well as speaking.

Ask before you take a photo

A classmate’s sheet belongs to them, even when it lies on a shared table. Ask 我可以拍您的作品嗎？ Wǒ kěyǐ pāi nín de zuòpǐn ma? before photographing an instructor’s or another participant’s work. 您 nín is a respectful “you”; it fits an unfamiliar person or teacher. If they say 不方便 bù fāngbiàn (“that’s not convenient”), put your phone away and thank them.

For a photo of the whole room, ask the instructor separately about people and the studio’s rules. Permission to photograph one sheet doesn’t cover everyone in the frame.

Practise before class

Say the brush question and the repeat request aloud. For pinyin, the accents mark pitch; they aren’t stress marks. In zhè yì bǐ and yí cì, the sound of 一 changes with the following syllable in everyday speech. Use the characters to show the instructor when pronunciation fails you.

After class, the Taipei night market Mandarin guide gives you a different exchange to practise while ordering food.

Sources and language check

Workshop setting and materials: the Ximending studio. Calligraphy teaching sequence: Taiwan Ministry of Education workshop report. Terminology and pinyin: Taiwan Ministry of Education’s 示範, 作品, and 拍照 dictionary entries. A Taiwan Mandarin speaker review of the full practice exchange and checked Taiwan Mandarin audio remain pending, so this guide provides written pinyin rather than an audio player.

Chongqing’s culture and tourism office describes red broth, split pots, heat choices and máodù (beef tripe) as part of the city’s hot pot offering. The exact broths, dishes and portions depend on the restaurant in front of you. Check its menu before you use the example order below.

Four lines for the table

These are polite staff-facing questions. Qǐngwèn opens a question; zhè fèn means “this portion” when you point to a dish on the menu.

Choose the broth together

鸳鸯锅 yuānyāngguō is a divided pot with two broths. 红汤 hóngtāng is red broth; 清汤 qīngtāng is clear broth. A split pot lets tablemates choose different broths, but its pale side isn’t automatically vegetarian, free of chilli, or safe for an allergy. Ask 另一边是什么汤底？ Lìng yì biān shì shénme tāngdǐ? — “What’s the broth on the other side?”

The tourism office lists 微辣 wēilà (lower chilli heat), 中辣 zhōnglà (medium) and 特辣 tèlà (extra hot). “Lower” is relative to the restaurant’s other choices; it doesn’t mean no chilli. 麻 má names the tingling, numbing effect associated with Sichuan pepper, while 辣 là names chilli heat. If a broth’s ingredients matter to you, ask 这个锅底有牛油吗？ Zhège guōdǐ yǒu niúyóu ma? — “Does this broth base have beef tallow?” In this hot pot context, niúyóu means beef fat.

Order dishes for the shared pot

You order a broth and then dishes of uncooked ingredients. Point to the menu and say 我们要一份毛肚，一份蘑菇。 Wǒmen yào yí fèn máodù, yí fèn mógu. — “We’d like one portion of beef tripe and one portion of mushrooms.” 毛肚 is a named Chongqing hot pot ingredient; 一份 yí fèn is one portion, whose size the menu or staff must settle.

Before you add another plate for two people, ask 这份够两个人吃吗？ A staff member might answer 够。 Gòu. (“Yes, it’s enough”) or 不够。 Bú gòu. (“No, it isn’t.”) That answer helps you decide whether to order more. Let your companions choose with you; you share the pot, but nobody has to take every ingredient.

Ask how long to cook it

Point to one uncooked plate and ask 这个要煮多久？ Don’t memorise a universal number of seconds for tripe, meat or mushrooms: thickness and preparation change the answer. Chongqing’s market regulator advises diners to cook hot pot ingredients thoroughly, especially tripe and meat, and to let hot food cool before eating. Its food safety guidance also says to keep raw and cooked food separate and wait for broth to boil again after topping it up. Ask staff about the actual item and follow their cooking guidance.

For a serious allergy or strict food restriction, this phrase card can’t confirm a soup base or prevent contact between the two sides of a shared pot. Bring a carefully translated written note, check ingredients and preparation directly with staff, and choose another meal if they can’t confirm them.

A short exchange to practise

This is a practice conversation, not a transcript or a promise about a particular menu. The staff reply tells the diner to wait for the broth to boil and cook the food through; it doesn’t give a fixed cooking time.

• You: 请问，有鸳鸯锅吗？ Qǐngwèn, yǒu yuānyāngguō ma? — Do you have a split pot?
• Staff: 有，红汤和清汤。 Yǒu, hóngtāng hé qīngtāng. — Yes, red broth and clear broth.
• You: 红汤可以选微辣吗？ Hóngtāng kěyǐ xuǎn wēilà ma? — Can we choose the lower-chilli level for the red broth?
• Staff: 可以。您要点什么菜？ Kěyǐ. Nín yào diǎn shénme cài? — Yes. What dishes would you like?
• You: 我们要一份毛肚，一份蘑菇。这份毛肚够两个人吃吗？ Wǒmen yào yí fèn máodù, yí fèn mógu. Zhè fèn máodù gòu liǎng ge rén chī ma? — One portion of tripe and one of mushrooms. Is the tripe enough for two?
• Staff: 够。 Gòu. — Yes.
• You: 这个要煮多久？ Zhège yào zhǔ duōjiǔ? — How long should this cook?
• Staff: 等锅开了再下。煮熟了再吃。 Děng guō kāi le zài xià. Zhǔ shú le zài chī. — Wait for the pot to boil before adding it. Cook it through before eating.

If you miss a reply

Say 不好意思，可以说慢一点吗？ Bù hǎoyìsi, kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma? — “Sorry, could you speak a little more slowly?” Point to the broth or dish you mean. If cooking time is still unclear, ask staff to show you when it’s ready rather than guessing.

The tone marks in yuānyāngguō, wēilà and máodù help you practise; a Chinese-language lesson on a municipal government site confirms the split-pot and heat terms. This article has no inline audio because a suitable mainland Mandarin voice hasn’t been checked by ear against this exchange. A Chongqing Mandarin speaker review of the full script remains pending.

Chongqing residents also use local speech, and a restaurant reply may sound different from these standard Mandarin lines. Practise the broth choice and the cooking-time question first; keep the characters on your phone for the menu. For another mainland Mandarin food order using yí fèn and a slower-speech request, see our Beijing breakfast counter guide.

This card follows a chicken-rice order at Maxwell Food Centre. It gives you a short Singapore Mandarin exchange in simplified characters and tone-marked pinyin, then a way to switch when Mandarin doesn’t fit.

Six lines to keep on your phone

Use the Mandarin lines when the stallholder is speaking Mandarin with you. 请问 qǐngwèn is a polite way to start a question; 一份 yí fèn means one portion. The table uses short, ordinary requests rather than a formal restaurant script.

Choose the language at the counter

Singapore has four official languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English. Its government guide for people moving to Singapore describes English as the default language spoken there. Chinese Singaporeans also speak other Chinese languages; the 2026 National Day Rally speech discusses both Mandarin and those languages. None of this tells you what an individual hawker prefers.

Read the menu, wait for the stallholder’s opening, and reply in a language you share. If you’re unsure, start in English: “Hi, one chicken rice, please.” If they speak Mandarin with you, use the lines above. If the reply comes in English, Malay, Tamil, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese or another language you don’t know, point to the dish and use English if it works for both of you. Don’t treat a person’s appearance or the food they cook as a language test.

The local Mandarin name for a hawker centre is 熟食中心 shúshí zhōngxīn, as recorded by Singapore’s Mandarin Council. Knowing the term helps you read about the place; you don’t need to announce it when you’re standing at a stall.

Order one plate, then answer the next question

Singapore’s tourism board identifies chicken rice at Maxwell Food Centre, so it’s a concrete dish for this practice scene. Check the stall’s current menu before ordering; the exchange below is an example, not a transcript from a particular hawker.

打包 dǎbāo is especially worth recognising: the Singaporean Mandarin Database includes packing a newly ordered meal to eat elsewhere among its meanings. If you want to take the food away, answer 打包，谢谢。 Dǎbāo, xièxie. The database gives 外帶 as a Taiwan term; our Taipei night market guide uses that different setting.

If the hawker asks 要辣椒吗？ Yào làjiāo ma? — “Do you want chilli?” — answer 要，谢谢。 Yào, xièxie. for yes, or 不要，谢谢。 Bú yào, xièxie. for no. Point to the sauce if the question is unclear. For an allergy, don’t rely on this short exchange: show a carefully translated written note and confirm ingredients directly with the stall.

If the answer gets away from you

Say 不好意思，可以说慢一点吗？ Bù hǎoyìsi, kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma? and listen for one choice at a time. You can also point to the menu and ask 这个吗？ Zhège ma? — “This one?” If English is easier for both of you, switch to it. At a busy counter, a clear order and a quick check help more than stretching out a language lesson.

Practise the contrast between zài zhèlǐ chī and dǎbāo, then the slower-speech question. The pinyin marks tones, so say the syllables aloud while looking at the characters. This card has no inline audio because a Singapore Mandarin voice and its playback haven’t been checked by ear. A Singapore Mandarin speaker review of the full exchange is still pending.

These examples use standard mainland Mandarin in simplified characters, with tone-marked pinyin. They help you ask a station worker or a passerby a short question; read the live signs and your route map too.

