Starting to learn Chinese can feel overwhelming due to the vast amount of vocabulary. However, focusing on familiar and essential topics from everyday life makes the learning process much more enjoyable and effective. The topic of beverages in Chinese is a fantastic place to start! With the most common vocabulary about different types of drinks compiled in this article, you’ll be able to order or talk about beverages in Chinese naturally.
Vocabulary about Beverages in Chinese
What is coffee in Chinese? What is bubble tea in Chinese? Whether you are traveling or working in a Chinese-speaking country, you will often face situations where you need to talk about different types of beverages. To avoid confusion when looking at a diverse menu or chatting with friends, let’s learn vocabulary about beverages in Chinese together with Ni Hao Ma!
Vocabulary about Types of Coffee
Coffee is not only a familiar drink but also part of global culture. The vocabulary list below will help you correctly order your favorite coffee in Chinese.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | Coffee |
| 黑咖啡 | hēi kāfēi | Black coffee |
| 牛奶咖啡 | niúnǎi kāfēi | Milk coffee |
| 越式白咖啡 | Yuè shì bái kāfēi | Vietnamese white coffee |
| 速溶咖啡 | Sùróng kāfēi | Instant coffee |
| 越南咖啡 | Yuènán kāfēi | Vietnamese coffee |
| 鸡蛋咖啡 | jīdàn kāfēi | Egg coffee |
| 盐咖啡 | yán kāfēi | Salt coffee |
| 美式咖啡 | Měishì kāfēi | Americano |
| 拿铁 | nátiě | Latte |
| 卡布奇诺 | kǎbùqínuò | Cappuccino |
| 摩卡 | mókǎ | Mocha |
| 冰咖啡 | bīng kāfēi | Iced coffee |
| 浓缩咖啡 | nóngsuō kāfēi | Espresso |
| 冷萃咖啡 | lěng cuì kāfēi | Cold brew coffee |
| 白咖啡 | bái kāfēi | White coffee (commonly used in Malaysia) |
| 奶盖咖啡 | nǎigài kāfēi | Coffee with milk foam |
Vocabulary about Types of Tea
Tea is not only a common drink but also a distinctive cultural element in many countries around the world. From refreshing green teas to rich black teas or fragrant fruit teas, each type has its own unique flavor. So, what is your favorite type of tea called in Chinese?
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 茶 | chá | Tea |
| 绿茶 | lǜ chá | Green tea |
| 红茶 | hóng chá | Black tea |
| 乌龙茶 | wū lóng chá | Oolong tea |
| 白茶 | bái chá | White tea |
| 黄茶 | huáng chá | Yellow tea |
| 花茶 | huā chá | Flower tea |
| 茉莉花茶 | mò lì huā chá | Jasmine tea |
| 菊花茶 | jú huā chá | Chrysanthemum tea |
| 普洱茶 | pǔ ěr chá | Pu’er tea (fermented tea) |
| 铁观音 | Tiě guānyīn | Tieguanyin tea |
| 西湖龙井 | Xīhú lóngjǐng | West Lake Longjing tea |
| 碧螺春 | Bìluóchūn | Biluochun tea |
| 冰红茶 | bīng hóng chá | Iced black tea |
