Languages › Mandarin Ordering Beverages Share Flipboard Email Print Mandarin Vocabulary Mandarin History and Culture Pronunciation Understanding Chinese Characters By Qiu Gui Su Qiu Gui Su Chinese Language Expert Qiu Gui Su is a native Mandarin speaker who has taught Mandarin Chinese for over 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on November 04, 2019 China's most famous beverage is tea, and rightly so. The Chinese have been cultivating tea for thousands of years, and the methods for processing tea have remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. There are many types of tea within the three main categories: green tea, oolong tea and black tea. Any visit to China or Taiwan is not complete without a sampling of the fine tea that's available. More Than Tea But tea is not the only drink you can buy. There are all kinds of fruit juices, soft drinks, beers and wines to sample. Non-alcoholic drinks are available at coffee shops and tea stands, and bars and restaurants also serve beer, wine, and liquor. Many drinks are served sweetened, but you can also order them without sugar (bù jiā táng) or with just a bit of sugar (bàn táng). Coffee is usually served with creamer and bags of sugar on the side. Green tea and oolong tea are usually served without sugar or milk. Black tea with milk is called "milk tea," and may be sweetened according to taste. Here are some popular beverages you will find in China and Taiwan. Click on the link in the Pinyin column to hear the pronunciation. English Pinyin Traditional Characters Simplified Characters Tea chá 茶 茶 Black tea hóng chá 紅茶 红茶 Oolong tea wūlóng chá 烏龍茶 乌龙茶 Green tea lǜ chá 綠茶 绿茶 Coffee kāfēi 咖啡 咖啡 Black coffee hēi kāfēi 黑咖啡 黑咖啡 Cream nǎi jīng 奶精 奶精 Sugar táng 糖 糖 No sugar bù jiā táng 不加糖 不加糖 Half sugar bàn táng 半糖 半糖 Milk niú nǎi 牛奶 牛奶 Juice guǒ zhī 果汁 果汁 Orange juice liǔchéng zhī 柳橙汁 柳橙汁 Apple juice píngguǒ zhī 蘋果汁 苹果汁 Pineapple juice fènglí zhī 鳳梨汁 凤梨汁 Lemonade níngméng zhī 檸檬汁 柠檬汁 Watermelon juice xīguā zhī 西瓜汁 西瓜汁 Soft drinks yǐn liào 飲料 饮料 Cola kělè 可樂 可乐 Water kāi shuǐ 開水 开水 Mineral water kuàng quán shuǐ 礦泉水 矿泉水 Ice water bīng shuǐ 冰水 冰水 Ice bīng 冰 冰 Beer píjiǔ 啤酒 啤酒 Wine pútáo jiǔ 葡萄酒 葡萄酒 Red Wine hóng jiǔ 紅酒 红酒 White wine bái jiǔ 白酒 白酒 Sparkling wine qìpāo jiǔ 氣泡酒 气泡酒 Champagne xiāng bīn 香檳 香槟 Wine list jiǔ dān 酒單 酒单 I would like ... . Wǒ yào ... . 我要... 我要... . I will have this. Wǒ yào zhègè. 我要這個。 我要这个。 Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Su, Qiu Gui. "Ordering Beverages." ThoughtCo, Jan. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/ordering-beverages-2279592. Su, Qiu Gui. (2020, January 29). Ordering Beverages. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/ordering-beverages-2279592 Su, Qiu Gui. "Ordering Beverages." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/ordering-beverages-2279592 (accessed April 1, 2023). copy citation By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies