Reading · beginner
At a café
Ordering a drink and paying.
Clerk
你好！欢迎光临。 Nǐ hǎo! Huānyíng guānglín.Hello! Welcome.
You
你好。我想喝咖啡。 Nǐ hǎo. Wǒ xiǎng hē kāfēi.Hi. I’d like coffee.
Clerk
要热的还是冰的？ Yào rè de háishi bīng de?Hot or iced?
You
热的，谢谢。 Rè de, xièxie.Hot, thanks.
Clerk
好的。十五块。 Hǎo de. Shíwǔ kuài.Okay. Fifteen yuan.
You
好，买单。 Hǎo, mǎidān.Okay, I’ll pay.
Clerk
要大杯还是小杯？ Yào dà bēi háishi xiǎo bēi?Large or small cup?
You
小杯就好。 Xiǎo bēi jiù hǎo.A small cup is fine.
Clerk
好的，请稍等。 Hǎo de, qǐng shāo děng.Okay, please wait a moment.
You
谢谢！ Xièxie!Thanks!
Key vocab
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee |
| 热的 | rè de | hot (one) |
| 冰的 | bīng de | iced (one) |
| 杯 | bēi | cup (measure) |
| 买单 | mǎidān | pay the bill |
Notes
- 要…还是… offers an alternative choice—listen for both options.
- Measure words like 杯 appear constantly in drink orders.
- 买单 is a practical paying chunk; pair with number listening.