Checking a Restaurant Order Before It Is Served | Learn Chinese in English

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Use Checking a Restaurant Order Before It Is Served to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

上菜前我们可以确认一下点的菜吗？

shàng cài qián wǒmen kěyǐ quèrèn yíxià diǎn de cài ma Could we review our order before the food comes out?

您想确认什么？

nín xiǎng quèrèn shénme What would you like to confirm?

我点的是清淡口味的，不是辣的。

wǒ diǎn de shì qīngdàn kǒuwèi de bú shì là de I asked for the mild version, not the spicy one.

我去和厨房确认一下。

wǒ qù hé chúfáng quèrèn yíxià Let me check that with the kitchen.

配菜是我最担心的部分。

pèicài shì wǒ zuì dānxīn de bùfen The side dish is the part I am most worried about.

我可以加一条明确的备注，确保订单准备无误。

wǒ kěyǐ jiā yì tiáo míngquè de bèizhù quèbǎo dìngdān zhǔnbèi wúwù I can add a clear note so the order is prepared correctly.

这样就好。我们只是希望上来的菜和点的一样。

zhèyàng jiù hǎo wǒmen zhǐshì xīwàng shànglái de cài hé diǎn de yíyàng That helps. We just want the meal to match our order.

我明白。上菜前确认一下比较好。

wǒ míngbai shàng cài qián quèrèn yíxià bǐjiào hǎo I understand. It is better to check before the food arrives.

您能在上菜前确认一下订单吗？

nín néng zài shàng cài qián quèrèn yíxià dìngdān ma Could you confirm the order before the food is served?

我现在去确认一下，如果有需要改的地方再告诉您。

wǒ xiànzài qù quèrèn yíxià rúguǒ yǒu xūyào gǎi de dìfang zài gàosu nín Let me check now and tell you if anything needs changing.

Word by Word

上菜 “上菜” means to serve the dishes or bring the food to the table, as in “上菜前”. It is useful when discussing when restaurant food will be served, especially in the pattern “上菜前” for “before the food is served”.

前 In “上菜前”, “前” means before the action or time named immediately before it. It commonly follows an event or time expression to mark an earlier point, such as the time before serving food.

我们 “我们” refers to the group including the speaker, here the customers asking about their order. It is used as the subject in “我们可以确认一下点的菜吗？” when making a request for the group.

可以 In “我们可以确认一下点的菜吗？”, “可以” asks whether the group may or can do something. It is commonly placed before an action to ask for permission or express possibility.

确认 “确认” means to confirm or check that something is correct, here the dishes in the order. It can be followed by the thing being checked, as in “确认一下点的菜” or “确认订单”.

一下 In “确认一下”, “一下” presents the checking as brief or limited and makes the request sound less forceful. It commonly follows an action verb when asking someone to do that action in a light, polite way.

点 In “点的菜”, “点” means to order food, and the form describes the dishes that were ordered. In a restaurant, it is used before the food item or dish being ordered.

的 In “点的菜”, “的” connects “点” with “菜” and makes the phrase mean “the dishes that were ordered”. It commonly links a description or action before a noun to identify that noun.

菜 “菜” refers to a dish or the food ordered in the restaurant. In “点的菜”, it is the noun identified by the preceding description “点的”.

吗 The sentence-final “吗” turns “我们可以确认一下点的菜” into a yes-or-no question. It is used at the end when asking whether something is possible or acceptable.

您 “您” means “you” in a polite form, used here when a customer speaks respectfully to restaurant staff. It commonly appears as the subject in a courteous question such as “您想确认什么？”.

想 In “您想确认什么？”, “想” means want or would like and introduces the action the listener wishes to do. It can be followed directly by an action, such as “想确认”.

什么 “什么” asks what the listener wants to confirm in “您想确认什么？”. It appears in the position of the information being requested, after the action “确认” here.

我 “我” refers to the speaker, here the customer explaining the order. It is used as the subject in “我点的是清淡口味的” and “我去和厨房确认一下”.

清淡 “清淡” describes food with a mild or light flavor, here the requested version of the dish. It can describe a taste or food style, as in “清淡口味的”.

口味 “口味” means flavor or taste, and “清淡口味” identifies the requested mild flavor. It commonly follows a flavor description to specify the style of food being requested.

不 In “不是辣的”, “不” negates the following description and marks what the order is not. It commonly appears before “是” or another predicate to express a negative statement.

是 In “我点的是清淡口味的”, “是” helps identify what the speaker ordered, while “不是辣的” contrasts it with the spicy version. This form is useful when highlighting or correcting a specific item or choice.

辣 “辣” means spicy, here describing the version the customer did not order. In restaurant conversations, it can describe the flavor of a dish, as in “辣的”.

去 In “我去和厨房确认一下”, “去” means go and introduces the speaker’s action of going to check with the kitchen. It can come before another action to describe going somewhere or going to do something.

和 In “和厨房确认一下”, “和” means with and identifies the kitchen as the party the speaker will check with. It commonly appears before a person, group, or department involved in an action.

厨房 “厨房” means kitchen, here the restaurant department that can verify the order. It is used after “和” in “和厨房确认一下” to identify who will be contacted.

配菜 “配菜” means a side dish, here the part of the restaurant order that worries the customer most. It can be used as the topic or subject when discussing one component of a meal.

最 In “最担心”, “最” marks the highest degree, meaning “most”. It is placed before the feeling or description that is strongest among the relevant possibilities.

担心 “担心” means to worry about something, here the customer’s concern about the side dish. It can be followed by the person, thing, or aspect that causes the worry, as in “担心配菜”.

部分 In “配菜是我最担心的部分”, “部分” means part or aspect rather than a physical location. It identifies the side dish as the particular aspect causing the most concern.

加 In “加一条明确的备注”, “加” means add, here adding a note to the order. It commonly comes before the thing being added, such as a note or instruction.

条 In “一条明确的备注”, “条” is the measure word used for the note. It appears between the number “一” and the noun “备注” in this expression.

明确 “明确” means clear or specific, describing the note in “一条明确的备注”. It is placed before a noun when the speaker wants the instruction to be precise and easy to follow.

备注 “备注” means a note or special instruction, here a clear instruction added so the order is prepared correctly. It is useful for recording an additional request connected with an order.

确保 “确保” means ensure or make sure, introducing the desired result that the order is prepared without error. It commonly comes before an outcome or clause that should be guaranteed.

订单 “订单” means the order placed by the customer, here the restaurant order being checked and prepared. It can be the subject of a statement about whether the order is correct or ready.

准备 In “订单准备无误”, “准备” refers to preparing the order. It is used when discussing whether the requested food has been made or arranged according to the order.

无误 “无误” means without error or correctly, describing the result of the order being prepared. It is useful in formal or careful statements about accuracy, as in “准备无误”.

这样 In “这样就好”, “这样” means this way or with this arrangement, referring to the staff member’s proposed action. It lets the speaker point back to the situation just described.

就 In “这样就好”, “就” presents the result as acceptable or sufficient: this arrangement is enough. It commonly links a stated condition or arrangement with the result that it is fine.

好 In “这样就好”, “好” means fine or acceptable rather than simply describing quality. The expression is useful for reassuring someone that the proposed arrangement meets the speaker’s need.

只是 “只是” means just or only, limiting the request in “我们只是希望上来的菜和点的一样”. It helps present the speaker’s expectation as modest or specific.

希望 “希望” means hope or want, here introducing the result the customers want for the meal. It commonly comes before a clause describing the desired situation.

上来 In “上来的菜”, “上来” means come up to the table or be served, describing the dishes that arrive. It is useful when referring to food after it reaches the customer.

一样 In “上来的菜和点的一样”, “一样” means the same, comparing the served dishes with the ordered dishes. The dialogue shows the reusable comparison pattern “和……一样” for saying that two things match.

明白 “我明白” means “I understand”, showing that the staff member has understood the customer’s concern. It is commonly used as a short response after someone explains a request or problem.

比较 In “比较好”, “比较” means relatively or comparatively, making the statement less absolute and expressing that checking beforehand is the better choice. It commonly comes before an adjective or evaluation such as “好”.

能 In “您能在上菜前确认一下订单吗？”, “能” asks whether the listener is able or willing to do the action. It commonly appears before an action in a polite request, often ending with “吗”.

在 In “在上菜前”, “在” marks the time at which the following condition applies: before the food is served. It commonly introduces a time or place phrase before the main action.

现在 “现在” means now, specifying that the checking will happen at the present time in “我现在去确认一下”. It commonly appears before the action that is happening or will happen immediately.

如果 “如果” means if and introduces the condition “有需要改的地方”. It is used at the beginning of a conditional statement to describe what will happen when that condition occurs.

有 In “如果有需要改的地方”, “有” means there are or there is, introducing any aspect that needs changing. It commonly comes before a noun phrase when saying that something exists or is present.

需要 In “需要改的地方”, “需要” means need and describes an aspect requiring a change. It can come before an action to show that the action is necessary.

改 In “需要改的地方”, “改” means change or revise, referring to a correction to the order. It is used after “需要” to identify the action that may be necessary.

地方 In “需要改的地方”, “地方” means an aspect or matter that may need changing, not necessarily a physical place. This expression is useful when referring generally to any part of an order or arrangement that requires revision.

再 In “如果有需要改的地方再告诉您”, “再” means then or afterward, showing that the telling will happen after the checking and only if a change is needed. It commonly links a condition with a later action.

告诉 “告诉” means tell, here telling the customer if something in the order needs changing. It commonly takes the person being told after it, as in “告诉您”, followed by the information.

Grammar Points

上菜前 + 动作

上菜前确认订单。

shàng cài qián quèrèn dìngdān

Confirm the order before the food is served.

上菜前放在动作前，表示“before doing something”或“before something happens”。

动词 + 的 + 名词

确认您点的菜。

quèrèn nín diǎn de cài

Confirm the dishes you ordered.

的连接动词短语和名词，构成“the noun that someone did something to”的修饰结构。

Chinese Vocabulary

备注 noun

bèizhù note; special instruction

我可以加一条明确的备注。

部分 noun

bùfen part; aspect

配菜是我最担心的部分。

厨房 noun

chúfáng kitchen

我去和厨房确认一下。

担心 verb

dānxīn to worry; to be worried

配菜是我最担心的部分。

点的菜 phrase

diǎn de cài the dishes ordered

上菜前我们可以确认一下点的菜吗?

辣 adj

là spicy

我点的是清淡口味的,不是辣的。

明确 adj

míngquè clear; explicit

我可以加一条明确的备注。

配菜 noun

pèicài side dish

配菜是我最担心的部分。

清淡口味 phrase

qīngdàn kǒuwèi mild flavor

我点的是清淡口味的,不是辣的。

确保 verb

quèbǎo to ensure

确保订单准备无误。

确认 verb

quèrèn to confirm; to check

您想确认什么?

上菜前 phrase

shàng cài qián before the food is served

上菜前我们可以确认一下点的菜吗?

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

mild flavor

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清淡口味

to confirm; to check

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确认

to ensure

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确保

clear; explicit

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明确