Food & Drinks
Order dim sum and drinks like a local
Eating out is one of the fastest ways to start using Cantonese, and this unit gives you everything you need at the table. You will pick up the most popular dim sum dishes, the words for tea and other drinks, and the phrases that get your order in and the bill out.
By the end you can walk into a restaurant, ask for what you want, say a dish is delicious, and settle up with confidence. It is practical, everyday language that pays off the moment you sit down to eat.
- 1
DrinksLearn common drink vocabulary - 2
Dim Sum BasicsLearn the most popular dim sum dishes - 3
More Dim SumExpand your dim sum vocabulary - 4
OrderingLearn phrases to order food - 5
At the RestaurantComplete phrases for dining out 
How a sentence is builtGrammar- Asking for what you wantGrammar
Test your knowledgeQuiz
Frequently asked questions
How do you order dim sum in Cantonese?
Start with the dish you want and add 唔該 (m4 goi1) to be polite, for example asking for 蝦餃 (haa1 gaau2) or 燒賣 (siu1 maai6). You can also lead with 我想要 (ngo5 soeng2 jiu3), meaning “I would like,” before naming the dish.
How do you ask for the bill in Cantonese?
Catch the waiter's attention with 唔該 (m4 goi1) and say 埋單 (maai4 daan1), which means “the bill, please.” To check the total you can ask 幾多錢 (gei2 do1 cin2), “how much?”
What are the most common dim sum dishes to know?
The classics worth learning first are 蝦餃 (haa1 gaau2), 燒賣 (siu1 maai6), 叉燒包 (caa1 siu1 baau1), 腸粉 (coeng2 fan2), and 蛋撻 (daan6 taat1). This unit covers all of them with audio so you know how each one sounds.
Is this Cantonese food and drinks unit free?
Yes, the whole unit is free to learn online. It is part of YumCha's beginner Cantonese course, and in the app you can keep practising the same food vocabulary for free with flashcards and spaced repetition. The lesson path itself is a subscription, with your first lesson free to try.