Convenience Store

18 phrases · Chinese (Simplified) with romanization, English and audio

  1. 需要加热吗？

    Xūyào jiārè ma?

    Would you like it heated up?

    Usage

    Said by staff. You will be asked when you bring a lunchbox or steamed buns to the till. Answer "yào, xièxie" (yes, thanks) or "búyòng le" (no need)

    Grammar Note

    "Xūyào + verb + ma?" is the standard service pattern for "do you need [X]?". The subject "nǐ" (you) is dropped because it is obvious from context

  2. 麻烦帮我加热一下

    Máfan bāng wǒ jiārè yīxià

    Could you heat this up for me, please?

    Usage

    Use this to ask before staff offer. Many Chinese convenience stores put the microwave beside the counter for customers to use themselves, but staff will do it if you ask

    Grammar Note

    "Máfan + bāng wǒ + verb + yīxià" is the all-purpose request pattern. "Yīxià" makes the action sound brief and softens the tone — leaving it out sounds blunt

  3. 要筷子还是勺子？

    Yào kuàizi háishì sháozi?

    Would you like chopsticks or a spoon?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Under China's plastic-restriction rules from 2020, disposable cutlery is given on request only, so you will always be asked. If you need neither, say "dōu búyòng"

    Grammar Note

    "A háishì B?" forms a choice question and never takes the final particle "ma". Note the contrast with "huòzhě", which means "or" in statements rather than questions

  4. 再给我一双筷子

    Zài gěi wǒ yī shuāng kuàizi

    Could I have another pair of chopsticks?

    Usage

    Useful when sharing food. Instant noodles usually come with one pair of chopsticks, though not at every store. For napkins, say "zài gěi wǒ jǐ zhāng zhǐjīn"

    Grammar Note

    Chinese requires a measure word before a counted noun: "shuāng" for things that come in pairs (chopsticks, shoes), "gēn" for long thin objects, "zhāng" for flat sheets such as napkins

  5. 需要吸管吗？

    Xūyào xīguǎn ma?

    Would you like a straw?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Plastic straws are restricted and many stores have switched to paper ones. Decline with "búyòng le, xièxie"

    Grammar Note

    "Xīguǎn" is built from "xī" (to suck) + "guǎn" (tube). Chinese often names everyday objects by combining a verb with a noun, as in "dǎhuǒjī" (strike-fire-machine = lighter)

  6. 这个第二件半价

    Zhège dì-èr jiàn bànjià

    The second one is half price on this item

    Usage

    Said by staff. The two commonest Chinese convenience-store promotions are "dì-èr jiàn bànjià" (second item half price) and "mǎi yī sòng yī" (buy one get one free), both printed large on shelf tags. Staff often point it out if you only picked up one

    Grammar Note

    "Dì + number + measure word" expresses ordinal position. Beware that Chinese states discounts as the fraction you pay: "dǎ bā zhé" means you pay 80%, i.e. 20% off

  7. 小票要吗？

    Xiǎopiào yào ma?

    Do you want the receipt?

    Usage

    Said by staff. "Xiǎopiào" is the till slip and is binned if you decline. The official tax receipt used for expense claims is a different document called "fāpiào" — ask for it explicitly with "wǒ yào fāpiào"

    Grammar Note

    The object "xiǎopiào" is fronted as the topic. Chinese is a topic-prominent language, and "xiǎopiào yào ma?" sounds more colloquial and natural than "yào xiǎopiào ma?"

  8. 要袋子吗？袋子是收费的

    Yào dàizi ma? Dàizi shì shōufèi de

    Do you need a bag? Bags are charged for

    Usage

    Said by staff. China began charging for plastic bags with the 2008 plastic-restriction order, and since 2020 major cities have banned disposable plastic bags outright in favour of paid biodegradable or non-woven ones, typically 0.2 to 1 yuan each

    Grammar Note

    The "shì ... de" construction presents a fact as an explanation and sounds gentler than the bare "dàizi shōufèi". The opposite is "miǎnfèi de" (it is free)

  9. 麻烦帮我分开装

    Máfan bāng wǒ fēnkāi zhuāng

    Could you bag these separately, please?

    Usage

    Use it to separate hot food from cold drinks, or to split purchases between people. Each extra bag is charged. To split the payment instead, say "fēnkāi fù"

    Grammar Note

    "Fēnkāi" is the verb "fēn" (divide) plus the resultative complement "kāi" (apart). Chinese habitually marks results this way, as in "dǎkāi" (open up) and "guānshàng" (close shut)

  10. 可以用支付宝扫码付款吗？

    Kěyǐ yòng Zhīfùbǎo sǎomǎ fùkuǎn ma?

    Can I pay by scanning an Alipay QR code?

