我不吃辣 I Do Not Eat Spicy Food in Chinese

今天jīntiān中午zhōngwǔ，我wǒ和hé同事tóngshì一起yìqǐ去qù饭馆fànguǎn吃chī午饭wǔfàn。

Today at noon, my colleague and I went to a restaurant together for lunch.

服务员fúwùyuán拿ná来lái菜单càidān，问wèn我们wǒmen想xiǎng吃chī什么shénme菜cài。

The waiter brought the menu and asked what dishes we wanted to eat.

同事tóngshì很hěn喜欢xǐhuan吃chī辣là，他tā点diǎn了le一个yí ge特别tèbié辣là的de菜cài。

My colleague loves spicy food, and he ordered an especially spicy dish.

我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ不bù吃chī辣là，你们nǐmen点diǎn吧ba，我wǒ自己zìjǐ再zài点diǎn一个yí gè。”

I said, "I don't eat spicy food — you two order, I'll get something of my own."

我wǒ问wèn服务员fúwùyuán：“这个zhège菜cài辣là不bú辣là？”服务员fúwùyuán说shuō：“不bú辣là，你nǐ放心fàngxīn。”

I asked the waiter: "Is this dish spicy?" The waiter said: "Not spicy — don't worry."

菜cài送sòng来lái以后yǐhòu，同事tóngshì一边yìbiān吃chī，一边yìbiān喝hē水shuǐ。

After the food arrived, my colleague drank water the whole time while eating.

我wǒ的de菜cài一点儿yìdiǎnr都dōu不bú辣là，很hěn好吃hǎochī，我wǒ一个人yí ge rén吃完chīwán了le。

My dish wasn't spicy at all — it was delicious, and I finished it all by myself.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

辣làspicy

菜单càidānmenu

放心fàngxīnto rest assured; not to worry

一点儿yìdiǎnra little; a bit

一个人yí ge rénalone; by oneself

喜欢xǐhuanto like

A不A？ (yes/no question with a repeated verb/adjective)

Repeating a verb or adjective with 不 in between makes a yes/no question, e.g. 辣不辣 'is it spicy or not.'

这个菜辣不辣？— Is this dish spicy?

一点儿都不 + adjective (not ... at all)

一点儿都不 before an adjective emphasizes a complete absence of that quality.

我的菜一点儿都不辣。— My dish wasn't spicy at all.

一边 A，一边 B (to do A while doing B)

一边 before two verb phrases shows both actions happening at the same time.

同事一边吃，一边喝水。— My colleague drank water while eating.

1. Why did the narrator ask the waiter if the dish was spicy?

2. What did the colleague do while eating the spicy dish?

3. How was the narrator's own dish in the end?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.