Choose food and a drink

Printable paper with separate answer pages Step-by-step lessons

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

Choose food and a drink

Ask what someone wants to eat and drink.

Before you start: Recall want / think / miss想xiǎng followed by an action and at / in在zài before an ongoing action. Recognise variant of 吃吃chī, eat, and to shout喝hē, drink; food and drink meanings are supplied in each fresh task.

Build the meaning

want / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chī says what someone would like to eat. at / in在zàivariant of 吃吃chī describes eating in progress. Compare I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi and I / me我wǒat / in在zài吃饺子chī jiǎo zi.

Ask variant of 吃吃chīwhat什么shén me or to shout喝hēwhat什么shén me for the missing food or drink; reply with that information rather than a bare yes.

Work through a decision

Compare I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi – I would like to eat dumplings – with I / me我wǒat / in在zàivariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn – I am eating rice. want / think / miss想xiǎng introduces the wish; at / in在zài before variant of 吃吃chī presents an action in progress. The two sentences can both be true: what someone wants is not necessarily what they are currently eating.

Compare: unexpectedly不想bù xiǎngto drink tea喝茶hē chá says someone does not want tea; not不bùto drink tea喝茶hē chá says they do not drink tea in the relevant situation or habit. Neither sentence by itself identifies the drink they choose instead. Do not turn a rejected option into a positive choice of water.

Useful words in context

variant of 吃吃chī chī – eat. I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎngto have a meal吃饭chī fàn。
to shout喝hē hē – drink. I / me我wǒ喝水hē shuǐ。
dumpling饺子jiǎo zi jiǎozi – dumplings. I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi。
water水shuǐ shuǐ – water. 我要wǒ yào一杯yī bēiwater水shuǐ。
want / think / miss想xiǎng xiǎng – would like to. you你nǐwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chīwhat什么shén me？

Listen before reading the script

Ask a partner to read the listening script from the answer section while you keep it covered. Then attempt the listening question. If you work alone without audio, use the script for reading practice; it is not a listening test.

Read a different account

Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìwant / think / miss想xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi。林安想lín ān xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn。两个liǎng gèperson人rénall / both都dōu喝水hē shuǐ。they他们tā mennoon中午zhōng wǔat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoto have a meal吃饭chī fàn。

Try the reading question before checking the English meaning in the answer section.

Speak with a partner

Ask a partner what they want to eat and drink. Repeat their choices to check you understood.

Check the distinction: I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chī means I want to eat, not I am eating now. Do not treat wanting and ongoing action as the same.

Learn step by step · Practise and review.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

Choose food and a drink

0501.1 Listening. Which drink does the speaker choose?

A. water水shuǐ
B. tea茶chá
C. (cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn

0501.2 Reading. What do Wang Li and Lin An both do?

A. Eat rice
B. Eat dumplings
C. Drink water

0501.3 Complete “What would you like to eat?”: you你nǐwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chī…………？

0501.4 Match each word with its meaning in this unit.

1. variant of 吃吃chī
1. to shout喝hē
1. dumpling饺子jiǎo zi
1. water水shuǐ
1. want / think / miss想xiǎng
A. drink
B. dumplings
C. would like to
D. eat
E. water

0501.5 Write a lunch choice: one food and one drink. Then state the place you eat.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

0501.6 you你nǐwant / think / miss想xiǎngto shout喝hēwhat什么shén me？want / think / miss想xiǎngto shout喝hē means would like to drink and what什么shén me means what. Which reply supplies a drink?

A. tea茶chá – tea
B. school学校xué xiào – school
C. dumpling饺子jiǎo zi – dumplings

0501.7 I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎng喝水hē shuǐ，unexpectedly不想bù xiǎngto drink tea喝茶hē chá。water水shuǐ means water and tea茶chá means tea. First separate the wish from the rejected option. Which drink does the speaker say they want?

A. Tea
B. Water
C. Both tea and water

0501.8 Read: 林安lín ānat / in在zàivariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn。she / her她tāwant / think / miss想xiǎng喝水hē shuǐ，unexpectedly不想bù xiǎng喝咖啡hē kā fēi。(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn means rice, water水shuǐ water and coffee (loanword)咖啡kā fēi coffee. Which account keeps action and wishes distinct?

A. She wants rice, is drinking water and does not want coffee.
B. She is eating rice, wants water and does not want coffee.
C. She is eating rice, is drinking water and does not want coffee.

0501.9 Use Mandarin for the new sentences or dialogue. You may explain your reasoning in English. Write a fictional café exchange: one person asks what food and drink the other wants. Give a choice, reject a different drink and separately say what the person is eating now. Speak both roles or work with a partner; keep current action and preference clear.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A friend asks you你nǐto drink tea喝茶hē cháor / still还是hái shìwater水shuǐ？ A learner replies to be / is是shì. Why does it fail to answer the choice?