    Usage

    Alipay and WeChat Pay work in virtually every Chinese convenience store, and cash-only customers are now the exception. Visitors can link a foreign credit card to either app to pay. Usually the till scans the barcode on your phone rather than the other way round

    Grammar Note

    "Yòng + means + verb" expresses how something is done. "Sǎomǎ" abbreviates "scan the code" and works as both verb and noun — a thoroughly modern coinage

  11. 可以在这里吃吗？

    Kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ chī ma?

    Can I eat here?

    Usage

    Japanese-owned chains such as FamilyMart and Lawson often have a counter by the window where eating in is allowed, whereas small local shops usually have no seating. Unlike Japan, eating in does not change the tax you pay

    Grammar Note

    The location phrase "zài + place" goes before the verb, the reverse of English word order — you cannot say "chī zài zhèlǐ"

  12. 微波炉可以自己用吗？

    Wēibōlú kěyǐ zìjǐ yòng ma?

    Can I use the microwave myself?

    Usage

    Chinese convenience stores commonly place the microwave beside the till or in the eat-in corner for customers to use freely. Heating food you brought from elsewhere may be refused, so stick to what you bought in store

    Grammar Note

    Fronting the object "wēibōlú" as the topic is the natural spoken order here. "Zìjǐ" sits adverbially before the verb to mean "do it oneself"

  13. 热饮在哪一层货架？

    Rèyǐn zài nǎ yī céng huòjià?

    Which shelf are the hot drinks on?

    Usage

    In winter hot drinks sit in a dedicated warming cabinet. Many people in China avoid chilled drinks and prefer room-temperature or warm water, so asking for "chángwēn de" will get you an unchilled bottle

    Grammar Note

    Questions built on the interrogative "nǎ" never take the particle "ma". The measure word "céng" covers both shelf levels and building storeys, as in "sān céng lóu" (a three-storey building)

  14. 这里有共享充电宝可以租吗？

    Zhèlǐ yǒu gòngxiǎng chōngdiànbǎo kěyǐ zū ma?

    Is there a shared power bank I can rent here?

    Usage

    Nearly every Chinese convenience store has a shared power-bank kiosk. Since daily life runs on phone payments, a flat battery is a real emergency — you can rent one anywhere and return it somewhere else. Borrow it by scanning the QR code through an Alipay or WeChat mini-program

    Grammar Note

    "Yǒu + noun + kěyǐ + verb" chains two clauses to mean "there is an X that can be Y-ed". "Chōngdiànbǎo" (charging treasure) is an affectionate coinage far more common in speech than the formal "yídòng diànyuán"

  15. 我来取快递

    Wǒ lái qǔ kuàidì

    I am here to pick up a parcel

    Usage

    Chinese convenience stores double as parcel collection points. Online orders are delivered to a nearby shop instead of your home, and you collect them by showing the pickup code sent to your phone — handy on longer stays or in short-term rentals. Unlike Japan, utility bills are paid in apps such as Alipay and are not handled at the counter

    Grammar Note

    "Lái + verb" expresses purpose: "I have come to do X". Going the other way it becomes "qù qǔ kuàidì" (go and collect it). This serial-verb construction conveys purpose simply by ordering the verbs

  16. 这个饭团的保质期是今天吗？

    Zhège fàntuán de bǎozhìqī shì jīntiān ma?

    Does this rice ball have to be eaten today?

    Usage

    Chilled lunchboxes and rice balls have a short shelf life, with the label showing "bǎozhìqī zhì" (best before) down to the hour. Items nearing the deadline are sometimes discounted in the evening. "Shēngchǎn rìqī" means the production date

    Grammar Note

    "A de B" marks possession or association. "Bǎozhìqī" is built from "bǎo" (keep) + "zhì" (quality) + "qī" (period) and appears on almost every packaged product in China

  17. 有会员码吗？扫一下

    Yǒu huìyuán mǎ ma? Sǎo yīxià

    Do you have a membership code? Let me scan it

    Usage

    Said by staff. Chinese loyalty membership is not a plastic card but a QR code shown in the chain's WeChat mini-program or app. If you do not have one, just say "méiyǒu" — visitors can shop normally without signing up

    Grammar Note

    "Yǒu ... ma?" asks about possession, and the negative answer is always "méiyǒu" — never "bù yǒu". "Yǒu" is the one verb in Chinese that cannot be negated with "bù"

  18. 泡面的热水在哪里？

    Pàomiàn de rèshuǐ zài nǎlǐ?

    Where is the hot water for instant noodles?

    Usage

    Chinese convenience stores and supermarkets nearly always have a free hot-water dispenser so you can fill a pot noodle on the spot. The same dispensers appear in stations, airports and long-distance trains — an emblem of how readily hot water is available in China.

    Grammar Note

    "Pàomiàn" literally means noodles you steep in water. Taiwan uses the same word, whereas Hong Kong more often says "būi min" (cup noodles) or "jik sik min" (instant noodles)

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