One Green Tea, Please
我要一杯绿茶
A four-panel comic about ordering tea in a café — the six phrases you need, with pinyin, English and audio.
Tom (汤姆, Tāngmǔ) walks into a small tea shop, where Xiao Li (小李, Xiǎo Lǐ) is working behind the counter. Read the comic first, then use the script below to check the meaning and listen to each line.
Script
| 小李 | 你好！欢迎光临！ Nǐ hǎo! Huānyíng guānglín! Hello! Welcome! |
| 汤姆 | 你好！ Nǐ hǎo! Hi! |
| 汤姆 | 我要一杯绿茶。 Wǒ yào yì bēi lǜchá. I’d like a cup of green tea. |
| 小李 | 热的还是冰的？ Rè de háishi bīng de? Hot or iced? |
| 汤姆 | 热的，谢谢。 Rè de, xièxie. Hot, thanks. |
| 小李 | 十五块。请慢用！ Shíwǔ kuài. Qǐng màn yòng! That’s fifteen yuan. Enjoy! |
| 汤姆 | 谢谢！ Xièxie! Thank you! |
Phrases to take away
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 欢迎光临 | huānyíng guānglín | Welcome! | What shop staff say when you walk in. You don’t need to reply with it. |
| 我要…… | wǒ yào… | I’d like… | The simplest way to order anything. |
| 一杯 | yì bēi | a cup of | 杯 is the measure word for drinks in cups and glasses. |
| ……还是……？ | … háishi …? | …or…? | Use 还是 for “or” in questions. |
| 块 | kuài | yuan (spoken) | Everyday word for 元, China’s currency unit. |
| 请慢用 | qǐng màn yòng | Enjoy (your food/drink)! | Literally “please use slowly”. |
Try a variation
Swap in other drinks: 红茶 hóngchá (black tea — literally “red tea”), 咖啡 kāfēi (coffee), 水 shuǐ (water). How would you say “I’d like a cup of iced coffee”? Post your answer in the discussion below.
Discussion
Questions, corrections and your own examples are welcome. Please keep it kind and on topic.
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