| 奶茶 | nǎi chá | Milk tea |
| 珍珠奶茶 | zhēn zhū nǎi chá | Bubble milk tea |
| 抹茶 | mǒ chá | Matcha tea |
| 柠檬茶 | níng méng chá | Lemon tea |
| 水果茶 | shuǐ guǒ chá | Fruit tea |
| 生姜茶 | shēng jiāng chá | Ginger tea |
| 冷泡茶 | lěng pào chá | Cold brew tea |
Chinese Vocabulary for Types of Milk Tea
Milk tea is one of the most popular and beloved drinks not only in Vietnam but also worldwide, especially in Asian countries. Are you a milk tea lover learning Chinese? Knowing the names and vocabulary related to various milk tea types will help you easily order, understand menus, or chat with Chinese friends.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 奶茶 | nǎi chá | Milk tea |
| 珍珠奶茶 | zhēn zhū nǎi chá | Pearl (bubble) milk tea |
| 奶盖茶 | nǎi gài chá | Cheese foam milk tea |
| 黑糖珍珠鲜奶 | hēitáng zhēnzhū xiān nǎi | Fresh milk with brown sugar pearls |
| 芋香奶茶 | yù xiāng nǎichá | Taro milk tea |
| 抹茶奶茶 | mǒ chá nǎi chá | Matcha milk tea |
| 巧克力奶茶 | qiǎo kè lì nǎi chá | Chocolate milk tea |
| 草莓奶茶 | cǎo méi nǎi chá | Strawberry milk tea |
| 绿茶奶茶 | lǜ chá nǎi chá | Green tea with milk |
| 红茶奶茶 | hóng chá nǎi chá | Black tea with milk |
| 乌龙奶茶 | wū lóng nǎi chá | Oolong milk tea |
| 布丁奶茶 | Bùdīng nǎichá | Pudding milk tea |
| 仙草奶茶 | Xiān cǎo nǎichá | Grass jelly milk tea |
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 珍珠 | zhēn zhū | Tapioca pearls |
| 黑珍珠 | hēi zhēn zhū | Black tapioca pearls |
| 白珍珠 | bái zhēn zhū | White tapioca pearls |
| 奶霜 | nǎi shuāng | Milk foam |
| 椰果 | yē guǒ | Coconut jelly |
| 仙草 | xiān cǎo | Grass jelly |
| 布丁 | bù dīng | Pudding |
| 红豆 | hóng dòu | Red beans |
| 芝士奶盖 | zhī shì nǎi gài | Cheese foam |
| 果冻 | guǒ dòng | Fruit jelly |
| 焦糖布丁 | jiāotáng bù dīng | Caramel pudding |
Vocabulary for Smoothies and Fruit Juices
Do you love refreshing fruit drinks like mango smoothies, orange juice, or avocado smoothies? Don’t miss this vocabulary section about smoothies and juices in Chinese!
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 果汁 | guǒ zhī | Fruit juice |
| 水果汁 | shuǐ guǒ zhī | Fruit juice |
| 橙汁 | chéng zhī | Orange juice |
| 苹果汁 | píng guǒ zhī | Apple juice |
| 西瓜汁 | xī guā zhī | Watermelon juice |
| 菠萝汁 | bō luó zhī | Pineapple juice |
| 草莓汁 | cǎo méi zhī | Strawberry juice |
| 芒果汁 | máng guǒ zhī | Mango juice |
| 柠檬汁 | níng méng zhī | Lemon juice |
| 石榴汁 | shí liú zhī | Pomegranate juice |
| 胡萝卜汁 | hú luó bo zhī | Carrot juice |
| 番茄汁 | fān qié zhī | Tomato juice |
| 葡萄汁 | pú táo zhī | Grape juice |
| 冬瓜茶 | dōngguā chá | Winter melon tea |
| 椰子汁 | yēzi zhī | Coconut juice |
