Traditional Chinese Drinks & Verbs: 130+ Coffee & Cocktail Words

傳統中文飲料與動詞 chuántǒng zhōngwén yǐnliào yǔ dòngcí means “Traditional Chinese drinks and verbs.” In this guide, you’ll learn the words people actually use for coffee, tea, cocktails, and the actions around them: ordering, brewing, pouring, stirring, and, yes, complaining that the drink is too sweet. Very Taiwan, very real, very useful.

If you can ask for a drink naturally, life gets easier fast. In Taiwan, you can order coffee in a café, grab tea from a shop, or get a cocktail at a bar without sounding like a textbook that escaped from a library.

This article gives you Traditional Chinese, pinyin, English meaning, and example sentences so you can actually use the words instead of just admiring them from a distance.

For a boring-but-useful reference on vocabulary testing and level checkups, you can also look at the Traditional Chinese vocabulary test and the Traditional Chinese placement test TOCFL.

Table of Contents

Useful Drink Verbs You’ll Hear All The Time

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
點	diǎn	to order	我想點一杯美式。	Wǒ xiǎng diǎn yì bēi měishì.	I want to order an Americano.
買	mǎi	to buy	我去便利商店買咖啡。	Wǒ qù biànlì shāngdiàn mǎi kāfēi.	I’m going to the convenience store to buy coffee.
泡	pào	to brew / steep	他早上自己泡咖啡。	Tā zǎoshang zìjǐ pào kāfēi.	He brews coffee himself in the morning.
沖	chōng	to pour hot water over / make by pouring water	我先沖一杯拿鐵粉。	Wǒ xiān chōng yì bēi nátiě fěn.	I’ll make a cup of instant latte mix first.
煮	zhǔ	to boil / cook	他在家煮咖啡。	Tā zài jiā zhǔ kāfēi.	He’s making coffee at home.
倒	dào	to pour	請幫我倒一點牛奶。	Qǐng bāng wǒ dào yìdiǎn niúnǎi.	Please pour a little milk for me.
加	jiā	to add	這杯咖啡可以加糖嗎？	Zhè bēi kāfēi kěyǐ jiā táng ma?	Can this coffee have sugar added?
攪拌	jiǎobàn	to stir / mix	請先攪拌一下再喝。	Qǐng xiān jiǎobàn yíxià zài hē.	Please stir it before drinking.
搖	yáo	to shake	調酒師把酒搖一搖。	Tiáojiǔshī bǎ jiǔ yáo yī yáo.	The bartender shakes the drink.
倒入	dàorù	to pour into	把牛奶倒入咖啡裡。	Bǎ niúnǎi dàorù kāfēi lǐ.	Pour the milk into the coffee.
品嚐	pǐncháng	to taste / sample	你先品嚐看看味道。	Nǐ xiān pǐncháng kànkan wèidào.	Try tasting the flavor first.
喝	hē	to drink	我每天都喝一杯茶。	Wǒ měitiān dōu hē yì bēi chá.	I drink a cup of tea every day.

Useful note: 點 diǎn is the classic “order” verb in restaurants and cafés. If you say 我要一杯咖啡 wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi, people will still understand you. But 我想點一杯咖啡 wǒ xiǎng diǎn yì bēi kāfēi sounds more natural in a place that takes orders.

