Food delivery in Chinese 外卖
wàimài
Order takeaway in Chinese is 点外卖 (diǎn wài mài).
Also searched for as: takeaway in Chinese, takeout in Chinese, order delivery, Meituan, delivery app.
Hot food at your door, often within half an hour. 15 essential food delivery words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for food delivery in Chinese is 外卖 (wài mài), literally 'sold outside', and ordering it is 点外卖 (diǎn wài mài). In Chinese cities, apps such as 美团 (Měi tuán) and 饿了么 (È le me) bring almost any dish to your door, often surprisingly fast. These words help you place an order, add a note for the kitchen and chat with the 骑手 (qí shǒu), the delivery rider, when they call.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 外卖 | wài mài | takeaway; food delivery |
| 点外卖 | diǎn wài mài | to order takeaway |
| 美团 | Měi tuán | Meituan (delivery app) |
| 饿了么 | È le me | Ele.me (delivery app) |
| 骑手 | qí shǒu | delivery rider |
| 外卖小哥 | wài mài xiǎo gē | delivery guy |
| 备注 | bèi zhù | note (on an order); to add a note |
| 配送费 | pèi sòng fèi | delivery fee |
| 起送价 | qǐ sòng jià | minimum order for delivery |
| 满减 | mǎn jiǎn | spend-and-save discount |
| 送达 | sòng dá | to be delivered |
| 超时 | chāo shí | to run late (past the promised time) |
| 放门口 | fàng mén kǒu | leave it at the door |
| 差评 | chà píng | bad review |
| 餐具 | cān jù | cutlery; utensils |
Usage tips
- Use the 备注 (bèi zhù) box for requests like 不要香菜 (bù yào xiāng cài, no coriander), 少辣 (shǎo là, less spicy) or 不要餐具 (bù yào cān jù, no cutlery).
- 满减 (mǎn jiǎn) deals work as 'spend X, save Y', for example 满三十减五 (mǎn sān shí jiǎn wǔ), five yuan off when you spend thirty; 起送价 (qǐ sòng jià) is the minimum order.
- 外卖小哥 (wài mài xiǎo gē) is the friendly everyday word for a delivery rider; on the phone you can ask them to 放门口 (fàng mén kǒu), leave it at the door.
Common mistakes
- Saying 买外卖 (mǎi wài mài) → it's understood, but the natural verb is 点 (diǎn), 'to order': 点外卖 (diǎn wài mài) or 叫外卖 (jiào wài mài).
- Assuming 外卖 means food you collect yourself → in China it almost always means delivered food; to take restaurant food away, say 打包 (dǎ bāo) or 带走 (dài zǒu).
Mini dialogue
- A今天不想做饭，点外卖吧。Jīn tiān bù xiǎng zuò fàn, diǎn wài mài ba.I don't feel like cooking today, let's order takeaway.
- B好，吃什么？这家有满减。Hǎo, chī shén me? Zhè jiā yǒu mǎn jiǎn.OK, what shall we have? This place has a spend-and-save deal.
- A那就这家。记得在备注里写不要香菜。Nà jiù zhè jiā. Jì de zài bèi zhù lǐ xiě bù yào xiāng cài.Let's go with that one. Remember to put 'no coriander' in the notes.
- B写了。预计十二点半送达。Xiě le. Yù jì shí èr diǎn bàn sòng dá.Done. It's expected at half twelve.
- A太好了，到了让骑手放门口就行。Tài hǎo le, dào le ràng qí shǒu fàng mén kǒu jiù xíng.Great, when it arrives the rider can just leave it at the door.
Example sentences
- 今天不想做饭，叫外卖吧。I don't feel like cooking today, let's get a takeaway.
- 我们晚上点外卖吧。Let's order takeaway tonight.
- 我一般在美团上点外卖。I usually order takeaway on Meituan.
- 饿了么今天有优惠。Ele.me has a discount on today.
- 骑手已经到楼下了。The rider is already downstairs.
- 外卖小哥给我打电话了。The delivery guy just called me.
- 我在备注里写了不要香菜。I wrote "no coriander" in the notes.
- 配送费要五块钱。The delivery fee is five yuan.
- 这家店的起送价是二十块。This place has a twenty-yuan minimum order.
- 这家店现在有满减活动。This shop has a spend-and-save deal on.
- 预计十二点半送达。It's expected to arrive at half twelve.
- 我的外卖又超时了。My takeaway is late again.
- 麻烦放门口就行，谢谢。Just leave it at the door, thanks.
- 菜都凉了，我要给差评。The food's gone cold, I'm leaving a bad review.
- 我不需要餐具，谢谢。I don't need any cutlery, thanks.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Food delivery speaking island has 8 everyday questions about food delivery to prepare your own answers to.