Lesson 3 – At the Restaurant
要 (yào) — "want" or "need"
Use 要 before a verb to say "want to (do something)" or before a noun to say "want (something)."
和 (hé) — "and"
"和" connects nouns, not clauses. For connecting sentences, use different structures.
Measure words (量词)
Chinese uses "measure words" between a number and a noun — like saying "a cup of tea" instead of "a tea." Each category of objects has its own measure word: 杯 (bēi) for cups/glasses, 碗 (wǎn) for bowls, 个 (gè) for general items. Getting the wrong measure word is a common beginner mistake, but people will understand you!
Splitting the bill in China
In Chinese culture, fighting over who pays the bill (抢着买单 qiǎngzhe mǎidān) is a common social ritual. It's considered polite to insist on paying, especially if you invited someone. Splitting the bill (AA制 AA zhì) is more common among younger friends but still less common than in Western culture.