How to say “Can I get this to go?” in Chinese
“Can I get this to go?” in Chinese is 可以打包吗？, written in pinyin as Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma?.
可以打包吗？
Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma?
Can I get this to go?
Word by word
What each part of 可以打包吗？ actually means.
- 可以kěyǐcan / may
- 打包dǎbāoto box up leftovers
- 吗maquestion particle
When you use it
- Say it when the meal is over and there is food left. Doggy bags are normal in most Chinese restaurants, and asking for one is not seen as an imposition.
- It is worth knowing the three words that are not interchangeable here: 打包 is boxing up what you did not finish, 带走 is taking a fresh order away, and 外卖 is delivery. A waiter acts on whichever one you use.
Use 可以打包吗？ in restaurant situations. Order food, ask for the bill, handle spice levels.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
麻烦帮我打包。
Máfan bāng wǒ dǎbāo
Could you box this up for me, please.
麻烦 (sorry to trouble you) plus 帮我 (help me) is the standard polite frame for asking staff to do something: 麻烦帮我拿一下 (pass me that, please) is built the same way.
吃不完，打包。
Chī bù wán, dǎbāo
I can't finish it — box it up.
Gives the reason and the instruction in one breath. Chinese pairs the two often, and it saves a round of questions.
有打包盒吗？
Yǒu dǎbāo hé ma?
Do you have a box for this?
The version to use when the food is still on the table and no waiter is nearby. 盒 is the box itself — 饭盒 (lunch box) is built the same way.
What usually trips people up
- Doggy bags carry no stigma in China. Not finishing a dish is ordinary, and asking for a box reads as liking the food enough to want it again later.
- 打包 is the word that gets action for leftovers. 带走 is a request about how an order leaves, so it fits a fresh order better than a half-eaten plate.
- Say it before you pay. The box comes from the kitchen or the front desk, and asking at the counter afterwards means a second trip.
What you might hear back
- 好的。Hǎo deSure.
- 要几个盒子？Yào jǐ ge hézi?How many boxes?
- 盒子要加一块钱。Hézi yào jiā yí kuài qiánThe box is one yuan extra.
Common questions
- How do you say "Can I get this to go?" in Chinese?
- "Can I get this to go?" in Chinese is 可以打包吗？ — written in pinyin as Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma?. It is a restaurant phrase you would use in China.
- What does 可以打包吗？ mean in Chinese?
- 可以打包吗？ (Kěyǐ dǎbāo ma?) means "Can I get this to go?". Broken down word by word: 可以 (kěyǐ) means "can / may"; 打包 (dǎbāo) means "to box up leftovers"; 吗 (ma) means "question particle".
- When would you use "Can I get this to go?" in Chinese?
- Say it when the meal is over and there is food left. Doggy bags are normal in most Chinese restaurants, and asking for one is not seen as an imposition. It is worth knowing the three words that are not interchangeable here: 打包 is boxing up what you did not finish, 带走 is taking a fresh order away, and 外卖 is delivery. A waiter acts on whichever one you use.
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