Chinese Drinks Vocabulary For Beginners: 50+ Useful Drink Names And Phrases

Learn how to talk about drinks in simplified Chinese: 饮料 yǐnliào. From water and tea to bubble tea and yogurt drinks, this is the everyday vocabulary people actually use.

Good news: ordering a drink in Chinese is much easier than decoding a coffee shop menu that thinks foam is a personality trait.

When beginners search for “drinks in Chinese,” they usually want the words they will see on menus, in supermarkets, and in real conversations. So that is exactly what this guide does.

Every key item below includes the simplified Chinese, pinyin with tone marks, the English meaning, and a real example sentence. No mystery. No textbook fog. Just useful Chinese you can actually say before your drink gets warm.

Start With The Big Word

饮料 yǐnliào — drink; beverage

Example: 我想买一瓶饮料。
wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì píng yǐnliào.
I want to buy a bottle of drink.

喝 hē — to drink
我每天喝很多水。
wǒ měitiān hē hěn duō shuǐ.
I drink a lot of water every day.
点 diǎn — to order
我想点一杯热咖啡。
wǒ xiǎng diǎn yì bēi rè kāfēi.
I want to order a hot coffee.
杯 bēi — cup; glass
给我一杯茶。
gěi wǒ yì bēi chá.
Give me a cup of tea.
瓶 píng — bottle
我买了一瓶可乐。
wǒ mǎi le yì píng kělè.
I bought a bottle of cola.

Most Common Chinese Drink Words

水

shuǐ

water

我现在想喝水。
wǒ xiànzài xiǎng hē shuǐ.
I want to drink water now.

茶

chá

tea

我爷爷喜欢喝茶。
wǒ yéye xǐhuān hē chá.
My grandpa likes drinking tea.

咖啡

kāfēi

coffee

他早上一定要喝咖啡。
tā zǎoshang yídìng yào hē kāfēi.
He has to drink coffee in the morning.

奶茶

nǎichá

milk tea

她最喜欢的饮料是奶茶。
tā zuì xǐhuān de yǐnliào shì nǎichá.
Her favorite drink is milk tea.

牛奶

niúnǎi

milk

小孩子常常喝牛奶。
xiǎo háizi chángcháng hē niúnǎi.
Children often drink milk.

果汁

guǒzhī

juice

早餐的时候，我喜欢喝果汁。
zǎocān de shíhou, wǒ xǐhuān hē guǒzhī.
I like to drink juice at breakfast.

汽水

qìshuǐ

soda

天气热的时候，他会喝冰汽水。
tiānqì rè de shíhou, tā huì hē bīng qìshuǐ.
When it is hot, he drinks cold soda.

啤酒

píjiǔ

beer

他晚上有时候喝一点啤酒。
tā wǎnshang yǒu shíhou hē yìdiǎn píjiǔ.
He sometimes drinks a little beer at night.

A Tiny But Useful Note

茶 chá is tea in general. 奶茶 nǎichá is milk tea. 果汁 guǒzhī is juice. 汽水 qìshuǐ is soda. Once you know those building blocks, menus stop looking quite so dramatic.

Useful Chinese Drink Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

我想喝水。 wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ. — I want to drink water.
我运动以后总想喝水。
wǒ yùndòng yǐhòu zǒng xiǎng hē shuǐ.
After exercising, I always want to drink water.
你喝什么？ nǐ hē shénme? — What are you drinking?
你喝什么？咖啡还是茶？
nǐ hē shénme? kāfēi háishi chá?
What are you drinking? Coffee or tea?
我要一杯咖啡。 wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi. — I want a cup of coffee.
早上我要一杯咖啡，不然我不想说话。
zǎoshang wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi, bùrán wǒ bù xiǎng shuōhuà.
In the morning I want a cup of coffee, or I do not want to talk.
给我一瓶可乐。 gěi wǒ yì píng kělè. — Give me a bottle of cola.
天气太热了，给我一瓶可乐吧。
tiānqì tài rè le, gěi wǒ yì píng kělè ba.
It is too hot, give me a bottle of cola.
这个奶茶太甜了。 zhège nǎichá tài tián le. — This milk tea is too sweet.
我下次要少糖，这个奶茶太甜了。
wǒ xiàcì yào shǎo táng, zhège nǎichá tài tián le.
Next time I want less sugar; this milk tea is too sweet.
我不喝酒。 wǒ bù hē jiǔ. — I do not drink alcohol.
谢谢，我不喝酒，我喝茶就好。
xièxie, wǒ bù hē jiǔ, wǒ hē chá jiù hǎo.
Thanks, I do not drink alcohol. Tea is fine for me.
来一杯热茶。 lái yì bēi rè chá. — A cup of hot tea, please.
外面很冷，来一杯热茶吧。
wàimiàn hěn lěng, lái yì bēi rè chá ba.
It is cold outside, let’s get a cup of hot tea.
我要冰的。 wǒ yào bīng de. — I want it iced.
柠檬水我要冰的。
níngméng shuǐ wǒ yào bīng de.
I want the lemon water iced.
我要热的。 wǒ yào rè de. — I want it hot.
冬天的时候，我的咖啡要热的。
dōngtiān de shíhou, wǒ de kāfēi yào rè de.
In winter, I want my coffee hot.
少糖。 shǎo táng. — less sugar
我点奶茶的时候常说少糖。
wǒ diǎn nǎichá de shíhou cháng shuō shǎo táng.
When I order milk tea, I often say “less sugar.”
不加冰。 bù jiā bīng. — no ice
今天喉咙不舒服，所以我要不加冰。
jīntiān hóulóng bù shūfu, suǒyǐ wǒ yào bù jiā bīng.
My throat does not feel good today, so I want no ice.
可以打包吗？ kěyǐ dǎbāo ma? — Can I take it to go?
我赶时间，可以打包吗？
wǒ gǎn shíjiān, kěyǐ dǎbāo ma?
I am in a hurry. Can I take it to go?

Tea And Coffee Drinks In Chinese

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
绿茶	lǜchá	green tea	她下午喜欢喝绿茶。	tā xiàwǔ xǐhuān hē lǜchá.	She likes to drink green tea in the afternoon.
红茶	hóngchá	black tea	我早餐常喝红茶。	wǒ zǎocān cháng hē hóngchá.	I often drink black tea for breakfast.
乌龙茶	wūlóngchá	oolong tea	我爸爸很爱喝乌龙茶。	wǒ bàba hěn ài hē wūlóngchá.	My dad loves drinking oolong tea.
花茶	huāchá	flower tea	她觉得花茶很香。	tā juéde huāchá hěn xiāng.	She thinks flower tea smells nice.
奶茶	nǎichá	milk tea	我们下班后去买奶茶吧。	wǒmen xiàbān hòu qù mǎi nǎichá ba.	Let’s go buy milk tea after work.
珍珠奶茶	zhēnzhū nǎichá	bubble tea	我妹妹最爱珍珠奶茶。	wǒ mèimei zuì ài zhēnzhū nǎichá.	My younger sister loves bubble tea most.
冰美式	bīng měishì	iced Americano	夏天很多人喝冰美式。	xiàtiān hěn duō rén hē bīng měishì.	Many people drink iced Americanos in summer.
拿铁	nátiě	latte	我今天早上点了一杯拿铁。	wǒ jīntiān zǎoshang diǎn le yì bēi nátiě.	I ordered a latte this morning.

Water, Juice, And Soft Drinks In Chinese

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
白开水	báikāishuǐ	plain boiled water	中国家里常常喝白开水。	zhōngguó jiālǐ chángcháng hē báikāishuǐ.	People in China often drink plain boiled water at home.
矿泉水	kuàngquánshuǐ	mineral water	旅行的时候我会买矿泉水。	lǚxíng de shíhou wǒ huì mǎi kuàngquánshuǐ.	I buy mineral water when traveling.
苏打水	sūdǎshuǐ	sparkling water; soda water	他晚饭时喜欢喝苏打水。	tā wǎnfàn shí xǐhuān hē sūdǎshuǐ.	He likes drinking sparkling water at dinner.
柠檬水	níngméng shuǐ	lemon water	我早上先喝一杯柠檬水。	wǒ zǎoshang xiān hē yì bēi níngméng shuǐ.	I drink a cup of lemon water first in the morning.
橙汁	chéngzhī	orange juice	小朋友很喜欢橙汁。	xiǎo péngyou hěn xǐhuān chéngzhī.	Kids really like orange juice.
苹果汁	píngguǒzhī	apple juice	这家店的苹果汁很新鲜。	zhè jiā diàn de píngguǒzhī hěn xīnxiān.	The apple juice at this shop is very fresh.
西瓜汁	xīguāzhī	watermelon juice	夏天喝西瓜汁很舒服。	xiàtiān hē xīguāzhī hěn shūfu.	Watermelon juice is very refreshing in summer.
可乐	kělè	cola	他吃汉堡的时候总喝可乐。	tā chī hànbǎo de shíhou zǒng hē kělè.	He always drinks cola when eating burgers.

Milk And Breakfast Drinks In Chinese

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
牛奶	niúnǎi	milk	我每天早上喝牛奶。	wǒ měitiān zǎoshang hē niúnǎi.	I drink milk every morning.
热牛奶	rè niúnǎi	hot milk	睡觉前她会喝热牛奶。	shuìjiào qián tā huì hē rè niúnǎi.	She drinks hot milk before sleeping.
巧克力牛奶	qiǎokèlì niúnǎi	chocolate milk	孩子们很喜欢巧克力牛奶。	háizimen hěn xǐhuān qiǎokèlì niúnǎi.	Children really like chocolate milk.
豆浆	dòujiāng	soy milk	早餐店常常卖豆浆。	zǎocān diàn chángcháng mài dòujiāng.	Breakfast shops often sell soy milk.
酸奶	suānnǎi	yogurt drink; yogurt	她午饭后喜欢喝酸奶。	tā wǔfàn hòu xǐhuān hē suānnǎi.	She likes to have yogurt after lunch.
奶昔	nǎixī	milkshake	这家店的草莓奶昔很好喝。	zhè jiā diàn de cǎoméi nǎixī hěn hǎohē.	The strawberry milkshake here is delicious.
麦片饮料	màipiàn yǐnliào	oat drink	他现在早餐喝麦片饮料。	tā xiànzài zǎocān hē màipiàn yǐnliào.	He drinks an oat beverage for breakfast now.
蛋白饮料	dànbái yǐnliào	protein drink	健身以后他会喝蛋白饮料。	jiànshēn yǐhòu tā huì hē dànbái yǐnliào.	He drinks a protein drink after working out.

Fruit And Specialty Drinks In Chinese

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
芒果汁	mángguǒzhī	mango juice	我夏天很喜欢芒果汁。	wǒ xiàtiān hěn xǐhuān mángguǒzhī.	I really like mango juice in summer.
葡萄汁	pútáozhī	grape juice	这瓶葡萄汁不太甜。	zhè píng pútáozhī bú tài tián.	This bottle of grape juice is not too sweet.
椰子水	yēzi shuǐ	coconut water	海边很适合喝椰子水。	hǎibiān hěn shìhé hē yēzi shuǐ.	Coconut water is great by the sea.
冰沙	bīngshā	slush; smoothie-like icy drink	天热的时候，我喜欢草莓冰沙。	tiān rè de shíhou, wǒ xǐhuān cǎoméi bīngshā.	When it is hot, I like strawberry slush.
果昔	guǒxī	smoothie	早餐喝果昔很方便。	zǎocān hē guǒxī hěn fāngbiàn.	Drinking a smoothie for breakfast is convenient.
蜂蜜水	fēngmì shuǐ	honey water	她喉咙不舒服时喝蜂蜜水。	tā hóulóng bù shūfu shí hē fēngmì shuǐ.	She drinks honey water when her throat hurts.
酸梅汤	suānméitāng	sour plum drink	夏天喝酸梅汤很开胃。	xiàtiān hē suānméitāng hěn kāiwèi.	Sour plum drink is very refreshing in summer.
凉茶	liángchá	herbal cooling tea	有些人天气热时会喝凉茶。	yǒuxiē rén tiānqì rè shí huì hē liángchá.	Some people drink herbal cooling tea when it is hot.

Alcoholic Drinks In Chinese

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
酒	jiǔ	alcohol; liquor	他不太会喝酒。	tā bú tài huì hē jiǔ.	He is not very good at drinking alcohol.
啤酒	píjiǔ	beer	朋友聚会时有人点啤酒。	péngyou jùhuì shí yǒurén diǎn píjiǔ.	People order beer at friend gatherings.
红酒	hóngjiǔ	red wine	晚餐的时候他们喝红酒。	wǎncān de shíhou tāmen hē hóngjiǔ.	They drink red wine at dinner.
白酒	báijiǔ	Chinese baijiu	白酒的味道很烈。	báijiǔ de wèidào hěn liè.	Baijiu has a strong taste.
鸡尾酒	jīwěijiǔ	cocktail	她点了一杯水果鸡尾酒。	tā diǎn le yì bēi shuǐguǒ jīwěijiǔ.	She ordered a fruit cocktail.
香槟	xiāngbīn	champagne	他们庆祝的时候开了香槟。	tāmen qìngzhù de shíhou kāi le xiāngbīn.	They opened champagne when celebrating.
米酒	mǐjiǔ	rice wine	这家店也卖米酒。	zhè jiā diàn yě mài mǐjiǔ.	This shop also sells rice wine.
果酒	guǒjiǔ	fruit wine	她比较喜欢甜一点的果酒。	tā bǐjiào xǐhuān tián yìdiǎn de guǒjiǔ.	She prefers slightly sweeter fruit wine.

Drink Temperature, Taste, And Ordering Words

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
热的	rè de	hot	冬天我喜欢喝热的。	dōngtiān wǒ xǐhuān hē rè de.	In winter I like drinking hot things.
冰的	bīng de	iced; cold	今天太热了，我要冰的。	jīntiān tài rè le, wǒ yào bīng de.	It is too hot today, I want it iced.
常温	chángwēn	room temperature	我不要冰的，常温就可以。	wǒ bú yào bīng de, chángwēn jiù kěyǐ.	I do not want it iced; room temperature is fine.
少糖	shǎo táng	less sugar	奶茶我要少糖。	nǎichá wǒ yào shǎo táng.	I want less sugar in my milk tea.
无糖	wú táng	no sugar	咖啡我 usually… nope, keep it Chinese: 咖啡我要无糖。	kāfēi wǒ yào wú táng.	I want my coffee with no sugar.
加冰	jiā bīng	add ice	这杯果汁可以加冰吗？	zhè bēi guǒzhī kěyǐ jiā bīng ma?	Can ice be added to this juice?
不加冰	bù jiā bīng	no ice	我今天想喝不加冰的奶茶。	wǒ jīntiān xiǎng hē bù jiā bīng de nǎichá.	Today I want milk tea with no ice.
好喝	hǎohē	tasty; good to drink	这家店的柠檬水很好喝。	zhè jiā diàn de níngméng shuǐ hěn hǎohē.	The lemon water at this shop is delicious.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

茶 chá is tea, but 奶茶 nǎichá is milk tea. They are related, not interchangeable.
酒 jiǔ usually means alcohol, not just any drink. Do not accidentally tell people you “really like jiǔ” unless that is absolutely the message.
水 shuǐ is water, while 汽水 qìshuǐ is soda. One hydrates. The other fizzes and makes lunch more fun.
一杯 yì bēi is a cup or glass, while 一瓶 yì píng is a bottle. Tiny difference, very useful in shops.

Quick Reference Summary

饮料 yǐnliào — drink; beverage
水 shuǐ — water
茶 chá — tea
咖啡 kāfēi — coffee
果汁 guǒzhī — juice
汽水 qìshuǐ — soda
牛奶 niúnǎi — milk
豆浆 dòujiāng — soy milk
啤酒 píjiǔ — beer
少糖 shǎo táng — less sugar
不加冰 bù jiā bīng — no ice
好喝 hǎohē — tasty; good to drink

Final Yak Box

If you can say 我想喝水。 wǒ xiǎng hē shuǐ., 我要一杯咖啡。 wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi., and 奶茶少糖。 nǎichá shǎo táng., you are already far beyond random-menu panic. That is real progress, even if your pronunciation still feels a little wobbly.

FAQ About Drinks In Chinese

How do you say drink in Chinese?
Drink or beverage is 饮料 yǐnliào.

How do you say water in Chinese?
Water is 水 shuǐ.

How do you say milk tea in Chinese?
Milk tea is 奶茶 nǎichá. Bubble tea is often 珍珠奶茶 zhēnzhū nǎichá.

How do you order a drink in Chinese?
A very useful pattern is 我要一杯…… wǒ yào yì bēi… which means “I want a cup of …”