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What you’ll learn

How to order delivery: 点外卖 (order takeout), 打开外卖软件 (open the delivery app), 一份米饭 (a serving of rice), 两个菜 (two dishes).; Customizing your order: 少放辣 (less chili), 不要放香菜 (no cilantro), 写几句话告诉店里的人 (leave a note for the shop).; Price & paying: 差不多三十块 (about thirty yuan), 用手机付钱 (pay by phone), 扫一下 (just scan), 又快又方便 (fast and convenient).

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甜甜现在是中午十二点,我的肚子饿了。可是我不想做饭,也不想出门。那怎么办呢?别急,我拿出手机,点一份外卖就好了。

It's twelve noon now, and I'm hungry. But I don't want to cook, and I don't want to go out. So what do I do? No worries — I take out my phone and just order some delivery.

甜甜嗨,是我,甜甜。今天我想跟你说说,怎么点外卖。外卖,就是别人帮你把饭做好,再送到你家。你不用做饭,也不用出门,在家等一等就行了。

Hi, it's me, Tian Tian. Today I want to tell you how to order food delivery. Takeout is when someone else makes the food for you, and then brings it to your home. You don't have to cook, and you don't have to go out — you just wait at home for a bit.

甜甜我又饿了,很想吃点好吃的。你要不要跟我一起,看看我是怎么点外卖的?走,我们开始吧!

I'm hungry again, and I really want something tasty. Do you want to come along with me and see how I order delivery? Come on, let's get started!

甜甜我很喜欢点外卖。上课很累、不想做饭的时候,我就点一份外卖。坐在家里,等一会儿,热热的饭菜就到了。

I really love ordering takeout. When class is tiring and I don't feel like cooking, I just order some delivery. I sit at home, wait a little while, and the hot food arrives.

甜甜我的朋友也都很喜欢点外卖。有的人太忙,没有时间做饭;有的人,是不太会做饭,比如我。

My friends all love ordering takeout too. Some people are too busy and have no time to cook; some people just aren't good at cooking — like me.

甜甜外卖真的很方便。不管是中午,还是晚上,我饿了,拿起手机就能点。所以现在,我经常点外卖。

Takeout is really convenient. Whether it's noon or evening, when I'm hungry, I can order just by picking up my phone. So these days, I order delivery a lot.

甜甜好,我们开始点吧。我先打开手机上的外卖软件。哇,这里的店真多!有的卖米饭,有的卖面,还有的卖各种各样的菜。

Okay, let's start ordering. First I open the food-delivery app on my phone. Wow, there are so many shops here! Some sell rice, some sell noodles, and others sell all kinds of dishes.

甜甜每一家店,上面都有菜的照片。一张一张看过去,每一个看起来都很好吃,我都想吃。

Every shop has photos of its food. Looking through them one by one, every one looks delicious, and I want to eat them all.

甜甜店的旁边,还写着要等多长时间。有的店快一点,有的店慢一点。离我家近的店,送得也快一点。

Next to each shop, it also says how long you'll wait. Some shops are faster, some are slower. Shops closer to my home deliver a bit faster too.

甜甜今天吃什么好呢?这真是个大问题。我每次点外卖,都要想很久。

What should I eat today? That's really a big question. Every time I order delivery, I think about it for ages.

甜甜吃米饭,还是吃面呢?吃这家,还是吃那家呢?看来看去,我有点选不出来。

Rice, or noodles? This shop, or that one? Looking back and forth, I can't quite decide.

甜甜想了想,今天我还是吃米饭吧。我找到一家我常点的店,他们家的菜很好吃,我很喜欢。

After some thought, I'll go with rice today. I find a shop I order from often, their food is really good, and I love it.

甜甜我点了一份米饭,还有两个菜:一个鸡肉,一个青菜。这样有肉,也有菜,正好。

I order one serving of rice and two dishes: one chicken, one green vegetable. That way I have meat and veggies — just right.

甜甜点菜的时候,我还可以写几句话,告诉店里的人。我不太能吃辣,所以我写:请少放辣,谢谢。

When I order, I can also write a few words to tell the people at the shop. I can't handle much spice, so I write: a little less chili, please, thank you.

甜甜对了,我还有一句话要说:请不要放香菜。我从小就不爱吃香菜,一点点也不行。

Oh, and I have one more thing to say: please, no cilantro. I've disliked cilantro since I was little — not even a little bit.

甜甜都点好了,要付钱了。一份米饭,两个菜,再加上一点点送的钱,差不多三十块。不太贵,我觉得可以。

It's all ordered, time to pay. One rice, two dishes, plus a small delivery fee, about thirty yuan. Not too expensive — I think it's fine.

