Food is an important part of your life; whether you like it or not, you spend a lot of time thinking about and talking about food. After all, where would we be without it? When learning a language, there’s tons of vocabulary to learn in relation to food. As such, I’m going to help you a bit in your Chinese studies by sharing a short article about my diet. Test your reading skills by trying to get through the post in all Chinese, and then learn new words and check the meaning by reading it broken down with pinyin and English translations:

Chinese Version

早餐：

工作日的时候，我没有时间在家里吃早餐。我常常吃点儿水果，喝一杯果汁。
休息的时候，我喜欢在家里做早餐。我会做美式早餐 －鸡蛋，培根，土豆，面包什么的。我也喜欢做冰沙。冰沙是水果，果汁，和酸奶在一起混合而成的。吃完后，我喜欢喝一杯咖啡。我们有咖啡机，可以自己做咖啡。

 

午餐：

工作日 －我也没有时间吃正式的午餐。有时候我只带一个三明治，还有一包薯片。还有时候我会买一个煎饼或者吃顿中式快餐。

 

休息日 － 有时候我在家里做午餐。我喜欢做三明治，拌沙拉，煲汤。有时候我会跟朋友一起下饭馆。 在我家附近还有很多饭馆。什么东西都能吃到，比如：面条，饺子，麻辣烫，宫爆鸡丁，驴肉火烧等。

 

晚餐：

工作日 － 有时候我会带饭。我喜欢做意大利面，印度咖喱，还有墨西哥菜。因为我在一家商场上班，我平时可以去楼下吃饭。那儿有超市，快餐店，还有很多饭馆。其中，我最喜欢去一家韩国饭店吃石锅拌饭和辣白菜。

 

休息日 － 我已经跟你说了我喜欢做的菜。我们常常去一家西餐厅。每周二，他们有半价牛排，也有半价鸡尾酒。我们还爱去一家披萨店。他们那有非常大的披萨。每周二还有免费的啤酒－真是太棒了！

 

With Pinyin and English

早餐：工作日的时候，我没有时间在家里吃早餐。我常常吃点儿水果，喝一杯果汁。

zǎo cān: gōng zuò rì de shí hou, wǒ méi yǒu shí jiān zài jiā lǐ chī zǎo cān. wǒ cháng cháng chī diǎn er shuǐ guǒ, hè yì bēi guǒ zhī.

Breakfast: On working days, I don’t have time to eat breakfast at home. I usually eat a little fruit and drink a glass of juice.

 

休息的时候，我喜欢在家里做早餐。我会做美式早餐 －鸡蛋，培根，土豆，面包什么的

xiū xí de shí hou, wǒ xǐ huan zài jiā lǐ zuò zǎo cān. wǒ huì zuò měi shì zǎo cān – jī dàn, péi gēn, tǔ dòu, miàn bāo shén me de.

On days off, I like to cook breakfast at home. I can cook an American style breakfast – eggs, bacon, potatoes, bread, and so on.

 

我也喜欢做冰沙。冰沙是水果，果汁，和酸奶在一起混合而成的。

wǒ yě xǐ huan zuò bīng shā. bīng shā shì shuǐ guǒ, guǒ zhī, hé suān nǎi zài yì qǐ hùn hé ér chéng de.

I also like to make smoothies. A smoothie is fruit, juice, and yogurt mixed together.

 

吃完后，我喜欢喝一杯咖啡。我们有咖啡机，可以自己做咖啡。

chī wán hòu, wǒ xǐ huan hè yì bēi kā fēi. wǒ men yǒu kā fēi jī, kě yǐ zì jǐ zuò kā fēi.

After eating, I like to drink a cup of coffee. We have a coffee machine, so we can make it ourselves.

 

午餐：工作日 －我也没有时间吃正式的午餐

wǔ cān: gōng zuò rì – wǒ yě méi yǒu shí jiān chī zhèng shì de wǔ cān.

Lunch: Working Days – I also don’t have time to eat a proper lunch.

 

有时候我只带一个三明治，还有一包薯片。

yǒu shí hou wǒ zhǐ dài yī gè sān míng zhì, hái yǒu yì bāo shǔ piàn.

Sometimes I only bring a sandwich and a bag of chips.

 

还有时候我会买一个煎饼或者吃顿中式快餐。

hái yǒu shí hou wǒ huì mǎi yí gè jiān bing huò zhě chī dùn zhōng shì kuài cān.

