In this post, let us learn how to order in Chinese when at the cafe. From the conversation in Chinese, you will learn important Chinese grammar points from the Chinese conversation such as how to use the Chinese word 刚 and the meaning of Chinese expressions 好不到哪里去, which has the meaning of something or someone is not good or not up to a certain level or standard. etc.
Chinese Conversation – Sorry, I am late
A: 嘿，小明。 我在这里。
Hēi, Xiǎo Míng. wǒ zài zhè lǐ.
Hey, Xiaoming. I’m here.
B: 不好意思，迟到了。等很久了吧。
bù hǎo yìsi, chídào le. Děng hěnjiǔ le ba.
Sorry, I’m late. You’ve been waiting for a while, right?
A: 没有，我也是刚到。
méi yǒu, wǒ yě shì gāng dào.
No, I just arrived too.
B: 那就好。你要喝什么，我帮你叫（点）。
Nà jiù hǎo. Nǐ yào hē shénme, wǒ bāng nǐ jiào (diǎn).
That’s good. What would you like to drink? I’ll order for you.
A: 来一杯美式咖啡， 加点豆奶。
lái yī bēi měishì kāfēi, jiā diǎn dòunǎi.
A cup of Americano with some soy milk, please.
B: 好的。要来块蛋糕吗？
hǎo de. yào lái kuài dàngāo ma?
Okay. Would you like a piece of cake as well?
A: 蛋糕就不必了。 我不太爱吃甜食。
Dàn gāo jiù bù bì le. wǒ bù tài ài chī tiánshí.
No need for cake. I’m not a big fan of sweets.
B: 是吗？我和你恰恰相反。我超爱吃甜食。
shì ma? wǒ hé nǐ qià qià xiāng fǎn. wǒ chāo ài chī tián shí.
really? It’s just the opposite for me. I have a sweet tooth.
A: 我血糖偏高， 所以得注意。
wǒ xuè táng piān gāo, suǒ yǐ děi zhù yì.
I have high blood sugar, so I have to be careful.
B: 哦！看来我也得控制控制自己。我也好不到哪里去。
Ó! kàn lái wǒ yě děi kòng zhì kòng zhì zì jǐ. wǒ yě hǎo bù dào nǎ lǐ qù.
Oh, I see! Looks like I should control myself too. My health is not at all good as well.
B: 你等我一下，我这就去买喝的。
nǐ děng wǒ yī xià, wǒ zhè jiù qù mǎi hē de.
Wait for me, I’ll go buy drinks right away.
A: 别急，慢慢来。我不赶时间。
bié jí, màn man lái. wǒ bù gǎn shí jiān.
Don’t rush, take your time. I’m not in a hurry.
Grammar Note:
Let us learn how to use 刚 in four different ways. 刚 is equivalent to JUST in English.
1. 刚 + verb. 刚 is equivalent to JUST in English.
我刚吃完饭。 (Wǒ gāng chī wán fàn.) – I just finished eating.
我刚到机场。 (Wǒ gāng dào jī chǎng.) – I just arrived at the airport
2. 刚 + 才= just now
我刚才看到小李在讲电话。
wǒ gāng cái kàn dào xiǎo Lǐ zài jiǎng diàn huà.
I just (just now) saw Li talking on the phone.
3. 刚刚 = a short while ago
她刚刚把碗碟洗干净。
Tā gāng gāng bǎ wǎn dié xǐ gān jìng.
She just finished cleaning the bowls and dishes a short while ago.
4. 刚 + 好 = just happened to
我刚好有两张戏票。
Wǒ gāng hǎo yǒu liǎng zhāng xì piào.
I just happened to have two movie tickets
不太+ 爱 + verb
The structure “不太 + 爱 + verb” in Chinese is used to describe a person who is reluctant or lack enthusiasm to perform a certain action.
不太 (bù tài): “Not very” or “not too.” It indicates a lack of strong inclination or enthusiasm.
爱 (ài): “Love” or “like.” It represents the verb indicating the action or activity in question.
Verb: The specific action or activity that follows. It can be any verb that describes an action or behavior.
玛丽不太爱说话。 (Mǎlì bù tài ài shuō huà.) Mary does not talk much.
我们不太爱看恐怖电影。 (Wǒ men bù tài ài kàn kǒngbù diànyǐng.) We don’t really like watching horror movies.
恰恰相反
This Chinese phrase means “exactly the opposite” or “just the opposite.” It is used to indicate a complete reversal or contradiction of a previous statement, situation, or expectation.
A: 我不能吃辣。
wǒ bù néng chī là.
I can’t eat spicy food.
B: 我和你恰恰相反。我无辣不欢。
wǒ hé nǐ qià qià xiāngfǎn. wǒ wú là bù huān.
I’m exactly the opposite of you. I can’t live without.
好不到哪里去
The phrase “好不到哪里去” (hǎo bù dào nǎlǐ qù) is Chinese phrase to express that something or someone is not good or not up to a certain level or standard. It conveys a sense of disappointment or dissatisfaction. It is usually placed at the end of a sentence.
这家餐厅的饮食好不到哪里去。
zhè jiā cān tīng de yǐn shí hǎo bù dào nǎ lǐ qù.
The food of this restaurant is far from good.
这个品牌的质量好不到哪里去。
zhè ge pǐn pái de zhì liàng hǎo bù dào nǎ lǐ qù.
The quality of this brand is not good at all.
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