Coffee Words You’ll Actually Use

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
咖啡	kāfēi	coffee	我早上一定要喝咖啡。	Wǒ zǎoshang yídìng yào hē kāfēi.	I definitely need coffee in the morning.
美式咖啡	měishì kāfēi	Americano	我今天點了冰美式。	Wǒ jīntiān diǎn le bīng měishì.	I ordered an iced Americano today.
拿鐵	nátiě	latte	她喜歡熱拿鐵。	Tā xǐhuān rè nátiě.	She likes hot lattes.
卡布奇諾	kǎbùqínuò	cappuccino	這家店的卡布奇諾很香。	Zhè jiā diàn de kǎbùqínuò hěn xiāng.	The cappuccino at this shop smells great.
濃縮咖啡	nóngsuō kāfēi	espresso	我想加一份濃縮咖啡。	Wǒ xiǎng jiā yí fèn nóngsuō kāfēi.	I want to add a shot of espresso.
摩卡	mókǎ	mocha	我偶爾會喝摩卡。	Wǒ ǒu’ěr huì hē mókǎ.	I drink mocha sometimes.
單品咖啡	dānpǐn kāfēi	single-origin coffee	他很愛喝單品咖啡。	Tā hěn ài hē dānpǐn kāfēi.	He really likes single-origin coffee.
手沖	shǒuchōng	pour-over coffee	這間店的手沖很有名。	Zhè jiān diàn de shǒuchōng hěn yǒumíng.	This shop is famous for pour-over coffee.
冰咖啡	bīng kāfēi	iced coffee	夏天我常喝冰咖啡。	Xiàtiān wǒ cháng hē bīng kāfēi.	I often drink iced coffee in summer.
熱咖啡	rè kāfēi	hot coffee	下雨天最適合喝熱咖啡。	Xiàyǔ tiān zuì shìhé hē rè kāfēi.	Rainy days are perfect for hot coffee.
豆子	dòuzi	beans	這裡的咖啡豆子很新鮮。	Zhèlǐ de kāfēi dòuzi hěn xīnxiān.	The coffee beans here are very fresh.
咖啡豆	kāfēi dòu	coffee beans	我買了新的咖啡豆。	Wǒ mǎi le xīn de kāfēi dòu.	I bought new coffee beans.

小提醒 xiǎo tíxǐng: In Taiwan, cafés often use the word 美式 měishì instead of saying the full “Americano” every time. Shorter, easier, and less dramatic. Everyone wins.

More Coffee-Shop Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
外帶	wàidài	to take away / to go	我要外帶一杯拿鐵。	Wǒ yào wàidài yì bēi nátiě.	I want a latte to go.
內用	nèiyòng	for here	這裡可以內用嗎？	Zhèlǐ kěyǐ nèiyòng ma?	Can I drink here?
外帶杯	wàidài bēi	takeaway cup	請給我外帶杯。	Qǐng gěi wǒ wàidài bēi.	Please give me a takeaway cup.
吸管	xīguǎn	straw	請不要給我吸管。	Qǐng bú yào gěi wǒ xīguǎn.	Please don’t give me a straw.
杯蓋	bēigài	cup lid	這個杯蓋有點緊。	Zhège bēigài yǒudiǎn jǐn.	This cup lid is a bit tight.
糖漿	tángjiāng	syrup	我想少一點糖漿。	Wǒ xiǎng shǎo yìdiǎn tángjiāng.	I want a little less syrup.
奶泡	nǎipào	milk foam	這杯咖啡有很多奶泡。	Zhè bēi kāfēi yǒu hěn duō nǎipào.	This coffee has a lot of milk foam.
拉花	lāhuā	latte art	這杯拿鐵的拉花很漂亮。	Zhè bēi nátiě de lāhuā hěn piàoliang.	The latte art on this latte is beautiful.
冰塊	bīngkuài	ice cubes	我的咖啡不要冰塊。	Wǒ de kāfēi bú yào bīngkuài.	I don’t want ice cubes in my coffee.
甜度	tiándù	sugar level / sweetness	你要幾分甜度？	Nǐ yào jǐ fēn tiándù?	How sweet do you want it?

Tea And Milk-Tea Words That Come Up With Coffee

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
茶	chá	tea	我也喜歡喝茶。	Wǒ yě xǐhuān hē chá.	I also like drinking tea.
紅茶	hóngchá	black tea	他點了一杯紅茶。	Tā diǎn le yì bēi hóngchá.	He ordered a cup of black tea.
綠茶	lǜchá	green tea	我今天想喝綠茶。	Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng hē lǜchá.	I want to drink green tea today.
烏龍茶	wūlóng chá	oolong tea	台灣的烏龍茶很有名。	Táiwān de wūlóng chá hěn yǒumíng.	Taiwan’s oolong tea is famous.
奶茶	nǎichá	milk tea	她幾乎每天都喝奶茶。	Tā jīhū měitiān dōu hē nǎichá.	She drinks milk tea almost every day.
珍珠奶茶	zhēnzhū nǎichá	bubble tea / pearl milk tea	我想要一杯珍珠奶茶。	Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi zhēnzhū nǎichá.	I want a bubble tea.
微糖	wēitáng	slightly sweet	我要微糖。	Wǒ yào wēitáng.	I want slightly sweet.
半糖	bàntáng	half sugar	很多人會點半糖。	Hěn duō rén huì diǎn bàntáng.	Many people order half sugar.
去冰	qùbīng	no ice / remove ice	這杯奶茶我要去冰。	Zhè bēi nǎichá wǒ yào qùbīng.	I want this milk tea without ice.
少冰	shǎobīng	less ice	我今天只想少冰。	Wǒ jīntiān zhǐ xiǎng shǎobīng.	Today I only want less ice.

