餐厅 (cāntīng)

餐厅 refers to a restaurant or dining hall where people go to eat prepared meals. It covers everything from casual eateries to formal dining establishments.

Meanings

noun restaurant, dining room (a place where meals are prepared and served)

Example Sentences

这家餐厅的服务非常好。 Zhè jiā cāntīng de fúwù fēicháng hǎo. The service at this restaurant is excellent.

我们周末去一家新餐厅试试吧。 Wǒmen zhōumò qù yī jiā xīn cāntīng shì shì ba. Let's try a new restaurant this weekend.

餐厅里坐满了人。 Cāntīng lǐ zuò mǎn le rén. The restaurant was full of people.

学校餐厅提供多种饮食选择。 Xuéxiào cāntīng tígōng duō zhǒng yǐnshí xuǎnzé. The school cafeteria offers a variety of food options.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
中餐厅 (zhōng cāntīng)	Chinese restaurant
学校餐厅 (xuéxiào cāntīng)	school cafeteria
餐厅老板 (cāntīng lǎobǎn)	restaurant owner
预订餐厅 (yùdìng cāntīng)	make a restaurant reservation

Usage Notes

餐厅 is the standard, widely used word for restaurant. More informal alternatives include 饭店 (fàndiàn) and 饭馆 (fànguǎn). Note that 饭店 can also mean hotel in some regions, so context matters.

Memory Hook

餐 (cān) means meal, and 厅 (tīng) means hall. A "meal hall" is a dining room or restaurant.