English–Chinese
“wait for a meal” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinhòu cān
Example
周末中午大家在门口排队候餐。zhōu mò zhōng wǔ dà jiā zài mén kǒu pái duì hòu cān
At noon on the weekend, everyone lines up at the entrance to wait for a meal.
How to say “wait for a meal” in Chinese
“Wait for a meal” in Chinese is 候餐 (hòu cān).
Waiting at a food-service point until a meal moves from the server to the person receiving it.
Example sentences with 候餐
食堂配餐慢，学生端着托盘在队里候餐。shí táng pèi cān màn xué shēng duān zhe tuō pán zài duì lǐ hòu cān
The cafeteria serves meals slowly, so students hold their trays in line and wait for a meal.
Tips for using 候餐
- English can use "wait for a meal" for time spent at a table, but this Chinese verb points more strongly to the service handoff, especially at a cafeteria line or collection counter.