In the lead up to our Mandarin Month mixer on June 24, where you'll be able to meet with Beijing's best Mandarin schools, we'll be dishing out some language-learning advice on a daily basis. Read on if you don't want to wait to get started on improving your 中文.
If you're taking the Burger Cup voting seriously, you'd be going around town trying out burgers from the contenders. But what if you wanted to combine your burger-sampling with your Mandarin learning? Let us help you fix all of your deepest burger cravings with the keys to ordering a kickass burger, in Chinese.
Can I order a burger? 我可以点个汉堡吗？ wǒ kě yǐ diǎn gè hànbǎo ma?
I’d like a classic burger. 我想点经典汉堡。 wǒ xiǎng diǎn jīngdiǎn hànbǎo.
What is your signature burger? 招牌汉堡是什么？ zhāopái hànbǎo shì shénme?
Do you have veggie burger? 你们有素汉堡吗？ nǐ men yǒu sù hànbǎo ma?
Please don’t put ketchup. 请不要加番茄酱。 qǐng búyào jiā fānqié jiàng.
Please put all the sauces on the side. 请把酱料放在一边。 qǐng bǎ jiàngliào fàngzài yībiān.
How do you like your patty cooked? 肉饼要几成熟？ ròubǐng yào jǐchéng shú?
Medium rare 三分熟 sānfēn shú; medium 五分熟 wǔfēn shú; medium well 七分熟 qīfēn shú; well done 全熟 quánshú
What cold drinks you have? 你们有什么冷饮？ nǐ men yǒu shénme lěngyǐn?
And some useful words if you have special eating requirements or want to remove or add toppings:
Burger 汉堡 hànbǎo
Bun 汉堡胚 hànbǎo pēi
Cheese 芝士 zhīshì or 奶酪 nǎilào
Bacon 培根 péigēn
French fries 薯条 shǔtiáo
Salad 沙拉 shālā
Ketchup 番茄酱 fānqié jiàng
Onion 洋葱 yángcōng
Foie gras 鹅肝égān
Lettuce 生菜 shēngcài
Mustard 芥末酱 jièmo jiàng
Barbecue sauce 烤肉酱 kǎoròu jiàng
Patty 肉饼 ròubǐng
Tomato 西红柿 xīhóngshì
Pickle 酸黄瓜 suān huángguā
Mushroom 蘑菇 mógū
Tofu 豆腐 dòufu
Octopus 章鱼 zhāngyú
Avocado 牛油果 niúyóuguǒ
Juicy 多汁的 duōzhī de
Greasy 油腻的 yóunì de
And if you think you've mastered that, how about going out there with these more complex (and more specific phrases)?
I’d like to have a (Great Leap) double cheese burger with a pint of Silver Needle White Ale.
我想点一个（大跃）奶酪汉堡，加一杯银针白啤。
wǒ xiǎng diǎn yī gè (dà yuè) nǎilào hànbǎo, jiā yī bēi yínzhēn báipí.
Can I have a Lao Thai Thai burger, with a pint of Slow Boat’s Monkey’s Fist IPA please?
我可以点一个老泰泰汉堡，加一杯悠航的猴拳 IPA 吗？
wǒ kěyǐ diǎn yīgè lǎotàitài hànbǎo, jiā yī bēi yōuháng de hóuquán IPA ma?
What goes better with these Jing-A sliders, Juicy Dongbei IPA, or Lychee Chabuduo IPA?
京 A 的小汉堡配哪款啤酒比较好，东北 IPA 还是荔枝差不多 IPA ？
Jīng-A de xiǎo hànbǎo pèi nǎ kuǎn píjiǔ bǐjiào hǎo, dōngběi IPA háishì lìzhī chà buduō IPA?
We'd like to order some wedges.
我们想要点一份薯角。
wǒ men xiǎngyào diǎn yīfèn shǔjiǎo.
Have you tried the Fortune foie gras burger at High Town?
你吃过海棠精酿的鹅肝汉堡吗？
nǐ chī guò hǎitáng jīngniàng de é gān hànbǎo ma?
Can I order a veggie burger to go?
我可以打包一个素汉堡吗？
wǒ kěyǐ dǎ bāo yīgè sù hànbǎo ma?
What’s your favorite burger in Beijing?
你最喜欢北京的哪家汉堡？
nǐ zuì xǐhuān běijīng de nǎjiā hànbǎo?
Have you tried all the burgers at the Burger Cup?
你在汉堡节把所有的汉堡都尝了吗？
nǐ zài hànbǎojiē bǎ suǒ yǒu de hànbǎo dōu chángle ma?
Did you try the rice burger from the shop around the corner?
你尝过街角那家店的米汉堡吗？
nǐ chángguò jiē jiǎo nàjiā diàn de mǐhànbǎo ma?
Shut up and dig in.
少废话，快吃 !
shǎo fèi huà, kuài chī!
Now that you've mastered your burger ordering skills, get out there, and then vote!
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure
Photo courtesy of Jing-A, Drunk Bar