菜單 / 菜单
càidān
The English word "menu" is translated into Chinese as 菜單 / 菜单 (càidān). Wiktionary also lists 餐牌 (cānpái) and 菜譜 / 菜谱 (càipǔ).
Meaning: list of dishes offered in a restaurant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 菜單 / 菜单 | càidān |
| 餐牌 | cānpái |
| 菜譜 / 菜谱 | càipǔ |
A menu refers to the list of dishes offered in a restaurant. When you are using a 菜單 / 菜单 to select your meal, the common verb used for the action of ordering food is 點菜 (diǎncài).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 菜單 is composed of 菜 (dish or vegetable) and 單 (list or bill).
Which one should you use?
菜單 / 菜单 is the standard term used in Mainland China for a restaurant menu. While 菜譜 / 菜谱 can mean a menu, it more frequently refers to a collection of recipes or a cookbook.
Is it said differently in some regions?
菜單 / 菜单 is the standard term used in Mainland China.
How do you pronounce it?
càidān
Did you know?
- The word 菜譜 (càipǔ) uses the character 譜 (pǔ), which also refers to a musical score, suggesting that a recipe is like a composition for the kitchen.
- In traditional Chinese banquets, the 菜單 is often not a list for the guest to choose from, but a printed list of the specific dishes the host has already pre-selected for the group.
- In the digital age, the phrase 掃碼點餐 (sǎo mǎ diǎn cān) has largely replaced physical 菜單 in many Chinese cities, as customers scan a QR code to view the menu on their phones.
Examples in context
- 你们有菜单吗？(Nǐmen yǒu càidān ma?)Do you have a menu?
- 请给我餐单。(Qǐng gěi wǒ cāndān.)Please give me the menu.
- 我们现在可以点菜吗？(Wǒmen xiànzài kěyǐ diǎn cài ma?)Can we order now?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “menu” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
