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Invest in My FutureFormal: 哪里 (nǎlǐ)
Colloquial: 哪儿 (nǎr)
Where
Example: 你去哪儿？(Where are you going?)
Formal: 那里 (nàlǐ)
Colloquial: 那儿 (nàr)
There
Example: 那儿有地儿。(There's a spot there.)
Formal: 地方 (dìfang)
Colloquial: 地儿 (dì'er)
Place / Spot
Example: 找个地儿坐吧。(Let's find a place to sit.)
Formal: 好的 (hǎo de) / 可以 (kěyǐ)
Colloquial: 行 (xíng)
Okay / Alright
Example: 你想吃牛肉吗？行。(Do you want beef? Okay.)
Formal: 这没问题。(Zhè méi wèntí.)
Colloquial: 行，没问题。(Xíng, méi wèntí.)
That's fine / No problem
Example: 行，我们在学校吃吧。(Okay, let's eat at school.)
来个牛肉
I'll have beef
来个 is short for 来一个 and is very casual. It's the most natural way to order in Chinese restaurants.
Example: 来个牛肉，还有米饭。(I'll have beef and rice.)
来个菜
I'll have a dish
You can use 来个 with any food item.
Example: 来个鸡肉和蔬菜。(I'll have chicken and vegetables.)
还有米饭
And also rice
还有 means 'also have' and is used to add more items to your order.
Example: 来个牛肉，还有米饭。(I'll have beef and rice.)
Formal: 我想吃什么？我想想。
Colloquial: 想吃什么？想想。
What do you want to eat? Let me think.
The subject 我 (I) is omitted in the second sentence because it's clear from context.
Formal: 我们去哪儿吃？我们在学校吃。
Colloquial: 去哪儿吃？在学校吃。
Where should we eat? (Let's eat) at school.
The subject 我们 (we) is often omitted in casual conversation.
Formal: 你用饭卡吗？我用饭卡。
Colloquial: 用饭卡吗？用。
Will you use your meal card? Yes.
The entire subject and verb can be shortened when the meaning is obvious.
想想 (xiǎngxiang)
Base: 想 (xiǎng) - to think
Think about it / Let me think
Verb reduplication makes the action sound more casual and thoughtful.
Example: 我想想。(Let me think about it.)
看看 (kànkan)
Base: 看 (kàn) - to look
Take a look / Let me see
This is very common in Chinese and sounds more natural than just 看.
Example: 我看看菜单。(Let me look at the menu.)
尝尝 (chángcháng)
Base: 尝 (cháng) - to taste
Taste it / Try it
Reduplication softens the imperative and makes it sound friendlier.
Example: 你尝尝这个菜。(Try this dish.)
问问 (wènwen)
Base: 问 (wèn) - to ask
Ask about it
Common in casual conversation to express a tentative action.
Example: 我问问他。(Let me ask him.)
地儿 (dì'er)
Base: 地 (dì) - place
Place / Spot
The 儿 suffix is very common in colloquial Northern Chinese.
Example: 找个地儿坐吧。(Let's find a place to sit.)
那儿 (nàr)
Base: 那 (nà) - that
There
This is the colloquial form of 那里 (nàlǐ).
Example: 那儿有地儿。(There's a spot there.)
哪儿 (nǎr)
Base: 哪 (nǎ) - which
Where
Colloquial form of 哪里 (nǎlǐ), very common in spoken Chinese.
Example: 去哪儿吃？(Where should we eat?)
点儿 (diǎnr)
Base: 点 (diǎn) - a little
A little bit
The 儿 suffix is standard with this word in colloquial speech.
Example: 再来点儿米饭。(Give me a little more rice.)
个 (ge)
General measure word for most countable items
个 is the most common measure word and can be used with most dishes.
Example: 来个牛肉。(I'll have beef.)
碗 (wǎn)
For rice and soups served in bowls
碗 is the natural measure word for rice and soup.
Example: 来碗米饭。(I'll have a bowl of rice.)
盘 (pán)
For dishes served on plates
盘 is used for dishes served on plates.
Example: 来盘牛肉。(I'll have a plate of beef.)
份 (fèn)
For portions or servings
份 is used to count portions or servings.
Example: 来两份牛肉。(I'll have two servings of beef.)
1. Colloquial Chinese is Essential: Understanding colloquial expressions like 哪儿, 那儿, and 地儿 is crucial for real-world communication. These are far more common in spoken Chinese than their formal counterparts.
2. Verb Reduplication Softens Tone: Using patterns like 想想 and 看看 makes your speech sound more natural and thoughtful. It's a key feature of colloquial Chinese.
3. 来个 is the Natural Way to Order: In restaurants and cafeterias, 来个 is the most natural and common way to order food. Using 我要 sounds more formal and less natural.
4. Subject Omission is Normal: In casual conversation, subjects are frequently omitted when the meaning is clear from context. This is very different from English.
5. Erhua Suffix is Regional: The 儿 suffix is especially common in Northern Chinese dialects. It's becoming more widespread in modern colloquial Chinese.