Day 26: Ordering Coffee & Drinks — Learn Chinese in 30 Days
Learn how to order coffee, tea, and drinks in Chinese — from bubble tea to baijiu, with the vocabulary to customize your order like a local.
Today's Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 咖啡 | Coffee | |
| 奶茶 | Milk tea / Bubble tea | |
| 果汁 | Fruit juice | |
| 冰的 | Iced / Cold | |
| 热的 | Hot | |
| 加糖 | Add sugar | |
| 少糖 | Less sugar | |
| 无糖 | No sugar | |
| 大杯 | Large cup | |
| 外卖 | Takeaway / Delivery |
What You’ll Learn Today
China’s drink culture is rich — from ancient tea traditions to a booming bubble tea scene and trendy third-wave coffee shops. Today you’ll learn how to order exactly what you want, with the customization options that Chinese drink shops love to offer.
China’s Drink Landscape
Tea (茶 chá): China invented tea and takes it seriously. Common types:
- 绿茶 (lǜ chá) — green tea
- 红茶 (hóng chá) — black tea (literally “red tea”)
- 乌龙茶 (wū lóng chá) — oolong tea
- 普洱茶 (pǔ ěr chá) — pu-erh tea (fermented, earthy)
- 花茶 (huā chá) — flower tea (jasmine is popular)
Bubble tea (奶茶 nǎi chá): Massively popular, with chains like HEYTEA (喜茶) and Nayuki (奈雪). Expect lines and premium prices at trendy spots.
Coffee: A coffee boom is underway in China — Luckin Coffee (瑞幸) has more locations than Starbucks in China. Third-wave coffee culture is thriving in major cities.
Baijiu (白酒 bái jiǔ): China’s national spirit — a clear, potent grain liquor typically 40–60% alcohol. Fundamental to business dinners and celebrations.
Ordering Your Drink
At a bubble tea shop, you’ll be asked:
- 甜度？ (Tián dù?) — Sugar level?
- 冰量？ (Bīng liàng?) — Ice level?
- 大杯还是小杯？ (Dà bēi hái shì xiǎo bēi?) — Large or small?
Standard sugar options: 全糖 (quán táng, 100%) / 七分糖 (70%) / 半糖 (bàn táng, 50%) / 少糖 (shǎo táng) / 无糖 (wú táng, no sugar)
Sentence Patterns
Pattern 1: Basic order
我要一杯冰拿铁，少糖。— Wǒ yào yī bēi bīng ná tiě, shǎo táng. — I’d like an iced latte, less sugar.
Pattern 2: Asking about options
有什么口味？— Yǒu shén me kǒu wèi? — What flavors do you have?
Pattern 3: Customizing
可以不加冰吗？— Kě yǐ bù jiā bīng ma? — Can you make it without ice?
Pattern 4: Takeaway order
我要外带。— Wǒ yào wài dài. — I want it to go.
Cultural Note
Tea ceremony culture (茶道 chá dào) is a refined art form in China, especially in southern regions like Fujian and Guangdong (Gongfu tea). Hosting someone with a proper tea ceremony — heating the cups, warming the leaves, pouring precisely — is an expression of respect and hospitality.
When someone pours tea for you at a table, it’s polite to tap two fingers on the table (as if bowing with two fingers) — this gesture means “thank you” and has its origins in a Qing Dynasty story about a emperor traveling incognito.
Practice Exercise
Order your ideal drink:
- A hot green tea (no sugar needed — tea is naturally unsweetened).
- A large iced milk tea, 50% sugar, less ice.
- Ask what flavors are available.
- Say you want it to go.
Answers: 1) 我要一杯热绿茶。2) 我要大杯冰奶茶，半糖，少冰。3) 有什么口味？4) 我要外带。