Ordering a lunch set with preferences | Learn Chinese in English

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Use Ordering a lunch set with preferences to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

我想给我们点一份午餐套餐。

Wǒ xiǎng gěi wǒmen diǎn yí fèn wǔcān tàocān. I want to order a lunch set for us.

你想要鸡肉还是鱼肉？

Nǐ xiǎng yào jīròu háishi yúròu? Would you prefer chicken or fish?

今天我觉得鱼肉更好。

Jīntiān wǒ juéde yúròu gèng hǎo. Fish sounds better to me today.

它配米饭和一份小菜。

Tā pèi mǐfàn hé yí fèn xiǎocài. It comes with rice and one small side.

哪个小菜看起来最好？

Nǎge xiǎocài kàn qǐlái zuì hǎo? Which side looks best?

蔬菜看起来新鲜又简单。

Shūcài kàn qǐlái xīnxiān yòu jiǎndān. The vegetables look fresh and simple.

我们选蔬菜吧。

Wǒmen xuǎn shūcài ba. Let's choose the vegetables.

我现在可以下单。

Wǒ xiànzài kěyǐ xiàdān. I can place the order now.

Word by Word

我 “我” refers to the speaker and means “I” or “me”; here it is the person who wants to order. It appears before “想” in “我想给我们点一份午餐套餐”. Use it when stating your own action, intention, or opinion.

想 “想” expresses wanting or intending to do something; here the speaker wants to order. It comes before the intended action in “我想给我们点一份午餐套餐”. Use it when talking about something you want to do or have.

给 “给” marks the people who will benefit from the order in “给我们点一份午餐套餐”, meaning “for us”. It comes before the recipient or beneficiary and then the action. Use it when saying that an action is done for someone.

我们 “我们” means “we” or “us” and refers here to the speaker and the other adult. In “给我们点一份午餐套餐”, it is the group the meal is for. Use it to refer to yourself together with one or more other people.

点 “点” means to order food here, as in “点一份午餐套餐”. It is followed by the ordered meal and its quantity. Use it when ordering dishes, drinks, or meals in a restaurant or through a food-ordering service.

份 “份” is the measure word for one portion or serving in “一份午餐套餐”. It shows that the lunch set is being counted as a serving. Use it after a number when ordering portions of meals or similar items.

午餐 “午餐” means the midday meal and describes the type of meal in “午餐套餐”. It comes before “套餐” to specify that the set meal is for lunch. Use it when discussing or ordering a meal eaten around midday.

套餐 “套餐” means a set meal or bundled meal ordered as one combination. In “一份午餐套餐”, it is the meal being ordered, rather than one separate dish. Use it when choosing a fixed combination of a main item and accompanying items.

你 “你” refers to the person being addressed and means “you”; here it refers to the other adult. It is the subject of the question “你想要鸡肉还是鱼肉”. Use it when asking one person about their preference or action.

要 “要” means “want” or “would like” in “你想要鸡肉还是鱼肉”, asking which food the listener wants. It comes before the food options. Use it when asking or stating what someone wants to order, have, or choose.

鸡肉 “鸡肉” means chicken as food and is one of the main options in “你想要鸡肉还是鱼肉”. It follows “要” as the first choice in the question. Use it when choosing or discussing chicken as a dish or meal ingredient.

还是 “还是” means “or” when asking someone to choose between alternatives, as in “鸡肉还是鱼肉”. It connects the two choices in this question. Use it when presenting options and asking which one the listener prefers.

鱼肉 “鱼肉” means fish as food and is the second option in “你想要鸡肉还是鱼肉”. It follows “还是” as the alternative to chicken. Use it when choosing or discussing fish as a dish or meal ingredient.

今天 “今天” means “today” and sets the time for the speaker’s preference in “今天我觉得鱼肉更好”. It appears before the speaker’s opinion. Use it when relating a choice, action, or feeling to the current day.

觉得 “觉得” introduces the speaker’s personal judgement or feeling in “我觉得鱼肉更好”. It comes after “我” and before the opinion being expressed. Use it when giving your view about a food, choice, or situation.

更 “更” marks a comparison and means “more” or “better” in “鱼肉更好”. It shows that fish is preferred over the other option in the conversation. Use it before a description when comparing one choice with another.

好 “好” means “good”, and in “更好” it means “better” because it follows “更”. Here it describes the speaker’s preference for fish compared with chicken. Use it when evaluating the quality or suitability of a choice.

