Twenty-four words follow one meal from the door to the receipt: 餐厅 (cān tīng) and 饭馆 (fàn guǎn) for the room itself, 菜单 (cài dān) and 点菜 (diǎn cài) to order, 米饭, 面条, 饺子, 素菜, 肉 and 鱼 for what arrives, then 买单, 结账, 现金, 刷卡 and 发票 at the end. Each sits in 田字格 (tián zì gé) grids with its pinyin above.
Two words for the bill, two registers
买单 (mǎi dān) is what you call across a busy dining room. 结账 (jié zhàng) is the neutral term for settling the account, and it works just as well at a hotel desk or a shop counter. Notice the 单 that 买单 shares with 菜单: it means a list or a slip, so a menu is a dish list and paying is buying the slip. 发票 (fā piào) is the official invoice you ask for separately, not the check the server brings.
The food radical turns up three times
饭, 馆 and 饺 all begin with 饣, the compressed left-hand form of 食 (shí, food). It is one of the clearest cases of a radical announcing the topic before you know the word. 服务员 works from the other end: 服务 is service and 员 marks the person who provides it, the same 员 you meet in 售货员 and 演员.
Trace each guided row, then cover the model and write it again. Teachers can trim the list to the dishes on one menu before printing; travelers tend to keep the payment words and drop the rest. For the graded version of this vocabulary try the HSK 2 ordering sheet, or paste your own menu words into the free worksheet generator.
Words on this worksheet: 餐厅 (cāntīng) — Restaurant; 饭馆 (fàn guǎn) — restaurant; 菜单 (càidān) — menu; 点菜 (diǎn cài) — to order dishes (in a restaurant); 服务员 (fú wù yuán) — waiter; 预订 (yùdìng) — book, subscribe for; 座位 (zuòwèi) — seat; 米饭 (mǐfàn) — Steamed Rice; 面条 (miàn tiáo) — noodles; 饺子 (jiǎozi) — Dumplings; 素菜 (sù cài) — vegetable dish; 肉 (ròu) — meat; 鱼 (yú) — fish; 水 (shuǐ) — water; 茶 (chá) — tea; 啤酒 (píjiǔ) — Beer; 好吃 (hǎochī) — Yummy; 辣 (là) — hot (spicy); 甜 (tián) — sweet; 买单 (mǎi dān) — to pay the restaurant bill; 结账 (jié zhàng) — to settle accounts; 现金 (xiànjīn) — cash; 刷卡 (shuā kǎ) — to use a credit card (or swipe card, smart card etc); 发票 (fāpiào) — invoice.
Hear these words in beginner Mandarin songs.
Frequently asked questions
Is this worksheet free to download as a PDF?
Yes. The Restaurant Ordering & Paying worksheet is free to print or save as a PDF, with no account or email needed. Press Print / Download PDF: on a computer the PDF opens ready to print or save, and on a phone it goes to your share sheet. A4 or US Letter follows your country.
What level is this worksheet?
It suits learners from about HSK 3. That is an editorial estimate for the Restaurant Ordering & Paying topic, not an official HSK word list, so a few of its 24 words may be harder. Each word prints with tone-marked pinyin and an English meaning to help.
Can I print copies for my class?
Yes. Print as many copies as you like — it's free. For a class set, press Change the words and open More options to add an answer key, a class line or a dictation page; the Student PDF leaves the key out. Test turns the sheet into a quiz.
Can I change the words or use traditional characters?
Yes. Press Change the words to open this sheet in the generator, then add, remove or replace words, up to 20 per sheet. Set Characters to Traditional to switch the whole sheet to traditional characters; a word with no verified traditional form stays as you typed it.
How should I practice with this worksheet?
Trace the gray guides first, saying each word aloud, then cover the model and write the characters from memory in the blank boxes. Scan the sheet's QR code or open the Practice tab to watch each stroke animate, trace it, then recall it without a guide. Revisit missed words a day or two later.