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Study in the app →English · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 20
Food
Dialogue
a rice or some rice?
- Emma Minsu, are you hungry?
- Minsu Yes. I want a rice.
- Emma Rice is uncountable: some rice.
- Minsu Oh, I'd like some rice and some water.
Dialogue
So delicious!
- Jack Emma, what do you eat?
- Emma I eat some meat and some vegetables. It's delicious.
- Jack And what do you drink?
- Emma I drink some juice. Would you like some fruit?
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| rice | n. | rice | |
| bread | n. | bread | |
| meat | n. | meat | |
| fruit | n. | fruit | |
| vegetable | n. | vegetable | |
| water | n. | water | |
| milk | n. | milk | |
| juice | n. | juice | |
| delicious | adj. | delicious | |
| hungry | adj. | hungry |
Grammar
Some / any and "I'm hungry" Some / any and "I'm hungry"
Some foods can be counted (an apple, two apples), but many cannot: rice, bread, water, milk, meat. These UNCOUNTABLE nouns take NO "a" and have NO plural — you cannot say "a rice" or "two rices". Instead, use SOME in positive sentences: I'd like some rice, some water. Use ANY in questions and negatives: Do you have any bread? I don't have any milk. Second point: to say you are hungry or thirsty, English uses BE + an adjective — I'm hungry, I'm thirsty (not "I have hunger"). And "delicious" describes food: The food is delicious.
Some foods can be counted (an apple, two apples), but many cannot: rice, bread, water, milk, meat. These UNCOUNTABLE nouns take NO "a" and have NO plural — you cannot say "a rice" or "two rices". Instead, use SOME in positive sentences: I'd like some rice, some water. Use ANY in questions and negatives: Do you have any bread? I don't have any milk. Second point: to say you are hungry or thirsty, English uses BE + an adjective — I'm hungry, I'm thirsty (not "I have hunger"). And "delicious" describes food: The food is delicious.
- I'm hungry. I'd like some rice and some bread. I'm hungry. I'd like some rice and some bread.
- I'm thirsty. I drink some water. I'm thirsty. I drink some water.
- The meat is delicious and the fruit is delicious. The meat is delicious and the fruit is delicious.
- Do you have any milk? — No, but I have some juice. Do you have any milk? — No, but I have some juice.
Culture
Eating out and tipping Eating out and tipping
Eating out is a big part of life in English-speaking countries — and it comes with a few habits that can surprise visitors, above all the custom of tipping and the constant "please" and "thank you".
Going out to eat
From cafés and diners to takeaway and food trucks, eating out is casual and common. You often seat yourself in a café but wait to be seated in a nicer restaurant. A server takes your order, brings the food, and later brings the bill (in the US, the "check"). Portions can be large, and it is normal to take leftovers home in a box.
Tipping
In the United States, tipping is expected, not optional: 15–20% of the bill for a server is normal, because their wages are low. In the UK, Australia and elsewhere it is more relaxed — often 10% or a service charge already added. When in doubt, look at the bill for "service included", and if it is not there and the service was good, leave a tip.
"Please" and "thank you"
English speakers say "please" and "thank you" a lot — far more than seems necessary to many learners. "Can I have the menu, please?" sounds polite; "Give me the menu" sounds rude. Add "please" to requests and "thank you" to almost anything. A friendly "How are you?" from a server is small talk, not a real question — "Good, thanks, and you?" is the perfect reply.
In short: eating out is casual and friendly, but remember to tip (especially in the US) and to sprinkle in "please" and "thank you". A warm "Thank you, that was delicious!" to your server goes a long way. Enjoy your meal!
pronunciation
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