Taiwan note: 去冰 qùbīng and 少冰 shǎobīng are very common in Taiwan tea shops. If you want the drink cold but not full of ice cubes like a tiny frozen disaster, these are your friends.

Cocktail And Bar Words

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
調酒	tiáojiǔ	cocktail / mix a drink	這家酒吧的調酒很好喝。	Zhè jiā jiǔbā de tiáojiǔ hěn hǎohē.	The cocktails at this bar are very good.
酒吧	jiǔbā	bar	我們晚上去酒吧坐坐。	Wǒmen wǎnshang qù jiǔbā zuòzuò.	We’ll go sit at a bar tonight.
烈酒	lièjiǔ	spirits / hard liquor	他比較喜歡烈酒。	Tā bǐjiào xǐhuān lièjiǔ.	He prefers spirits.
伏特加	fútèjiā	vodka	這杯有伏特加嗎？	Zhè bēi yǒu fútèjiā ma?	Does this drink have vodka?
琴酒	qínjiǔ	gin	我想點琴酒加通寧水。	Wǒ xiǎng diǎn qínjiǔ jiā tōngníngshuǐ.	I want gin and tonic.
蘭姆酒	lánmǔ jiǔ	rum	這杯雞尾酒用了蘭姆酒。	Zhè bēi jīwěijiǔ yòng le lánmǔ jiǔ.	This cocktail uses rum.
威士忌	wēishìjì	whisky	他晚上喜歡喝威士忌。	Tā wǎnshang xǐhuān hē wēishìjì.	He likes to drink whisky at night.
龍舌蘭	lóngshélán	tequila	這杯是龍舌蘭調的。	Zhè bēi shì lóngshélán tiáo de.	This drink is made with tequila.
雞尾酒	jīwěijiǔ	cocktail	我想試試看那杯雞尾酒。	Wǒ xiǎng shìshi kàn nà bēi jīwěijiǔ.	I want to try that cocktail.
無酒精雞尾酒	wú jiǔjīng jīwěijiǔ	mocktail	我今天要無酒精雞尾酒。	Wǒ jīntiān yào wú jiǔjīng jīwěijiǔ.	I want a mocktail today.
調酒師	tiáojiǔshī	bartender	調酒師很會推薦酒。	Tiáojiǔshī hěn huì tuījiàn jiǔ.	The bartender is very good at recommending drinks.
酒單	jiǔdān	drinks menu	可以看一下酒單嗎？	Kěyǐ kàn yíxià jiǔdān ma?	Can I look at the drinks menu?

How To Order Drinks Naturally

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Pinyin	English
我要＋飲料	I want + drink	我要一杯拿鐵。	Wǒ yào yì bēi nátiě.	I want a latte.
我想要＋飲料	I’d like + drink	我想要一杯冰美式。	Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi bīng měishì.	I’d like an iced Americano.
請給我＋飲料	Please give me + drink	請給我一杯熱咖啡。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi rè kāfēi.	Please give me a hot coffee.
可以＋嗎？	Can I have / can you…?	可以少糖嗎？	Kěyǐ shǎo táng ma?	Can I have less sugar?
不要＋項目	No + item	我不要冰塊。	Wǒ bú yào bīngkuài.	I don’t want ice cubes.
幫我＋動詞	Please help me + verb	幫我外帶。	Bāng wǒ wàidài.	Please make it to go.
加一點＋項目	Add a little + item	加一點牛奶。	Jiā yìdiǎn niúnǎi.	Add a little milk.
來一杯＋飲料	Get me a cup of + drink	來一杯珍珠奶茶。	Lái yì bēi zhēnzhū nǎichá.	Get me a bubble tea.
先＋動詞，再＋動詞	First + verb, then + verb	先攪拌，再喝。	Xiān jiǎobàn, zài hē.	Stir first, then drink.
要不要＋飲料？	Do you want a drink?	你要不要喝咖啡？	Nǐ yào bú yào hē kāfēi?	Do you want to drink coffee?

