Cafe menu sign in Chinese. Can you read it?
Cafe menu sign in Chinese. Can you read it?
Hey friends, today I'm breaking down a cafe menu sign in Chinese. Do you know what it says?
Learning to read real-world Chinese material drastically improved my confidence because it's the same material native speakers see every day.
Below is the 4-step method I use to remember everything I study.
Step 1: First Pass
Try to read the original print without help and check how much you understand. Identify any new words you don't know.
Step 2: Study + Analyze
Study the transcribed text below with the pinyin and English translations. Look up new words you don't understand.
💡 Tip: View in Chrome and get pop-up definitions when you hover over characters.
💡 Tip: Click on the pinyin below to hear correct audio pronunciation.
菜单
菜單
càidān
Menu
无需 画单
無需 畫單
wúxū huà dān
No need to mark (menu)
请 自取
請 自取
qǐng zìqǔ
Please take yourself
***Full vocabulary list here.
Step 3: Active Recall
Most people stop at the second step. This third repetition is crucial to help you consolidate your knowledge using the power of active recall.
Read out loud this time without the pinyin. Focus on getting the right tones.
菜单
菜單
Menu
无需 画单
無需畫單
No need to mark (menu)
请 自取
請自取
Please take yourself
Step 4: Final Pass
Read the original text one more time without the pinyin and English translations to help.
Did you get your tones right?
Were you able to understand it without the pinyin and translations?
👍 Congrats, you just read a real Chinese sign!
👎 No worries, return to Step 2 and try again.
This 4-step method is so effective because of the power of repetition and active recall. I used this same method to help me have multi-hour-long conversations with native speakers in 4 months of study. If you want to be like native speakers, it makes sense to consume what they consume.
See you again next week for another real-life example.
When you're ready:
Here are three ways I can help you: