How to order bubble tea in Chinese: sizes, sugar and ice

How do you order bubble tea in Chinese?

Order bubble tea in Chinese in four steps: the drink, the size, the sugar, the ice. Start with 我要 (wǒ yào, “I’d like”) and the drink, then add the rest:

• 我要一杯珍珠奶茶Unit 9

  wǒ yào yì bēi zhēn zhū nǎi chá

  I'd like a bubble tea

  The opener. 一杯 (yì bēi) is “one cup”: drinks take the measure word 杯 (bēi, “cup”).

• 大杯Unit 9

  dà bēi

  large (drink size)

  Then the size: 大杯 (dà bēi) (large), 中杯 (zhōng bēi) (medium) or 小杯 (xiǎo bēi) (small).

• 半糖去冰Unit 9

  bàn táng qù bīng

  Half sugar, no ice

  Then sugar and ice, sugar first. Half sugar, no ice is one of the most common orders you’ll hear.

• 外帶Unit 11

  wài dài

  to go / takeaway

  Finally, to go. For here is 內用 (nèi yòng).

Put together, a whole order sounds like 珍珠奶茶，大杯，半糖去冰，外帶。 (zhēn zhū nǎi chá, dà bēi, bàn táng qù bīng, wài dài, “bubble tea, large, half sugar, no ice, to go”). You don’t need full sentences at a drink shop: the cashier is waiting for exactly these words, and often asks for each one in turn if you leave it out.

How do you say sugar levels in Chinese?

Taiwan drink shops sell five common sugar levels: 全糖 (quán táng, “full sugar”), 少糖 (shǎo táng, “less sugar”), 半糖 (bàn táng, “half sugar”), 微糖 (wéi táng, “a little sugar”) and 無糖 (wú táng, “no sugar”). The percentages are the usual rule of thumb: each shop sets its own, and the real sweetness varies:

Some shops count in tenths instead: 三分糖 (sān fēn táng) is three-tenths sugar, about the same as 微糖 (wéi táng), and 一分糖 (yì fēn táng) is one-tenth, barely sweet. If you’re not sure, 半糖 (bàn táng) is a safe middle, and 無糖 (wú táng) is the usual way to order plain tea:

• 微糖Unit 11

  wéi táng

  a little sugar

• 無糖Unit 11

  wú táng

  no sugar

  Green-tea purists order 我要無糖綠茶 (wǒ yào wú táng lǜ chá, “I’d like an unsweetened green tea”).

How do you say ice levels in Chinese?

The ice levels are 正常冰 (zhèng cháng bīng, “regular ice”), 少冰 (shǎo bīng, “less ice”), 微冰 (wéi bīng, “a little ice”) and 去冰 (qù bīng, “no ice”). 去冰 (qù bīng) literally means “remove the ice”: the drink is still cold, just without ice cubes. You can also ask for it warm or hot:

• 少冰Unit 11

  shǎo bīng

  less ice

• 冰的Unit 9

  bīng de

  iced (drink)

  At a breakfast shop the question is just iced or hot, and 冰的 (bīng de) is the answer: “an iced one”, the natural short reply.

How do you say cup sizes in Chinese?

Cup sizes are 大杯 (dà bēi, “large”), 中杯 (zhōng bēi, “medium”) and 小杯 (xiǎo bēi, “small”). Many drink shops sell only two sizes, medium and large, and their menus often print them as M and L.

• 大杯Unit 9

  dà bēi

  large (drink size)

• 中杯Unit 11

  zhōng bēi

  medium (cup size)

• 小杯Unit 9

  xiǎo bēi

  small (drink size)

How do you pronounce 'milk tea' in Chinese?

Milk tea is 奶茶 (nǎi chá): 奶 (nǎi, “milk”) in the third tone, said low here because another tone follows, then 茶 (chá, “tea”) in the second tone, rising like a question. Bubble tea is 珍珠奶茶 (zhēn zhū nǎi chá), “pearl milk tea”, often shortened to 珍奶 (zhēn nǎi). Tap to hear them:

• 奶茶Unit 11

  nǎi chá

  milk tea

• 茶Unit 4

  chá

  tea

• 珍珠奶茶Unit 11

  zhēn zhū nǎi chá

  bubble milk tea

The English word “boba” comes from 波霸 (bō bà), the name Taiwan drink shops use for the large tapioca pearls. In Taiwan, the pearls are usually 珍珠 (zhēn zhū, “pearls”).

What will the drink shop ask you?

The shop asks about whatever you left out: for here or to go, iced or hot, sugar and ice, and whether you need a bag. These are the questions people ask you in CiaoSpeak’s Taiwan scenes, in their own voices, with an answer you can give:

• 內用還是外帶？Unit 9

  nèi yòng hái shì wài dài

  For here or to go?

  For here or to go? It’s an “A 還是 (hái shì, “or”) B” question, so answer with one of the two, not with yes or no. The breakfast-shop auntie asks it in the Speak tab.

• 外帶。Speak

  wàidài.

  To go.

• 要冰的還是熱的？Speak

  yào bīng de háishì rè de?

  Iced or hot?

• 冰的。Speak

  bīng de.

  Iced.

• 甜度冰塊？

  tián dù bīng kuài

  Sugar and ice? (how sweet, how much ice)

  The short version a busy cashier asks. Answer with both: 半糖少冰 (bàn táng shǎo bīng).

• 要袋子嗎？Speak

  yào dàizi ma?

  Do you need a bag?

  Do you need a bag? Asked at drink shops and convenience stores.

• 不用，謝謝。Speak

  búyòng, xièxie.

  No, thanks.

• 好，馬上來！Speak

  hǎo, mǎshàng lái!

  Okay, coming right up!

What else is on a Taiwan drink-shop menu?

Beyond bubble tea, a Taiwan drink-shop menu is mostly teas, milk teas, fruit teas and toppings. To add a topping, say 加 (jiā, “add”) and the topping: 加椰果 (jiā yē guǒ, “add coconut jelly”).

How can you practice ordering in Chinese out loud?

Practice by saying the whole order out loud, then answering the questions you’ll be asked, until it comes out without stopping. CiaoSpeak’s Chinese course teaches it in two lessons: “Ordering Bubble Tea” in Unit 9 (我要一杯珍珠奶茶 (wǒ yào yì bēi zhēn zhū nǎi chá), 半糖去冰 (bàn táng qù bīng), 內用還是外帶？ (nèi yòng hái shì wài dài)) and “Drink Shop Pro” in Unit 11 (中杯 (zhōng bēi), 微糖 (wéi táng), 無糖 (wú táng), 少冰 (shǎo bīng)), each word with audio in a Taiwan accent and pinyin or Zhuyin, your choice.

Then, in the Speak tab, the breakfast-shop auntie asks you 內用還是外帶？ (nèi yòng hái shì wài dài) and 要冰的還是熱的？ (yào bīng de hái shì rè de), and you answer by voice or by typing. The test is the one the auntie would use: did she understand you? Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today’s questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like.

Heading to Taiwan? Our Taiwan travel phrases cover the rest of the trip, and Taiwanese slang explains the casual words you’ll hear at the counter, like 好喔 (hǎo o, “OK!”).

Frequently asked questions

What does 半糖去冰 mean?

Half sugar, no ice. 半糖 (bàn táng) is half sugar, and 去冰 (qù bīng) means the ice is taken out, so the drink is still cold but has no ice cubes. It is one of the most common orders at Taiwan drink shops.

Is 去冰 the same as no ice?

Almost. 去冰 (qù bīng) means no ice cubes in the cup, but the drink is usually still chilled. If you want no ice used at all, some shops offer 完全去冰 (wán quán qù bīng), and 常溫 (cháng wēn) is room temperature.

How do you say bubble tea in Chinese?

Bubble tea is 珍珠奶茶 (zhēn zhū nǎi chá), literally pearl milk tea, often shortened to 珍奶 (zhēn nǎi). To order one, say 我要一杯珍珠奶茶 (wǒ yào yì bēi zhēn zhū nǎi chá), I would like a bubble tea.

Why is bubble tea called boba?

Boba comes from 波霸 (bō bà), the name Taiwan drink shops use for the large tapioca pearls. In the US it became the everyday word for the whole drink; in Taiwan, people usually call the pearls 珍珠 (zhēn zhū).