Usage note
菜单是用来点餐的。
cài dān shì yòng lái diǎn cān de.
菜单是用于点餐的.
Context note
在餐厅里，服务员会给你看菜单。
zài cāntīng lǐ, fúwùyuán huì gěi nǐ kàn cài dān.
In a restaurant, the waiter will show you the menu.
5 examples
点一份菜单上的菜。
diǎn yí fèn cài dān shàng de cài。
Order one dish from the menu.
菜单上有许多好吃的。
cài dān shàng yǒu xǔ duō hǎo chī de。
The menu has many delicious dishes.
服务员递给我一张菜单。
fú wù yuán dì gěi wǒ yì zhāng cài dān。
The waiter handed me a menu.
我选了菜单上的牛肉炒饭。
wǒ xuǎn le cài dān shàng de niú ròu chǎo fàn。
I chose the beef fried rice from the menu.
菜单上没有我想吃的东西。
cài dān shàng méi yǒu wǒ xiǎng chī de dōng xī。
There was nothing on the menu that I wanted to eat.
5 mini stories
妈妈带我去餐厅吃饭，服务员递给我一张菜单。
mā ma dài wǒ qù cān tīng chī fàn， fú wù yuán dì gěi wǒ yì zhāng cài dān。
Mom took me to a restaurant for dinner, and the waiter handed me a menu.
爸爸点了菜单上的鱼香肉丝。
bà ba diǎn le cài dān shàng de yú xiāng ròu sī。
Dad ordered the fish-flavored shredded meat from the menu.
我们点了一份菜单上的糖醋排骨，很好吃。
wǒ men diǎn le yí fèn cài dān shàng de táng cù pái gǔ， hěn hǎo chī。
We ordered a portion of sweet and sour spare ribs, which were very delicious.
服务员问我们要看菜单吗？
fú wù yuán wèn wǒ men yào kàn cài dān ma？
The waiter asked if we wanted to see the menu.
我们点了菜单上的几个菜，都很满意。
wǒ men diǎn le cài dān shàng de jǐ gè cài， dōu hěn mǎn yì。
We ordered several dishes from the menu, and were very satisfied.
Mini dialogue
看菜单
A
你想吃什么？
Nǐ xiǎng chī shén me?
What do you want to eat?
B
我们先看看菜单吧。
Wǒ men xiān kàn kan cài dān ba.
Let's look at the menu first.
点菜
A
这个菜好吃吗？
Zhè ge cài hǎo chī ma?
Is this dish delicious?
B
菜单上有图片，看起来不错。
Cài dān shàng yǒu tú piàn, kàn qǐ lái bù cuò.
There are pictures on the menu, it looks good.
Related words and contrasts
related
点菜
diǎn cài
to order food
You use a 菜单 to 点菜.
related
饭馆
fàn guǎn
restaurant
A 菜单 is found in a 饭馆.