Usage note
食堂表示学校或单位吃饭的地方。
shí táng biǎo shì xué xiào huò dān wèi chī fàn de dì fāng。
Cafeteria means a place to eat in a school or organization.
Context note
食堂常和午饭、排队、饭菜一起出现。
shí táng cháng hé wǔ fàn 、 pái duì 、 fàn cài yì qǐ chū xiàn。
Cafeteria often appears with lunch, lining up, and meals.
5 examples
我们去食堂吃饭。
wǒ men qù shí táng chī fàn。
We go to the cafeteria to eat.
食堂今天很忙。
shí táng jīn tiān hěn máng。
The cafeteria is busy today.
食堂的饭很好吃。
shí táng de fàn hěn hǎo chī。
The cafeteria food is tasty.
食堂在学校里面。
shí táng zài xué xiào lǐ miàn。
The cafeteria is inside the school.
中午大家都去食堂。
zhōng wǔ dà jiā dōu qù shí táng。
Everyone goes to the cafeteria at noon.
5 mini stories
下课后，同学们一起去食堂。
xià kè hòu， tóng xué men yì qǐ qù shí táng。
After class, the students went to the cafeteria together.
食堂里排了很长的队。
shí táng lǐ pái le hěn cháng de duì。
There was a long line in the cafeteria.
今天食堂的菜很新鲜。
jīn tiān shí táng de cài hěn xīn xiān。
Today's cafeteria dishes are fresh.
我在食堂遇到了老师。
wǒ zài shí táng yù dào le lǎo shī。
I met the teacher in the cafeteria.
食堂每天都很热闹。
shí táng měi tiān dōu hěn rè nào。
The cafeteria is lively every day.
Mini dialogue
在食堂
A
我们一起去食堂吃午饭吧。
Wǒmen yīqǐ qù shítáng chī wǔfàn ba.
Let's go to the cafeteria to have lunch together.
B
好啊，食堂今天有我最喜欢的面条。
Hǎo a, shítáng jīntiān yǒu wǒ zuì xǐhuān de miàntiáo.
Okay, the cafeteria has my favorite noodles today.
食堂在哪里
A
请问，食堂在哪儿？
Qǐngwèn, shítáng zài nǎr?
Excuse me, where is the cafeteria?
B
食堂在教学楼后面。
Shítáng zài jiàoxuélóu hòumiàn.
The cafeteria is behind the teaching building.
Related words and contrasts
similar
餐厅
cān tīng
restaurant / dining hall
餐厅 can be a restaurant or a dining room, while 食堂 is usually a cafeteria in a school or workplace.
related
午饭
wǔ fàn
lunch
You often eat 午饭 in the 食堂.
related
吃饭
chī fàn
to eat a meal
People go to the 食堂 to 吃饭.