Planning Lunch at a Restaurant | Learn Chinese in English

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Use Planning Lunch at a Restaurant to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

你想和我一起吃午饭吗？

Nǐ xiǎng hé wǒ yìqǐ chī wǔfàn ma? Would you like to have lunch together?

听起来不错。我们去哪儿？

Tīng qǐlái bú cuò. Wǒmen qù nǎr? That sounds nice. Where should we go?

也许去这附近的小餐馆。

Yěxǔ qù zhè fùjìn de xiǎo cānguǎn. Maybe the small restaurant near here.

如果那里不忙，我们就去那里吧。

Rúguǒ nàlǐ bù máng, wǒmen jiù qù nàlǐ ba. Let's go there if it isn't busy.

我们在前门旁边见面，好吗？

Wǒmen zài qiánmén pángbiān jiànmiàn, hǎo ma? Should we meet by the front door?

我会在你看得见我的地方等你。

Wǒ huì zài nǐ kàn de jiàn wǒ de dìfang děng nǐ. I'll wait where you can see me.

那我就去找你。

Nà wǒ jiù qù zhǎo nǐ. Then I'll come find you.

然后我们可以要一张桌子。

Ránhòu wǒmen kěyǐ yào yì zhāng zhuōzi. After that, we can ask for a table.

Word by Word

你 “你” refers to the person being invited in “你想和我一起吃午饭吗？”, meaning “you.” It commonly comes before the action someone is being asked about, as in “你想……” when asking about a person’s wishes.

想 “想” means “want to” or “would like to” in “你想和我一起吃午饭吗？”. It comes before another action, forming the reusable pattern “想+动词” for expressing a wish or intention.

和 “和” means “with” in “和我一起”, showing who will participate together. A common pattern is “和+person+一起+动词”, useful when suggesting a shared activity.

我 “我” refers to the speaker in “和我一起”, meaning “me” here. It can follow “和” when naming the person someone will do something with.

一起 “一起” means “together” in “和我一起吃午饭”, emphasizing that the speakers will do the activity jointly. It commonly comes before the action, as in “一起+动词”.

吃 “吃” means “eat” in “吃午饭”. It comes before the meal or food being eaten, and “吃午饭” is used when talking about having lunch.

午饭 “午饭” means “lunch” in “吃午饭”. It follows “吃” to name the meal, and the same type of pattern can be used with a meal after “吃”.

吗 “吗” is placed at the end of “你想和我一起吃午饭吗？” to make it a yes-or-no question. It is useful when checking whether someone agrees with or wants the action in the preceding clause.

听起来 “听起来” means “sounds” in “听起来不错”, describing how something seems based on what is heard. In this construction, “听” contributes hearing or listening, while “起来” helps express the resulting impression; “听起来+评价” is a reusable pattern.

不错 “不错” means “nice” or “not bad” in the response “听起来不错”. It gives a positive evaluation, and it can follow “听起来” when reacting favorably to a suggestion.

我们 “我们” means “we” or “us” in “我们去哪儿？”, referring to both speakers together. It commonly comes before the action or question, such as “我们+动词” when making a shared plan.

去 “去” means “go” in “我们去哪儿？”. It is followed by a destination or location, and the pattern “去+地点” is useful for talking about going somewhere.

哪儿 “哪儿” means “where” in “我们去哪儿？”, asking for the destination. It follows “去” when asking where someone will go.

也许 “也许” means “maybe” in “也许去这附近的小餐馆”, making the restaurant suggestion less definite. It commonly comes before the possibility or suggestion it introduces.

这 “这” means “this” in “这附近”, referring to the area around the speakers. It can come before a location expression to point to the nearby area currently being discussed.

附近 “附近” means “nearby” or “the vicinity” in “这附近”. It identifies an area close to a reference point, and “地点+附近” is a common way to describe an area near a place.

的 “的” links the location phrase “这附近” to the noun phrase “小餐馆” in “这附近的小餐馆”, meaning the small restaurant near here. The reusable pattern is “修饰语+的+名词” when one expression describes a noun.

小 “小” means “small” in “小餐馆”, describing the size of the restaurant. It comes before the noun it describes, as in “小+名词”.

餐馆 “餐馆” means “restaurant” in “小餐馆”. It is the place the speakers are considering for lunch and can follow a describing word such as “小”.

如果 “如果” means “if” in “如果那里不忙”, introducing the condition for going to the restaurant. It commonly starts the pattern “如果+condition，就+result”.

那里 “那里” means “there” or “that place” in “如果那里不忙” and “去那里”, referring to the restaurant under discussion. It can name the destination after “去”, as in “去那里”.