And sometimes I buy a jianbing (egg pancake) or Chinese style fast food.

 

休息日 － 有时候我在家里做午餐。我喜欢做三明治，拌沙拉，煲汤。

xiū xí rì – yǒu shí hou wǒ zài jiā lǐ zuò wǔ cān. wǒ xǐ huan zuò sān míng zhì, bàn shā lā, bāo tāng.

Days Off – Sometimes I cook lunch at home. I like to make sandwiches, salad, or soup.

 

有时候我会跟朋友一起下饭馆。

yǒu shí hou wǒ huì gēn péng yǒu yì qǐ xià fàn guǎn.

Sometimes I’ll go with friends to a restaurant.

 

在我家附近还有很多饭馆。什么东西都能吃到，比如：面条，饺子，麻辣烫，宫爆鸡丁，驴肉火烧等。

zài wǒ jiā fù jìn hái yǒu hěn duō fàn guǎn. shén me dōng xī dou néng chī dào, bǐ rú: miàn tiáo, jiǎo zi, má là tàng, gōng bào jī dīng, lǘ ròu huǒ shāo děng.

Near my home there are many restaurants. You can eat anything, for example: noodles, dumplings, hot & spicy soup, Kung Pao chicken, and donkey sandwiches.

 

晚餐：工作日 － 有时候我会带饭。我喜欢做意大利面，印度咖喱，还有墨西哥菜。

wǎn cān: gōng zuò rì – yǒu shí hou wǒ huì dài fàn. wǒ xǐ huan zuò yì dà lì miàn, yìn dù gā lí, hái yǒu mò xī gē cài.

Dinner: Working Days – Sometimes I bring food. I like to cook pasta, Indian curry, or Mexican food.

 

因为我在一家商场上班，我平时可以去楼下吃饭。

yīn wèi wǒ zài yì jiā shāng chǎng shàng bān, wǒ píng shí kě yǐ qù lóu xià chī fàn.

Since I work in a shopping mall, I can usually go downstairs for dinner.

 

那儿有超市，快餐店，还有很多饭馆。

nà’er yǒu chāo shì, kuài cān diàn, hái yǒu hěn duō fàn guǎn.

There’s a supermarket, fast food, and many restaurants.

 

其中，我最喜欢去一家韩国饭店吃石锅拌饭和辣白菜。

qí zhōng, wǒ zuì xǐ huan qù yì jiā hán guó fàn diàn chī shí guō bàn fàn hé là bái cài.

Among these restaurants, my favorite is a Korean restaurant, where I eat bibimbap and kimchi.

 

休息日 － 我已经跟你说了我喜欢做的菜。

xiū xí rì- wǒ yǐ jīng gēn nǐ shuō le wǒ xǐ huan zuò de cài.

Days Off – I’ve already told you what I like to cook.

 

我们常常去一家西餐厅。

wǒ men cháng cháng qù yì jiā xī cān tīng.

We often go to a Western restaurant.

 

每周二，他们有半价牛排，也有半价鸡尾酒。

měi zhōu’èr, tā men yǒu bàn jià niú pái, yě yǒu bàn jià jī wěi jiǔ.

Every Tuesday, they have half price steaks, and they also have half price cocktails.

 

我们还爱去一家披萨店。

wǒ men hái ài qù yì jiā pī sà diàn.

We also love going to a pizza restaurant.

 

他们那有非常大的披萨。每周二还有免费的啤酒－真是太棒了！

tā men nà yǒu fēi cháng dà de pī sà. měi zhōu’èr hái yǒu miǎn fèi de pí jiǔ – zhēn shi tài bàng le!

They have a huge pizza. Every Tuesday, they also have free beer – really great!

 

Practice

Now that you’ve read about my diet and learned some new words, try talking about yours! Feel free to leave a comment here to discuss!

• Do you have time to eat breakfast at home? (你有时间在家里吃早餐吗？- nǐ yǒu shí jiān zài jiā lǐ chī zǎo cān ma)
• Lunch – what do you usually eat? (午餐 – 你常常吃什么? – wǔ cān – nǐ cháng cháng chī shén me)
• Do you like to cook? What can you cook? (你喜欢做饭吗？你会做什么饭？- nǐ xǐ huan zuò fàn ma? nǐ huì zuò shén me fàn)