Shanghai is a paradise for food lovers! From steaming soup dumplings (小笼包) to late-night street snacks, the city's food scene is as exciting as its skyline. In this episode, we’ll take you through a perfect day in Shanghai, focusing on restaurant conversations, ordering food, and paying the bill—all in Mandarin!

You'll learn:
✔️ How to order food politely and sound natural in a Chinese restaurant 🥟
✔️ How to ask for the bill & pay like a local 🧾💰
✔️ How to get around and visit famous places like The Bund (外滩) and Yu Garden (豫园) 🏙

🎧 Plus, we cover an important grammar point of the day and practical sentence examples so you can start using these phrases right away!

💡 Check the episode description for today’s key vocabulary and grammar—it will help you review!

🌍 Whether you’re traveling soon or just dreaming of a trip to Shanghai, this episode will make sure you’re food & travel ready in Mandarin!

🎧 Listen now & start your Shanghai adventure! ✨

📚 Grammar of the Day: “我要…” vs. “我想要…” (How to Order Food Politely 🍽)

When ordering food in Mandarin, there are two main ways to say "I want…":

👉 我要 + [food/drink] – "I want [something]." (Casual & direct)
👉 我想要 + [food/drink] – "I would like [something]." (More polite)

💡 What’s the difference?

• 我要 (wǒ yào) is direct and commonly used but can sound a little strong.
• 我想要 (wǒ xiǎng yào) is softer and more polite, similar to saying "I would like" instead of "I want."

🔹 Examples:

• 我要一份小笼包。 (Wǒ yào yī fèn xiǎolóngbāo.) – I want an order of soup dumplings. 🥟 (Casual)
• 我想要一碗牛肉面。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào yī wǎn niúròu miàn.) – I would like a bowl of beef noodles. 🍜 (More polite)
• 请给我菜单。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ càidān.) – Please give me the menu. 📜 (Very polite)

• 外滩 (Wàitān) – The Bund
• 豫园 (Yùyuán) – Yu Garden
• 新天地 (Xīntiāndì) – Xintiandi

• 餐厅 (cāntīng) – Restaurant
• 菜单 (càidān) – Menu
• 小笼包 (xiǎolóngbāo) – Soup dumplings
• 服务员 (fúwùyuán) – Waiter/Waitress

• 结账 (jiézhàng) – To pay the bill
• 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo) – Alipay
• AA制 (AA zhì) – Splitting the bill

• 酒吧 (jiǔbā) – Bar
• 鸡尾酒 (jīwěijiǔ) – Cocktail

📌 Key Vocabulary & Sentence Examples 📝🏙 Famous Places in Shanghai🍜 Restaurants & Ordering Food💰 Asking for the Bill & Paying🍸 Drinks & Nightlife