In Taiwan, drink orders often include sweetness and ice level. That means your sentence may sound more like:

我要一杯珍珠奶茶，半糖，去冰。 Wǒ yào yì bēi zhēnzhū nǎichá, bàntáng, qùbīng. “I want a bubble tea, half sugar, no ice.”

Short. Clear. Delicious. Efficient. Beautiful.

Drink Sizes, Add-Ons, And Customization

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
大杯	dà bēi	large cup	我要大杯的。	Wǒ yào dà bēi de.	I want the large size.
中杯	zhōng bēi	medium cup	中杯就夠了。	Zhōng bēi jiù gòu le.	A medium is enough.
小杯	xiǎo bēi	small cup	我今天想喝小杯。	Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng hē xiǎo bēi.	I want a small one today.
加糖	jiātáng	with sugar	我的咖啡要加糖。	Wǒ de kāfēi yào jiātáng.	I want sugar in my coffee.
無糖	wútáng	no sugar	我喝無糖茶。	Wǒ hē wútáng chá.	I drink sugar-free tea.
少糖	shǎotáng	less sugar	這杯可以少糖嗎？	Zhè bēi kěyǐ shǎo táng ma?	Can this one be less sweet?
鮮奶	xiānnǎi	fresh milk	我想加鮮奶。	Wǒ xiǎng jiā xiānnǎi.	I want to add fresh milk.
植物奶	zhíwù nǎi	plant milk	有植物奶嗎？	Yǒu zhíwù nǎi ma?	Do you have plant milk?
燕麥奶	yànmài nǎi	oat milk	我想把牛奶換成燕麥奶。	Wǒ xiǎng bǎ niúnǎi huàn chéng yànmài nǎi.	I want to change the milk to oat milk.
奶精	nǎijīng	non-dairy creamer	這杯有奶精嗎？	Zhè bēi yǒu nǎijīng ma?	Does this drink have non-dairy creamer?

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Mistake	Better Way	Why
我想點咖啡一杯。	我想點一杯咖啡。	Put the measure word and number before the noun.
我要咖啡熱。	我要熱咖啡。	Adjectives usually come before the noun.
我不要冰。	我不要冰塊。	冰 bīng can be understood, but 冰塊 bīngkuài is clearer for “ice cubes.”
半甜	半糖	In Taiwan drinks, 糖 táng is the normal word for sweetness level.
去冰塊	去冰	去冰 qùbīng is the standard shop phrase.
我喝一咖啡。	我喝一杯咖啡。	You usually need a measure word like 杯 bēi.
加多糖	多加一點糖	“Add more sugar” sounds more natural this way.
我想一杯拿鐵。	我想要一杯拿鐵。	Adding 要 yào or 想要 xiǎng yào makes the sentence complete.

小心 xiǎoxīn: In Mandarin, “sweetness” for drinks is usually described with 糖度 tángdù or 甜度 tiándù, but Taiwan drink shops very often say 幾分糖 jǐ fēn táng. Language loves local habits. So annoying. So useful.

Real-Life Drink Sentences

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我每天早上都會喝咖啡。	Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dōu huì hē kāfēi.	I drink coffee every morning.	我每天早上都會喝咖啡。	Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dōu huì hē kāfēi.	I drink coffee every morning.
這杯拿鐵太甜了。	Zhè bēi nátiě tài tián le.	This latte is too sweet.	這杯拿鐵太甜了。	Zhè bēi nátiě tài tián le.	This latte is too sweet.
請幫我少冰、半糖。	Qǐng bāng wǒ shǎobīng, bàntáng.	Please make it less ice and half sugar.	請幫我少冰、半糖。	Qǐng bāng wǒ shǎobīng, bàntáng.	Please make it less ice and half sugar.
我想試試看這杯調酒。	Wǒ xiǎng shìshi kàn zhè bēi tiáojiǔ.	I want to try this cocktail.	我想試試看這杯調酒。	Wǒ xiǎng shìshi kàn zhè bēi tiáojiǔ.	I want to try this cocktail.
她自己在家泡咖啡。	Tā zìjǐ zài jiā pào kāfēi.	She brews coffee at home herself.	她自己在家泡咖啡。	Tā zìjǐ zài jiā pào kāfēi.	She brews coffee at home herself.
這間店的手沖很順口。	Zhè jiān diàn de shǒuchōng hěn shùnkǒu.	The pour-over here goes down smoothly.	這間店的手沖很順口。	Zhè jiān diàn de shǒuchōng hěn shùnkǒu.	The pour-over here goes down smoothly.
我不要吸管。	Wǒ bú yào xīguǎn.	I don’t want a straw.	我不要吸管。	Wǒ bú yào xīguǎn.	I don’t want a straw.
可以幫我倒滿嗎？	Kěyǐ bāng wǒ dào mǎn ma?	Can you fill it up for me?	可以幫我倒滿嗎？	Kěyǐ bāng wǒ dào mǎn ma?	Can you fill it up for me?
這杯酒有點太濃。	Zhè bēi jiǔ yǒudiǎn tài nóng.	This drink is a bit too strong.	這杯酒有點太濃。	Zhè bēi jiǔ yǒudiǎn tài nóng.	This drink is a bit too strong.
我們先看酒單再點。	Wǒmen xiān kàn jiǔdān zài diǎn.	Let’s look at the drinks menu before ordering.	我們先看酒單再點。	Wǒmen xiān kàn jiǔdān zài diǎn.	Let’s look at the drinks menu before ordering.

