打包
dǎbāo
In Chinese, 'to go' is translated as 打包 (dǎbāo) when referring to food being served in a takeout container. Wiktionary also lists 帶走 / 带走 (dàizǒu).
Meaning: served in a takeout container (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 打包 | dǎbāo |
| 帶走 / 带走 | dàizǒu |
The term 打包 is commonly used when you have finished eating at a restaurant and want to pack your leftovers to take home. In contrast, other ways to express movement or departure include the formal 前往 (qián wǎng), which means to proceed to or towards a destination or the informal 走 (zǒu), which implies leaving or departing without a specified destination.
Which one should you use?
The form 帶走 / 带走 (dàizǒu) focuses on the customer's action of taking the food away with them.
How does it change in a sentence?
A natural way to express your intent to have food to go is by saying 我要打包 (Wǒ yào dǎbāo), which means 'I want to take it to go'.
How do you pronounce it?
dǎbāo
Did you know?
- The phrase 打包 (dǎbāo) literally translates to 'to wrap a package', which is the same term used for wrapping a gift or a parcel.
- In many Chinese-speaking regions, if you say you want to 打包 (dǎbāo), the waiter might automatically bring out a plastic bag, a box, and sometimes even rubber bands without you asking.
- If you are in a very casual street food setting, you might hear people simply say 打包 (dǎbāo) as a single noun to refer to the leftovers themselves, rather than the verb 'to pack'.
Examples in context
- 我明天去商店I will go to the store tomorrow.
- 你明天要去哪里？Where are you going tomorrow?
- 我要去医院看朋友。I'm going to the hospital to visit a friend.
- 我们一起去吃饭吧！Let's go eat together!
- 好的，走吧！Alright, let's go!
- 这些菜要打包。zhè xiē cài yào dǎ bāo.These dishes need to be taken to go.
- 可以帮我打包吗？kě yǐ bāng wǒ dǎ bāo ma?Can you help me pack this to go?
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Haoran are ordering food at a restaurant.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我们要在这里吃还是打包？wǒmen yào zài zhèlǐ chī háishì dǎbāo?Do we want to eat here or get it to go?
- 浩然 Haoran我想打包，这样回家也能吃。wǒ xiǎng dǎbāo, zhèyàng huíjiā yě néng chī.I want it to go, so I can eat when I get home.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好吧，那我们打包吧。hǎo ba, nà wǒmen dǎbāo ba.Okay, let's get it to go then.
- 浩然 Haoran谢谢晓雯。xièxiè xiǎowén.Thanks, Xiaowen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “to go” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