它 “它” means “it” and refers here to the lunch set already being discussed. In “它配米饭和一份小菜”, it is the item that comes with the listed food. Use it after introducing a non-human thing when referring to that thing again.

配 “配” says that one food item comes with or is served together with another in “配米饭和一份小菜”. It introduces the rice and side dish accompanying the set. Use it when describing what food or drink is included with another item.

米饭 “米饭” means cooked rice and is one of the items included with the lunch set in “米饭和一份小菜”. It is joined to the side dish by “和”. Use it when discussing rice as part of a meal or as an accompanying food.

和 “和” means “and” and joins “米饭” with “一份小菜” in the list of included foods. It connects nouns or noun phrases in this sentence. Use it when listing two or more people, things, or food items together.

小菜 “小菜” means a side dish served with the main food. In “一份小菜”, it is one of the items included with the lunch set, and in “哪个小菜” it is the type of food being chosen. Use it when discussing an accompanying dish rather than the main dish.

哪个 “哪个” means “which one” and asks the listener to identify one choice from known options. In “哪个小菜看起来最好”, it comes before the noun “小菜”. Use it when asking someone to select one item from several choices.

看起来 “看起来” means “look” or “seem” based on appearance, as in “小菜看起来最好”. “看” contributes the idea of seeing, while “起来” helps express the resulting impression, so together they describe how something appears. Use it before a description when judging something from what you see.

最 “最” means “most” and forms the strongest comparison in “看起来最好”, meaning “looks best”. It comes before “好” to compare the side dishes. Use it before a description when identifying the top choice in a group.

蔬菜 “蔬菜” means vegetables and is the side dish chosen in “我们选蔬菜吧”. It is also the food described in “蔬菜看起来新鲜又简单”. Use it when discussing vegetables as a meal item or choice.

新鲜 “新鲜” means “fresh” and describes the vegetables in “蔬菜看起来新鲜又简单”. It follows “看起来” because the freshness is presented as an appearance-based impression. Use it when describing food that appears recently prepared or fresh.

又 “又” connects two descriptions in “新鲜又简单”, meaning that the vegetables are both fresh and simple. It links the first description to the second one. Use it between two coordinated descriptions when saying that something has both qualities.

简单 “简单” means “simple” and is the second description of the vegetables in “新鲜又简单”. Together with “新鲜”, it gives two positive reasons for choosing them. Use it when describing something as uncomplicated or plain in appearance or style.

选 “选” means “choose” and describes the action in “我们选蔬菜吧”. It comes before the chosen item, “蔬菜”. Use it when making a selection among food, products, or other available options.

吧 “吧” softens a suggestion at the end of “我们选蔬菜吧”, making it similar to “let’s choose the vegetables”. It shows that the speaker is proposing an action rather than giving a forceful command. Use it after a suggested action when inviting agreement.

现在 “现在” means “now” and specifies that the order can be placed at the present time in “我现在可以下单”. It comes before “可以” and the action. Use it when emphasizing that something can happen immediately or at this moment.

可以 “可以” means “can” or “be able to” in “我现在可以下单”, indicating that placing the order is possible now. It comes before the action “下单”. Use it when saying that an action is possible or that someone is able to do it.

下单 “下单” means “place an order” and names the final ordering action in “我现在可以下单”. “下” contributes the idea of submitting or making the order, while “单” refers to the order itself; together they form the expression for placing an order. Use it when ordering food or other goods, especially through a service or system.

Grammar Points

给 + 人 + 动作

给我们点一份午餐套餐。

Gěi wǒmen diǎn yí fèn wǔcān tàocān.

Order one lunch set for us.

给放在对象前，表示动作是“为某人”做的；这里给我们表示“为我们”。

A 还是 B？

鸡肉还是鱼肉？

Jīròu háishi yúròu?

Chicken or fish?

还是连接两个选择项，常用于选择疑问句，意思是“还是……？”

Chinese Vocabulary

点 verb

diǎn to order

给 prep

gěi for; to

更好 adj

gèng hǎo better

还是 conj

háishi or

鸡肉 noun

jīròu chicken

今天 adv

jīntiān today

觉得 verb

juéde to feel; to think

配 verb

pèi to come with; to pair with

我们 pron

wǒmen us; we

午餐套餐 noun

wǔcān tàocān lunch set

一份 phrase

yí fèn one portion; one serving

鱼肉 noun

yúròu fish

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

lunch set

Show Answer

午餐套餐

us; we

Show Answer

我们

today

Show Answer

今天

better

Show Answer

更好