R2. Use it yourself. Politely request one cup of tea and say that you do not want coffee.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.

Open the answers after your attempt

Answers and explanations

Check after your attempt. For open tasks, compare the message and the stated criteria, then revise one detail.

Choose food and a drink

0501.1 B. tea茶chá

I / me我wǒto drink tea喝茶hē chá identifies tea as the drink.

0501.2 C. Drink water

两个liǎng gèperson人rénall / both都dōu喝水hē shuǐ says both drink water, although they choose different foods.

0501.3 what什么shén me

what什么shén me asks for the food.

0501.4 1–D: variant of 吃吃chī = eat; 2–A: to shout喝hē = drink; 3–B: dumpling饺子jiǎo zi = dumplings; 4–E: water水shuǐ = water; 5–C: want / think / miss想xiǎng = would like to

Use the example sentences to check each word’s meaning in context.

0501.5 One possible response: I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi，喝水hē shuǐ。I / me我wǒat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoto have a meal吃饭chī fàn。

Check meaning and form:

Name a food and a drink.
Use want / think / miss想xiǎng for the choice.
Give a place with at / in在zài.

Compare the meaning and structure with the checklist. Your own response may differ from the model.

0501.6 A. tea茶chá – tea

Tea is a drink and answers the requested information. Dumplings are food and school is a place. A bare yes would also fail to identify what the person wants to drink.

0501.7 B. Water

want / think / miss想xiǎng喝水hē shuǐ states the positive wish; unexpectedly不想bù xiǎngto drink tea喝茶hē chá rejects tea. Choosing both ignores not不bù. This reports a preference, not proof that the water has already been served or drunk.

0501.8 B. She is eating rice, wants water and does not want coffee.

at / in在zàivariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn marks eating in progress. want / think / miss想xiǎng喝水hē shuǐ states a wish, not proof that drinking has begun; unexpectedly不想bù xiǎng喝咖啡hē kā fēi rejects coffee. Both incorrect options turn the water wish into current drinking, and the last also turns current eating into a wish.

0501.9 One possible response: One possible exchange: you你nǐwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chīwhat什么shén me，to shout喝hēwhat什么shén me？I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi，to drink tea喝茶hē chá，unexpectedly不想bù xiǎng喝咖啡hē kā fēi。I / me我wǒnow现在xiàn zàiat / in在zàivariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn。The speaker wants dumplings and tea, declines coffee and is currently eating rice. now现在xiàn zài means now. Other coherent combinations are valid, even if current food differs from the wish.

How to revise: If your account turns a wish into current eating, check the word before variant of 吃吃chī. If the reply leaves the choice unknown, name the requested item. Compare the meanings of your own exchange with the checklist; the model is one possibility.

Check meaning and form:

Ask for the missing food and drink information.
State a positive choice and a clear rejection.
Use at / in在zàivariant of 吃吃chī for the current action and want / think / miss想xiǎng for a wish.
Avoid claiming the desired item has already been served unless you state that separately.
Write or speak the requested sentences, questions or dialogue in Mandarin; optional English reasoning does not replace them.

If your account turns a wish into current eating, check the word before variant of 吃吃chī. If the reply leaves the choice unknown, name the requested item. Compare the meanings of your own exchange with the checklist; the model is one possibility.

Listening script and meaning

I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn，unexpectedly不想bù xiǎng吃饺子chī jiǎo zi。I / me我wǒto drink tea喝茶hē chá。

I want rice, not dumplings. I drink tea.

Reading meaning

Wang Li wants dumplings. Lin An wants rice. Both drink water. They eat at school at noon.

Speaking model

A: you你nǐwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chīwhat什么shén me？ B: I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎngvariant of 吃吃chī(cooked) rice米饭mǐ fàn。 A: to shout喝hēwhat什么shén me？ B: water水shuǐ。

Compare the intended message first. Ask a listener to comment on intelligibility and pronunciation; matching the written model does not establish speaking accuracy.

Fresh-situation answers

R1. The question asks for a choice, not yes or no. Answer I / me我wǒto drink tea喝茶hē chá or I / me我wǒ喝水hē shuǐ. The question's alternatives, not an English habit of saying yes, determine the response.

R2. One possible response. to ask请qǐngto / for / give给gěiI / me我wǒ一杯yī bēitea茶chá。I / me我wǒdon't不要bú yàocoffee (loanword)咖啡kā fēi。trophy cup杯bēi names the serving; don't不要bú yào states the choice. A valid response can use another polite request with the same meaning.