Mandarin Monday: Up Your Burger Game With This Vocab

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | May 12, 2025 11:30 am | Add a comment | 155 reads

Mandarin Monday is a regular series where we help you improve your Chinese by detailing fun and practical phrases and characters.

With our Juicy Burger Fest just under three weeks away, you've still got some time to brush up on your Chinese vocab for ordering your perfect burger. From saying how you like your burger cooked to asking for specific toppings and condiments, these words and phrases are sure to up your burger game!

First up, burger is 汉堡 hànbǎo in Chinese, short for 汉堡包 hànbǎobāo – literally “Hamburg bun.” Just like in English, where most people just say “burger” instead of “hamburger,” in China, they just drop the second “bao.”

Burger Types

Whether you're team beef or plant-based, here are some of the most common types of burger in Chinese.

Beef burger: 牛肉汉堡 niúròu hànbǎo
Cheeseburger: 芝士汉堡 zhīshì hànbǎo or 奶酪汉堡 nǎilào hànbǎo
Bacon cheeseburger: 培根芝士汉堡 péigēn zhīshì hànbǎo or 培根奶酪汉堡 péigēn nǎilào hànbǎo
Chicken burger: 鸡肉汉堡 jīròu hànbǎo
Fish burger: 炸鱼汉堡 zhà yú hànbǎo
Pulled pork burger: 手撕猪肉汉堡 shǒusī zhūròu hànbǎo
Veggie burger: 素(食)汉堡 sù(shí) hànbǎo or 蔬菜汉堡 shūcài hànbǎo
Double patty burger: 双层汉堡 shuāngcéng hànbǎo

Simple Burger Phrases

Can I order a burger? 我可以点个汉堡吗？wǒ kěyǐ diǎn gè hànbǎo ma?
I’d like a classic burger. 我想点经典汉堡。wǒ xiǎng diǎn jīngdiǎn hànbǎo.
What is your signature burger? 招牌汉堡是什么？zhāopái hànbǎo shì shénme?
Do you have veggie burger? 你们有素汉堡吗？nǐmen yǒu sù hànbǎo ma?

Common Burger Ingredients and Add-Ons

Patty: 肉饼 ròubǐng
Burger bun: 汉堡胚 hànbǎo pēi
Bacon: 培根 péigēn
Cheese: 芝士 zhīshì or 奶酪 nǎilào
Lettuce: 生菜 shēngcài
Tomato: 西红柿 xīhóngshì or 番茄 fānqié
Pickles: 酸黄瓜 suān huángguā
Onion: 洋葱 yángcōng
Fried egg: 煎蛋 jiāndàn
Onion rings: 洋葱圈 yángcōngquān
Avocado: 牛油果 niúyóuguǒ
Pineapple: 菠萝 bōluó

Sauces

Ketchup: 番茄酱 fānqiéjiàng
Mustard: 芥末酱 jièmòjiàng
Mayonnaise: 蛋黄酱 dànhuángjiàng
BBQ sauce: 烧烤酱 shāokǎojiàng
Hot sauce: 辣酱 làjiàng

Customizing Your Burger

Being able to tweak your burger is essential. Here are some key phrases.

How do you like your patty cooked? 肉饼要几成熟？ròubǐng yào jǐchéng shú?

Medium rare: 三分熟 sānfēn shú
Medium: 五分熟 wǔfēn shú
Medium well: 七分熟 qīfēn shú
Well done: 全熟 quánshú

Don’t add: 别放 bié fàng / 不要放 bùyào fàng
Example: Please don't add ketchup: 请别放番茄酱。 qǐng bié fàng fānqié jiàng.

Add more: 多放 duōfàng
Example: Please add more cheese. 请多放芝士 qǐng duōfàng zhīshì

Add less: 少放 shǎofàng
Example: Please go light on the sauce. 请少放酱 qǐng shǎofàng jiàng

Please put all the sauces on the side. 请把酱料放在一边。qǐng bǎ jiàngliào fàng zài yībiān.

Can the burger be cut in half? 汉堡可以切半吗？Hànbǎo kěyǐ qiē bàn ma?

So, next time you're at your favorite burger joint in Beijing, or at the Juicy Burger Fest, try out some of these handy phrases!

Juicy Burger Fest will be taking place at XidianJiYi Funstown May 31-Jun 2 from 11am to 9pm. Standard Early Bird Tickets are RMB 25, Premium Early Bird Tickets are RMB 35, VIP Tickets are RMB 100 and Standard/On-Site Tickets are RMB 35. You can purchase tickets by scanning the QR code in the poster above.

The Venue

This year's Juicy Burger Fest will be returning once again to XidianJiYi Funstown, and here's a bit more information about this great cultural hub. Located just east of Guomao in Gaobeidian, XidianJiYi Funstown is all about being stylish and trendy, with a high-end and cutting-edge vibe that blends creativity, fashion and art. It's not just about showing off your personal style and looking good; it's also about embracing a cultural way of life and mindset.

The venue values originality and innovative thinking, drawing in many talented cultural and creative designers and fashion-conscious brand names, making it the perfect spot for fashion pioneers and trendsetters to gather and be inspired.

XIDIANJIYI FunsTown西店记忆funstown
18 Fangjiacun, Gaobeidian, Chaoyang District
朝阳区高碑店乡方家村甲18号

To take a look at all the fun from last year's fest, scan the QR code below!

If you'd like to stay up-to-date with everything burger-related in the capital, join one of our dedicated Burger Lovers group chats! Simply add TBJButler on WeChat by scanning the QR code below, and request to become a member.