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Mythic Mandarin

At the restaurant

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

HSK 1 About 3 minutes

在饭店

Zài fàndiàn

At the restaurant

Story

  1. ，。

    zhōngwǔ, Dàwèi qù fàndiàn.

    At noon David goes to a restaurant.

    Words in this sentence
    中午 zhōngwǔ
    noon Dictionary
    大卫 Dàwèi
    David (name) Dictionary
    去 qù
    to go Dictionary
    饭店 fàndiàn
    restaurant Dictionary

  2. ：“？”

    fúwùyuán shuō:“ nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?”

    The waiter says, "What would you like to eat?"

    Words in this sentence
    服务员 fúwùyuán
    waiter, waitress Dictionary
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    你 nǐ
    you Dictionary
    想 xiǎng
    to want to, would like to; to think Dictionary
    吃 chī
    to eat Dictionary
    什么 shénme
    what Dictionary

  3. ：“。”

    Dàwèi shuō:“ wǒ xiǎng chī mǐfàn.”

    David says, "I'd like rice."

    Words in this sentence
    大卫 Dàwèi
    David (name) Dictionary
    说 shuō
    to say, to speak Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    想 xiǎng
    to want to, would like to; to think Dictionary
    吃 chī
    to eat Dictionary
    米饭 mǐfàn
    (cooked) rice Dictionary

  4. “。”

    “ jīntiān méiyǒu mǐfàn.”

    "There's no rice today."

    Words in this sentence
    今天 jīntiān
    today Dictionary
    没有 méiyǒu
    there is not; does not have Dictionary
    米饭 mǐfàn
    (cooked) rice Dictionary

  5. “，。”

    “ hǎo, wǒ chī miàntiáo.”

    "OK, I'll have noodles."

    Words in this sentence
    好 hǎo
    good; OK Dictionary
    我 wǒ
    I, me Dictionary
    吃 chī
    to eat Dictionary
    面条 miàntiáo
    noodles Dictionary

  6. ，！

    miàntiáo hěn hǎochī, Dàwèi míngtiān yě lái!

    The noodles are delicious; David will come again tomorrow!

    Words in this sentence
    面条 miàntiáo
    noodles Dictionary
    很 hěn
    very Dictionary
    好吃 hǎochī
    tasty (food) Dictionary
    大卫 Dàwèi
    David (name) Dictionary
    明天 míngtiān
    tomorrow Dictionary
    也 yě
    also, too Dictionary
    来 lái
    to come Dictionary

Grammar focus

  • 想 "would like to": 想 + verb
  • 什么 "what" in a question

Vocabulary

Questions

1大卫想吃什么？Dàwèi xiǎng chī shénme?What would David like to eat?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. Sentence 3: 我想吃米饭, "I'd like rice."

  • B: He eats noodles in the end (sentence 5), but he wanted rice first.
  • C: Apples are not in the story.
2饭店今天有米饭。Fàndiàn jīntiān yǒu mǐfàn.The restaurant has rice today.
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. False. Sentence 4: 今天没有米饭, "There's no rice today."

  • A: The waiter says 今天没有米饭 in sentence 4: there is no rice today.
3大卫吃什么？Dàwèi chī shénme?What does David eat?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: B. Sentence 5: 好，我吃面条, "OK, I'll have noodles." There is no rice, so he changes.

  • A: He wanted rice, but sentence 4 says there is none today.
  • C: Eggs are not in the story.
4“好吃”是什么意思？"Hǎochī" shì shénme yìsi?What does 好吃 mean?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: A. 好吃 is 好 (good) + 吃 (to eat): good to eat. 面条很好吃: the noodles are delicious.

  • B: "Expensive" is 贵; 好吃 is about the taste.
  • C: There is no rice (sentence 4), but there are noodles, and they are 好吃.
5你＿＿吃什么？Nǐ __ chī shénme?What would you ___ to eat?
Show the answer and explanations

Answer: C. Sentence 2: 你想吃什么？ 想 before a verb says what you would like to do.

  • A: 是 does not go before 吃; 想吃 is "would like to eat".
  • B: 很 goes before an adjective (很好吃), not before 吃.

Speaking task

在饭店，你想吃什么？

Zài fàndiàn, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?

At a restaurant, what would you like to eat?

Tips

  • 我想吃…… for food, 我想喝…… for a drink.
  • If there is none, say 好，我吃…… and choose something else.
Try it yourself first, then show the model answer

我想吃面条。我也想喝茶。

Wǒ xiǎng chī miàntiáo. Wǒ yě xiǎng hē chá.

I'd like noodles. I'd also like some tea.

About the HSK 1 level