Five lines to keep on your phone

Start with 请问 qǐngwèn (“excuse me” or “may I ask”) when you stop someone for directions. Point to the station name or address as you speak.

Match the line and the station

Shanghai Museum East’s current directions name Line 2, 上海科技馆站, and Exit 8. On a metro sign, 2号线 èr hào xiàn means Line 2; 站 zhàn means station. Check the train’s destination and station list before boarding: finding Line 2 alone doesn’t tell you which direction to ride.

If a platform or train label leaves you unsure, ask 这趟车到上海科技馆站吗？ Zhè tàng chē dào Shànghǎi Kējìguǎn Zhàn ma? A brief 到 dào means “it does”; 不到 bú dào means “it doesn’t.” Look again at the display if you hear the second answer.

Ask for the exit before going upstairs

At 上海科技馆站, look for 出口 chūkǒu (“exit”) and 8号口 bā hào kǒu (“Exit 8”). The museum lists Exit 8 for visitors arriving on Line 2. Confirm it with staff if a passage is closed or the signs have changed.

This practice exchange follows the museum’s published route. The staff reply is an example, not a live service announcement:

Show the written address outside

Save this address from the museum’s Chinese visitor page: 上海市浦东新区世纪大道1952号 — No. 1952 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 世纪大道 Shìjì Dàdào is the road name; 1952号 identifies the building number. Show the complete Chinese address rather than trying to say the number over street noise.

The museum currently directs individual visitors to its B1 East Gate near 丁香路 Dīngxiāng Lù (Dingxiang Road). The formal Century Avenue address and the entrance you need aren’t the same instruction. If you’re outside and unsure, show the museum name and ask 请问，上海博物馆东馆怎么走？ Qǐngwèn, Shànghǎi Bówùguǎn Dōngguǎn zěnme zǒu? — “Excuse me, how do I get to Shanghai Museum East?” The final 怎么走 zěnme zǒu asks how to reach the place you named.

If the reply comes too fast, use the slower-speech line in the first table. Then point at your saved map or the written address. Shanghai’s guide to Gaode Maps explains how its route view shows the station exit and the walk to a selected destination. Check the current route when you travel; an exit or passage may change.

What language this card covers

This is a standard Mandarin card, not a Shanghainese lesson. Shanghai’s city language overview describes local Wu speech and other varieties in daily life. Listen to the person helping you; don’t assume every reply will sound like the pinyin here.

The tone marks in èr hào xiàn and bā hào kǒu are pronunciation cues, not decoration. Keep the characters visible even if you practise the spoken line. There’s no inline audio here because an appropriate mainland Mandarin voice and its playback haven’t been checked by ear. For another short exchange in simplified characters, practise with our Beijing breakfast Mandarin guide.

The four lines to keep on your phone

• 你好。 Nǐ hǎo. — Hello.
• 我要两个包子，一杯豆浆。 Wǒ yào liǎng ge bāozi, yì bēi dòujiāng. — I’d like two steamed buns and a cup of soy milk.
• 带走。 Dàizǒu. — To take away.
• 一共多少钱？ Yígòng duōshao qián? — How much is it altogether?

These are standard mainland Mandarin examples, written in simplified characters. Beijing has many ways of speaking, and counter staff may use shorter wording. You can say the complete line even when the reply comes back fast.

Choose what you can see

Point to the buns as you say 包子 bāozi. The word names a steamed filled bun; it doesn’t tell you what’s inside. 豆浆 dòujiāng is soy milk. A 2025 Beijing Daily report carried by the city’s tourism site describes buns and soy milk at a Beijing breakfast counter. Stock and fillings still depend on the stall in front of you.

In 两个包子 liǎng ge bāozi, 两 liǎng is the form of “two” used before a counting word, and 个 ge does that counting job here. 一杯豆浆 yì bēi dòujiāng means one cup of soy milk. Keep the numbers clear; a finger gesture can back them up.

Answer the takeaway question

Staff may ask 在这里吃还是带走？ Zài zhèlǐ chī háishi dàizǒu? — “Eat here or take away?” Both the question and the short replies appear in Rosetta Stone’s Mandarin course material.

• 在这里吃。 Zài zhèlǐ chī. — Eat here.
• 带走。 Dàizǒu. — Take away.

If the stall only hands out food to go, you won’t hear that question. If it has seats, you may. Don’t wait for it before ordering; add 带走 to your order when you already know your answer.

Ask the total, then check how to pay

Ask 一共多少钱？ Yígòng duōshao qián? for the total. If you don’t know which payment method the counter takes, ask 怎么付款？ Zěnme fùkuǎn? — “How do I pay?” Pointing at the displayed amount can help you confirm what you heard.