甜甜我用手机付钱,扫一下,点一下,就付好了,又快又方便。好了,现在我只要在家等就行了。

I pay with my phone — one scan, one tap, and it's paid, quick and easy. Done — now I just have to wait at home.

甜甜付完钱,手机上就告诉我:你的外卖,正在送来。我能看到,送外卖的人已经从店里出来了。

After I pay, my phone tells me: your order is on its way. I can see the delivery rider has already left the shop.

甜甜我看着手机上的小地图。那个小点,就是给我送外卖的人。他离我家越来越近了。

I watch the little map on my phone. That little dot is the person bringing my food. He's getting closer and closer to my home.

甜甜送外卖的人,每天都很辛苦。不管是大热天,还是下雨天,他们都在外面跑,帮大家送饭。我们要谢谢他们。

Delivery riders work so hard every day. Whether it's a hot day or a rainy day, they're out there running around, bringing everyone food. We should thank them.

甜甜过了一会儿,我的手机响了。是送外卖的人打来的:你好,你的外卖到了,在门口。

After a little while, my phone rings. It's the delivery rider calling: hello, your food is here, at the door.

甜甜我打开门,拿到了我的外卖。我跟他说:谢谢你,辛苦了!饭还是热的,我闻到了,好香啊!

I open the door and take my food. I say to him: thank you so much, I really appreciate it! The food is still hot — I can smell it, it smells so good!

甜甜我把外卖放在桌子上,一样一样打开。米饭是热的,菜也是热的,看起来真好吃。

I put the food on the table and open it up one by one. The rice is hot, the dishes are hot too, and it all looks delicious.

甜甜我拿起筷子,先吃一口饭,再吃一口菜。啊,太好吃了!我饿了那么久,吃到这一口,太开心了。

I pick up my chopsticks, a bite of rice first, then a bite of the dish. Ah, so good! I was hungry for so long — this first bite makes me so happy.

甜甜外卖很方便,可是我也知道,天天点外卖,不太好。自己做饭,会更健康,花的钱也更少。所以有空的时候,我也会自己做一点。

Takeout is convenient, but I also know ordering it every day isn't so good. Cooking myself is healthier, and costs less money too. So when I have time, I cook a little myself too.

甜甜好了,我的外卖要凉了,我得去吃了。你呢?你也喜欢点外卖吗?你最爱吃什么外卖?在下面告诉我吧。今天就和你聊到这里,我们下次再一起吃饭,再见!

Okay, my food is getting cold, I have to go eat. What about you? Do you like ordering delivery too? What's your favorite takeout? Tell me down below. That's all for our chat today, let's eat together again next time — see you!

Adapted reading

Adapted from a Simply Natural Chinese YouTube episode into a complete three-line website reading. This is not a word-for-word transcript.

The reading may differ from the original video or audio.

Words to take with you

Useful words

外卖

wài mài

food delivery; takeout

我拿出手机,点一份外卖。

I take out my phone and order some delivery.

点外卖

diǎn wài mài

to order food delivery

今天我想跟你说说,怎么点外卖。

Today I want to tell you how to order food delivery.

饿

è

hungry

现在是中午十二点,我的肚子饿了。

It's twelve noon now, and I'm hungry.

做饭

zuò fàn

to cook (a meal)

我不想做饭,也不想出门。

I don't want to cook, and I don't want to go out.

方便

fāng biàn

convenient

外卖真的很方便。

Takeout is really convenient.

送

sòng

to deliver; to send

别人帮你把饭做好,再送到你家。

Someone makes the food for you, and then delivers it to your home.

等

děng

to wait

在家等一等就行了。

You just wait at home for a bit.

米饭

mǐ fàn

(cooked) rice

想了想,今天我还是吃米饭吧。

After some thought, I'll go with rice today.

菜

cài

dish; food (also: vegetable)

我点了一份米饭,还有两个菜。

I ordered one serving of rice and two dishes.

辣

là

spicy

我不太能吃辣,所以我写:请少放辣。

I can't handle much spice, so I write: a little less chili, please.

香菜

xiāng cài

cilantro; coriander

请不要放香菜。

Please, no cilantro.

付钱

fù qián

to pay (money)

都点好了,要付钱了。

It's all ordered, time to pay.

块

kuài

yuan (colloquial unit for money)

一份米饭,两个菜,差不多三十块。

One rice and two dishes, about thirty yuan.

热

rè

hot (temperature)

坐在家里,等一会儿,热热的饭菜就到了。

I sit at home, wait a little while, and the hot food arrives.

好吃

hǎo chī

delicious; tasty

米饭是热的,菜也是热的,看起来真好吃。

The rice is hot, the dishes are hot too, and it all looks delicious.

辛苦

xīn kǔ

to work hard; toilsome (辛苦了 = thanks for your hard work)

我跟他说:谢谢你,辛苦了!

I say to him: thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

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