不 “不” makes “忙” negative in “那里不忙”, meaning that the place is not busy. It comes before the word or action being negated, as in “不+描述”.

忙 “忙” means “busy” in “那里不忙”, describing the restaurant’s condition. It can be preceded by “不” to say that a place or person is not busy.

就 “就” means “then” or “in that case” in “如果那里不忙，我们就去那里吧”, connecting the condition with the planned result. The pattern “如果……，就……” is used to express what will happen when a condition is met.

吧 “吧” is placed at the end of “我们就去那里吧” to make the statement a suggestion. It is useful when proposing an action and leaving room for the other person’s agreement.

在 “在” marks the location in “在前门旁边见面”, meaning that the meeting will take place beside the front door. A common pattern is “在+地点+动词” when saying where an action happens.

前门 “前门” means “front door” in “前门旁边”. It identifies the meeting landmark and can be followed by a location word such as “旁边” to specify a nearby position.

旁边 “旁边” means “beside” or “next to” in “前门旁边”. It follows the reference place in the pattern “地点+旁边” to identify the position next to it.

见面 “见面” means “meet” in “我们在前门旁边见面”, referring to the speakers meeting each other. It can follow a location phrase when arranging where people will meet.

好 “好” means “okay” or “good” in “好吗？”, where it checks whether the proposed meeting arrangement is acceptable. The pattern “……，好吗？” is commonly used to suggest something and ask for agreement.

会 “会” means “will” or “be going to” in “我会在你看得见我的地方等你”, presenting the speaker’s planned action. It commonly comes before a verb in the pattern “会+动词”.

看得见 “看得见” means “be able to see” in “你看得见我”, describing whether the other person can see the speaker. In this construction, “看” contributes seeing, “得” marks that the action is possible, and “见” completes the idea of seeing; “看得见+object” is a reusable pattern.

地方 “地方” means “place” in “你看得见我的地方”, referring to the place where the speaker will wait. It can follow a description to form a phrase meaning the place that has that characteristic or condition.

等 “等” means “wait for” in “等你”, with “你” naming the person being waited for. The common pattern is “等+person” when saying whom someone will wait for.

那 “那” means “then” or “in that case” in “那我就去找你”, marking the speaker’s response to the agreed arrangement. It commonly comes at the beginning of a new clause before the resulting action.

找 “找” means “look for” or “find” in “去找你”, referring to going to locate the other person. It commonly takes the person or thing being sought after it, as in “找+person/thing”.

然后 “然后” means “then” or “after that” in “然后我们可以要一张桌子”, introducing the next step in the plan. It is useful at the start of a clause when describing actions in sequence.

可以 “可以” means “can” or “may” in “我们可以要一张桌子”, presenting asking for a table as an available option. It commonly comes before the action in the pattern “可以+动词”.

要 “要” means “ask for” in the restaurant context “要一张桌子”, where the speakers plan to request a table. It can come before the requested item in the pattern “要+thing” when making a request.

一 “一” means “one” in “一张桌子”, giving the number of tables requested. It comes before the classifier and noun in the pattern “一+classifier+名词”.

张 “张” is the classifier used in “一张桌子” for counting the table. It appears between the number and the noun, in the pattern “number+张+object”.

桌子 “桌子” means “table” in “一张桌子”, the item the speakers plan to request at the restaurant. It follows the classifier “张” when expressing one table.

Grammar Points

想 + 动词短语

想吃午饭

xiǎng chī wǔfàn

want to have lunch

想放在动词或动词短语前，表示“想要做某事”；中文里主语可以根据语境省略。

如果……，……

如果那里忙，找附近的小餐馆

rúguǒ nàlǐ máng, zhǎo fùjìn de xiǎo cānguǎn

If it is busy there, look for a small restaurant nearby.

如果引出条件，后面接可能发生的结果；条件句中可以省略主语。

Chinese Vocabulary

不错 adj

bú cuò not bad; nice

吃午饭 phrase

chī wǔfàn have lunch

附近 noun

fùjìn nearby; vicinity

和 prep

hé with

去哪儿 phrase

qù nǎr where to go

如果 conj

rúguǒ if

听起来 verb

tīng qǐlái sound; sound like

午饭 noun

wǔfàn lunch

想 verb

xiǎng want; would like to

小餐馆 noun

xiǎo cānguǎn small restaurant

也许 adv

yěxǔ maybe; perhaps

一起 adv

yìqǐ together

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

have lunch

Show Answer

吃午饭

sound; sound like

Show Answer

听起来

nearby; vicinity

Show Answer

附近

where to go

Show Answer

去哪儿