| 果昔 / 冰沙 | guǒ xī / bīng shā | Smoothie |
| 芒果冰沙 | máng guǒ bīng shā | Mango smoothie |
| 草莓冰沙 | cǎo méi bīng shā | Strawberry smoothie |
| 牛油果冰沙 | niú yóu guǒ bīng shā | Avocado smoothie |
| 香蕉冰沙 | xiāng jiāo bīng shā | Banana smoothie |
| 火龙果冰沙 | huǒ lóng guǒ bīng shā | Dragon fruit smoothie |
| 蓝莓冰沙 | lán méi bīng shā | Blueberry smoothie |
| 木瓜冰沙 | mù guā bīng shā | Papaya smoothie |
Vocabulary for Common Beverages in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 饮料 | yǐn liào | Beverages |
| 水 | shuǐ | Water |
| 冷水 | lěng shuǐ | Cold water |
| 热水 | rè shuǐ | Hot water |
| 矿泉水 | kuàng quán shuǐ | Mineral water |
| 气泡水 | qì pào shuǐ | Sparkling water |
| 汽水 | qì shuǐ | Soda |
| 能量饮料 | néng liàng yǐn liào | Energy drink |
| 苏打水 | sū dǎ shuǐ | Soda water |
| 椰子水 | yē zi shuǐ | Coconut water |
| 茶 | chá | Tea |
| 酸奶 | suānnǎi | Yogurt |
| 可可 | kěkě | Cocoa |
| 可口可乐 | Kěkǒu kělè | Coca-Cola |
| 雪碧 | Xuěbì | Sprite |
| 百事可乐 | Bǎishì kělè | Pepsi |
| 七喜 | qīxǐ | 7up |
| 芬达 | fēndá | Fanta |
| 美年达 | měi nián dá | Mirinda |
| 抹茶拿铁 | mǒchá nátiě | Matcha latte |
| 奶茶 | nǎi chá | Bubble tea |
| 奶昔 | nǎixī | Milkshake |
| 牛奶 | niú nǎi | Fresh milk |
| 豆奶 | dòu nǎi | Soy milk |
| 啤酒 | pí jiǔ | Beer |
| 酒 | jiǔ | Alcohol |
| 葡萄酒 | pú táo jiǔ | Wine |
| 米酒 | mǐjiǔ | Rice wine |
| 伏特加 | fútèjiā | Vodka |
| 威士忌 | wēishìjì | Whiskey |
| 香槟 | xiāng bīn | Champagne |
| 鸡尾酒 | jī wěi jiǔ | Cocktail |
| 康普茶 | kāngpǔchá | Kombucha |
Vocabulary for Ordering Beverages in Chinese
Have you ever felt confused when facing a menu written entirely in Chinese at a bubble tea or coffee shop? Don’t worry! Mastering basic vocabulary for ordering drinks will make communication much easier when buying food or beverages at restaurants or cafes.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 菜单 | càidān | Menu |
| 温 | wēn | Warm |
| 冰的 | bīng de | Cold |
| 热的 | rè de | Hot |
| 加糖 | jiā táng | Add sugar |
| 少糖 | shǎo táng | Less sugar |
| 不加糖 | bù jiā táng | No sugar |
| 小杯 | xiǎo bēi | Small cup |
| 中杯 | zhōng bēi | Medium cup |
| 大杯 | dà bēi | Large cup |
| 少冰 | shǎo bīng | Less ice |
| 去冰 | qù bīng | No ice |
| 加冰 | jiā bīng | Add ice |
| 加珍珠 | jiā zhēn zhū | Add tapioca pearls |
Common Chinese Phrases for Ordering Drinks
Knowing vocabulary is one thing, but it’s even more important to master practical communication phrases to order drinks naturally, politely, and accurately. Right below, Ni Hao Ma will introduce you to simple yet extremely useful Chinese phrases for ordering drinks that you can use in many situations!