Quick Verb And Noun Roundup

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
喝	hē	to drink	點	diǎn	to order
泡	pào	to brew / steep	沖	chōng	to make by pouring water
煮	zhǔ	to boil / cook	倒	dào	to pour
攪拌	jiǎobàn	to stir	搖	yáo	to shake
加	jiā	to add	買	mǎi	to buy
咖啡	kāfēi	coffee	茶	chá	tea
奶茶	nǎichá	milk tea	調酒	tiáojiǔ	cocktail
酒吧	jiǔbā	bar	酒單	jiǔdān	drinks menu
冰塊	bīngkuài	ice cubes	吸管	xīguǎn	straw
杯	bēi	cup; measure word	瓶	píng	bottle; measure word
甜度	tiándù	sweetness level	去冰	qùbīng	no ice
無糖	wútáng	no sugar	外帶	wàidài	to go

Practice Time

Change this into a drink order: 我想喝咖啡 Wǒ xiǎng hē kāfēi → try adding size, sugar, and ice.
Make it more natural for Taiwan: I want bubble tea, no ice, half sugar.
Swap the verb: 我想點一杯拿鐵 Wǒ xiǎng diǎn yì bēi nátiě → change 點 diǎn to 買 mǎi.
Choose the right word: 倒 dào, 加 jiā, or 搖 yáo for “shake a cocktail.”
Translate: “Please pour a little milk into my coffee.”
Translate: “This drink is too sweet.”
Say: “I want a hot Americano, no sugar.”
Say: “Can you make it less ice?”

When You Want To Sound Slightly More Natural

English speakers often translate word-for-word and end up with sentences that are understandable but a bit stiff. Mandarin likes directness. A lot.

我想要一杯咖啡。 Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi kāfēi. = polite and natural.
我要一杯咖啡。 Wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi. = direct and very normal in a shop.
請幫我少糖。 Qǐng bāng wǒ shǎo táng. = clear customization.
我不要太甜。 Wǒ bú yào tài tián. = “I don’t want it too sweet.”
我想試這杯。 Wǒ xiǎng shì zhè bēi. = “I want to try this one.”

And yes, 我可以喝咖啡嗎？ Wǒ kěyǐ hē kāfēi ma? means “Can I drink coffee?” If you want to ask for permission, that’s fine. If you’re ordering, use 我要 wǒ yào or 我想要 wǒ xiǎng yào.

Why This Vocabulary Matters

Drinks are everywhere: cafés, tea shops, convenience stores, hotel breakfasts, family meals, and late-night bar runs. Once you know these words, you can order confidently, understand menus, and avoid accidentally asking for the wrong level of ice like a tragic tourist in a cartoon.

If you want to build more food and kitchen vocabulary alongside these drink words, check out Traditional Chinese food vocabulary and kitchen vocabulary in Traditional Chinese.

Yak Takeaway: learn the verbs 點 diǎn, 泡 pào, 倒 dào, and 加 jiā, then pair them with drink words like 咖啡 kāfēi, 奶茶 nǎichá, and 調酒 tiáojiǔ. That’s enough to order like a human, not a menu robot.

For more study practice, you can use the Traditional Chinese vocabulary test or review levels with the TOCFL placement test. If you like broad language practice, the parent hub at learn-japanese also has the wider Yak Yacker learning structure, because apparently one language page was not enough chaos.