Ordering Beverages - Learning How to Order Beverages in Mandarin Chinese

Chinas most famous beverage is tea, and rightly so. The Chinese have been cultivating tea for thousands of years, and the methods for processing tea have remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. There are many types of tea within the three main categories: green tea, oolong tea and black tea. Any visit to China or Taiwan is not complete without a sampling of the fine tea thats available. More Than Tea But tea is not the only drink you can buy. There are all kinds of fruit juices, soft drinks, beers and wines to sample. Non-alcoholic drinks are available at coffee shops and tea stands, and bars and restaurants also serve beer, wine, and liquor. Many drinks are served sweetened, but you can also order them without sugar (bà ¹ jiÄ  tà ¡ng) or with just a bit of sugar (bà  n tà ¡ng). Coffee is usually served with creamer and bags of sugar on the side. Green tea and oolong tea are usually served without sugar or milk. Black tea with milk is called milk tea, and may be sweetened according to taste. Here are some popular beverages you will find in China and Taiwan. Click on the link in the Pinyin column to hear the pronunciation. English Pinyin Traditional Characters Simplified Characters Tea ch Black tea hng ch Oolong tea wlng ch Green tea l ch Coffee kfi Black coffee hi kfi Cream ni jng Sugar tng No sugar b ji tng Half sugar bn tng Milk ni ni Juice gu zh Orange juice lichng zh Apple juice pnggu zh Pineapple juice fngl zh Lemonade nngmng zh Watermelon juice xgu zh Soft drinks yn lio Cola kl Water ki shu Mineral water kung qun shu Ice water bng shu Ice bng Beer pji Wine pto ji Red Wine hng ji White wine bi ji Sparkling wine qpo ji Champagne xing bn Wine list ji dn I would like ... . W yo ... . ... ... . I will have this. W yo zhg.