Beijing’s visitor payment guidance says mobile payment is common and merchants must accept RMB cash. That doesn’t guarantee your foreign card or phone wallet will work at a particular stall. Check your payment setup before you join the queue.

A short exchange at the counter

• You: 你好，我要两个包子，一杯豆浆。 Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào liǎng ge bāozi, yì bēi dòujiāng. — Hello, I’d like two steamed buns and a cup of soy milk.
• Staff: 在这里吃还是带走？ Zài zhèlǐ chī háishi dàizǒu? — Eat here or take away?
• You: 带走。 Dàizǒu. — Take away.
• Staff: 一共十八块。 Yígòng shíbā kuài. — Eighteen yuan altogether.
• You: 怎么付款？ Zěnme fùkuǎn? — How do I pay?

The price in this practice exchange is an invented example, not a current price for a Beijing breakfast. You may hear 块 kuài for yuan in everyday speech. Read the amount shown at the counter before paying.

If you miss the reply

Say 不好意思，请说慢一点。 Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn. — “Sorry, please speak a little more slowly.” The slower-speech request also appears in New Zealand’s Chinese-language assessment guide. For a number, you can also show the screen and ask the staff member to point.

For pronunciation, keep the tone marks with each pinyin line when you practise. Bāo stays high and level; zi is light. Liǎng dips before the short ge. Listen to a mainland Mandarin speaker say your order before the trip, and ask them to check your tones.

Start with the order and the takeaway answer. Once those come easily, practise the staff question aloud and answer it without reading. For another food-counter exchange in traditional characters, see our Taipei night-market Mandarin guide; its setting and script differ from this Beijing example.

Ningxia Road Night Market is one place to try this sequence. Taipei’s tourism office lists its food stalls, but each stall sets up its own menu, queue, seating and payment. Look at the signs and follow the people already waiting.

Start with these four lines

Qǐngwèn is a polite way to open a question. Point to the item as you say zhège (“this”). Yí fèn means one portion; the spoken yí is the usual tone change before fèn. Pinyin marks the tones, but it can’t show every sound or the speed of a real exchange. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education ordering lesson has local examples you can listen to before you go.

Ask before you choose

Join the line that belongs to the stall, then check the menu or point to the food when it’s your turn. 請問這個是什麼？ asks what the item is. If its name doesn’t tell you enough, follow with 這個裡面有什麼？ The second question asks about what’s inside that particular dish, not the stall’s whole menu.

For an allergy or another strict food restriction, don’t rely on a quick spoken answer or a guess from the display. Show a clear written list of the ingredients you must avoid and ask the seller to confirm the dish and its preparation. If they can’t confirm it, choose something else.

Order one portion and answer the next question

Once you’ve chosen, point again and say 我要一份這個，謝謝。 The seller may ask 內用還是外帶？ Nèiyòng háishì wàidài? means “For here or to take away?” Answer 內用 nèiyòng if the stall has a place for you to eat, or 外帶 wàidài if you’re taking it away. Taiwan Mandarin teachers use those terms in a local ordering lesson. Another question you may hear is 這裡吃還是帶走？ Zhèlǐ chī háishì dàizǒu? It asks the same thing in different words.

Watch how this stall handles payment. Don’t assume that every vendor takes a card or that you pay at the same point in the exchange. To check the price, ask 多少錢？ Duōshǎo qián? (“How much?”). If you miss the answer, show the amount on your phone and ask the seller to point to or type the total.

A short exchange at the counter

This is a practice exchange, not a promise about any particular stall’s dish or ingredients.

• You: 請問這個是什麼？ Qǐngwèn zhège shì shénme? — Excuse me, what is this?
• Seller: 這是蔥油餅。 Zhè shì cōngyóubǐng. — This is a scallion pancake.
• You: 這個裡面有什麼？ Zhège lǐmiàn yǒu shénme? — What’s in it?
• Seller: 有蔥。 Yǒu cōng. — It has scallions.
• You: 我要一份這個，謝謝。 Wǒ yào yí fèn zhège, xièxie. — I’d like one portion of this, thanks.
• Seller: 內用還是外帶？ Nèiyòng háishì wàidài? — For here or to take away?
• You: 外帶，謝謝。 Wàidài, xièxie. — To take away, thanks.

If the seller answers too fast, say 不好意思，可以再說一次嗎？ Bù hǎoyìsi, kěyǐ zài shuō yí cì ma? Then point to the menu or ask them to show the answer in writing. A brief exchange works better when you can recognise the reply as well as say your opening line.

Before you join the line

Practise 請問這個是什麼？, 我要一份這個, and 外帶 aloud. Keep the characters on your phone so you can show them when the market is loud. Mandarin is one of Taiwan’s languages; a night market isn’t a lesson in how every person in Taipei speaks. Taiwan’s national languages plan recognises that wider language setting.