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订餐 (dìng cān) — to order a meal (for delivery, takeout, or restaurant reservation)

Definition

订餐 is a verb meaning to order a meal — typically by phone or app for delivery, takeout, or a reservation. It's a separable verb (离合词): insert 了/过一次 between 订 and 餐, as in 订了一次餐.

to order a meal (for delivery, takeout, or restaurant reservation)

Examples

  • 订餐。
    Wǒ zhèng zài yòng shǒu jī dìng cān.
    I am ordering a meal on my phone.
  • 。
    Wǒ zuó tiān dìng le yí cì cān.
    Yesterday I ordered a meal once.
  • 订餐。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ dìng cān.
    Please order a meal for me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

订dìngorder
餐cānmeal

订 (order) and 餐 (meal) combine to mean ordering a meal.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 訂; 订 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng訂dìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 訂 combines 言, related to speech, with 丁, which gives the sound; the simplified 订 is a later shorthand.

Open 订 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shíto eat; meal; food
Sound part声符shēngfú
𣦼
𣦼𣦼餐cān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

餐 combines 食, meaning food or eating, with 𣦼 as the sound part; it originally meant “to swallow.”

Open 餐 →
Appears in
Dining & Restaurants

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