Restaurant reservations: Setting preferences for seating, such as indoor, outdoor, or specific views.
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Key Phrases
我想订一张桌子
wǒ xiǎng dìng yī zhāng zhuō zi
I'd like to book a table
里面还是外面
lǐ miàn hái shì wài miàn
Inside or outside
预订已经确认了
yù dìng yǐ jīng què rèn le
Reservation confirmed
Skills You'll Learn
Making a reservation
预订餐桌
yù dìng cān zhuō
Asking for a preference
询问偏好
xún wèn piān hǎo
Expressing gratitude
表示感谢
biǎo shì gǎn xiè
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're in China and you want to book a table at a restaurant for the same evening. This roleplay guides you through the conversation with the restaurant staff, discussing details like the time of booking, number of people, and seating preferences.
你好！我想订一张桌子。
nǐ hǎo wǒ xiǎng dìng yī zhāng zhuō zi
Hello! I'd like to book a table.
你好，请问您想订什么时候的桌子？
nǐ hǎo qǐng wèn nín xiǎng dìng shén me shí hòu de zhuō zi
Hello, when would you like to book the table?
我想订今天晚上七点的桌子。
wǒ xiǎng dìng jīn tiān wǎn shàng qī diǎn de zhuō zi
I'd like to book a table for tonight at seven.
好的，请问有几位？
hǎo de qǐng wèn yǒu jǐ wèi
Alright, how many people?
两位。
liǎng wèi
Two people.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello
我想
wǒ xiǎng
I want
💬 [想] before another verb often softens it to "would like to" rather than a strong "want." You can reuse that pattern with other actions too: [我想看看] for "I'd like to have a look."
See breakdown →订一张
dìng yī zhāng
Reserve one
💬 When [一] comes before a measure word like [张], it's usually said with a rising tone: [一张] (yì/ yí? no pinyin allowed) — so learn [订一张桌子] as one chunk. The same thing happens in [一个] and [一本].
See breakdown →桌子
zhuō zi
Table
我想订一张桌子
wǒ xiǎng dìng yī zhāng zhuō zi
I'd like to book a table
💬 For booking things in Chinese, you often say verb + number + measure word + noun: [订一张桌子], [买两张票]. That middle measure word changes with the noun, so here [张] is the one used for tables, tickets, and other flat-surfaced things.
See breakdown →什么
shén me
What
时候
shí hòu
Time
什么时候
shén me shí hòu
When
💬 [什么时候] is literally [什么] + [时候], but together it just means "when." You can use it at the start or later in a sentence: [你什么时候来？] or [我们什么时候去？]
See breakdown →今天
jīn tiān
Today
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