Printable Reference
Common Chinese Menu Characters Cheat Sheet
A compact guide to common Chinese menu characters for meats, cooking methods, noodles, rice, spice, and sauces.
Cheat sheet
| Term or zone | What it usually means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 鸡 | Chicken | Often read as ji in Mandarin. |
| 牛 | Beef | Often read as niu in Mandarin. |
| 猪 | Pork | Often read as zhu in Mandarin. |
| 虾 | Shrimp | Shellfish signal. |
| 面 | Noodles or wheat-based dough | Often wheat unless otherwise specified. |
| 饭 | Rice or rice dish | Often safer than noodles for gluten, but sauces still matter. |
| 辣 | Spicy | Heat signal. |
| 汤 | Soup | Ask about broth base. |
Print this page
Use your browser's print command to save or print this reference. The print stylesheet removes navigation and advertising areas so the table remains usable.