Chinese word

候餐

Pronunciation

Pinyinhòu cān

Meaning

  • verbwait for a meal

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.

Illustration for 候餐 (wait for a meal)

More examples

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.

Core concept

Waiting at a food-service point until a meal moves from the server to the person receiving it.

Common phrases

  • 端着托盘候餐duān zhe tuō pán hòu cān

    hold a tray while waiting for a meal

  • 站着候餐zhàn zhe hòu cān

    wait for a meal while standing

Similar words

排队pái duì: Form a line and wait for one's turn.
领取líng qǔ: Collect an item or document from a counter or designated place.
取餐qǔ cān: Receive one's meal from a pickup counter.

Definition in Chinese

指在食堂、餐厅或发餐点等处等待服务人员把饭菜分发或端来的动作。zhǐ zài shí táng cān tīng huò fā cān diǎn děng chù děng dài fú wù rén yuán bǎ fàn cài fēn fā huò duān lái de dòng zuò

Word origin

候 (hòu, "wait") + 餐 (cān, "meal") forms a verb for waiting until a meal is served or handed over.

Usage tips

  • 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.

Other meanings

  • waitverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word