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好，我想要点饮料。 | Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng yào diǎn yǐnliào. | Hello, I would like to order a drink. |
| 可以给我看一下菜单吗？ | Kěyǐ gěi wǒ kàn yīxià càidān ma? | Can you show me the menu? |
| 请给我一杯奶茶。 | Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi nǎichá. | Please give me a cup of milk tea. |
| 我要一杯冰咖啡。 | Wǒ yào yì bēi bīng kāfēi. | I want an iced coffee. |
| 这个有糖吗？ | Zhège yǒu táng ma? | Does this have sugar? |
| 我不要糖。 | Wǒ bú yào táng. | I don’t want sugar. |
| 请少冰。 | Qǐng shǎo bīng. | Please add less ice. |
| 可以帮我加珍珠吗？ | Kěyǐ bāng wǒ jiā zhēnzhū ma? | Can you add pearls (boba) for me? |
| 有什么推荐的吗？ | Yǒu shénme tuījiàn de ma? | Do you have any recommendations? |
| 我要热的，不要冰的。 | Wǒ yào rè de, bú yào bīng de. | I want a hot one, no ice. |
| 请问需要等多久？ | Qǐng wèn xū yào děng duō jiǔ? | May I ask how long the wait is? |
| 请快一点，谢谢。 | Qǐng kuài yìdiǎn, xièxie. | Please make it faster, thank you. |
| 可以打包吗？ | Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma? | Can I get it to-go? |
| 一共多少钱？ | Yīgòng duōshǎo qián? | How much is it in total? |
| 可以刷卡吗？ | Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? | Can I pay by card? |
See also: Food Vocabulary in Chinese for Beginners
Sample Conversations About Drinks in Chinese
When learning Chinese, vocabulary alone is not enough — you need to know how to use it in real-life conversations. Practicing themed dialogues is an effective way to improve your listening and speaking skills. Here are some example conversations you can practice at home to get familiar with vocabulary about drinks in Chinese:
Dialogue 1
A: 您好，欢迎光临！请问您要喝点什么？
Nín hǎo, huān yíng guāng lín! Qǐng wèn nín yào hē diǎn shén me?
Hello, welcome! What would you like to drink?
B: 我要一杯珍珠奶茶，中杯，少糖，去冰。
Wǒ yào yì bēi zhēn zhū nǎi chá, zhōng bēi, shǎo táng, qù bīng.
I want a medium pearl milk tea, less sugar, no ice.
A: 需要加布丁或者椰果吗？
Xū yào jiā bù dīng huò zhě yē guǒ ma?
Would you like to add pudding or coconut jelly?
B: 加布丁，谢谢。
Jiā bù dīng, xiè xie.
Add pudding, thank you.
A: 好的，一共是18块。
Hǎo de, yí gòng shì shí bā kuài.
Okay, the total is 18 yuan.
Dialogue 2
A: 不好意思，我的饮料好像做错了。
Bù hǎo yì si, wǒ de yǐn liào hǎo xiàng zuò cuò le.
Sorry, I think my drink was made wrong.
B: 请问是哪一杯？哪里有问题？
Qǐng wèn shì nǎ yì bēi? Nǎ lǐ yǒu wèn tí?
May I ask which one? What’s the problem?
A: 我点的是无糖的，但这杯好甜。
Wǒ diǎn de shì wú táng de, dàn zhè bēi hǎo tián.
I ordered no sugar, but this one is very sweet.
B: 真对不起，可能是我们弄错了，我马上帮您重做一杯。
Zhēn duì bù qǐ, kě néng shì wǒ men nòng cuò le, wǒ mǎ shàng bāng nín chóng zuò yì bēi.
I’m really sorry, maybe we made a mistake. I will remake one for you right away.
A: 好的，谢谢。
Hǎo de, xiè xie.
Okay, thanks.
Dialogue 3
A: 我们点两杯饮料吧！
Wǒ men diǎn liǎng bēi yǐn liào ba!
Let’s order two drinks!
B: 好啊，我想喝一杯抹茶奶茶，少冰。
Hǎo a, wǒ xiǎng hē yì bēi mǒ chá nǎi chá, shǎo bīng.
Sure, I want a matcha milk tea, less ice.
A: 我要一杯柠檬红茶，加珍珠，不要糖。
Wǒ yào yì bēi níng méng hóng chá, jiā zhēn zhū, bù yào táng.
I want a lemon black tea with pearls, no sugar.
N: 好的，你们要内用还是外带？
Hǎo de, nǐ men yào nèi yòng hái shì wài dài?
Okay, will you be dining in or take out?
A: 内用，谢谢。
Nèi yòng, xiè xie.
Dine in, thank you.
Summary
I hope through this article, you have learned useful vocabulary about common beverages in Chinese. Besides drink-related words, learning phrases related to ordering, asking about prices, or paying is also very important for confident communication. Don’t forget to keep following new posts from Ni Hao Ma for more interesting Chinese vocabulary on other topics!
