How to say “Not too salty, please” in Chinese
“Not too salty, please” in Chinese is 不要太咸。, written in pinyin as Bú yào tài xián.
不要太咸。
Bú yào tài xián.
Not too salty, please.
Word by word
What each part of 不要太咸。 actually means.
- 不búnot
- 要yàowant
- 太tàitoo
- 咸xiánsalty
When you use it
- Use it while ordering anything braised, soupy or home-style, where salt is the main seasoning and Chinese kitchens season generously by local standard.
- Also the right sentence for kids' meals and for anyone managing blood pressure on a long trip.
Use 不要太咸。 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.
少放盐。
Shǎo fàng yán
Use less salt.
盐少一点。
Yán shǎo yìdiǎn
A little less salt.
不要太咸也不要太油。
Bú yào tài xián yě bú yào tài yóu
Not too salty and not too oily.
What usually trips people up
- Saying it after the dish lands — unlike steak culture, Chinese kitchens rarely re-season mid-service; salt requests only work at ordering time.
- Confusing 咸 (salty) with 淡 (bland) — mixing them up requests the exact opposite, so double-check which side of the scale you are on.
- Assuming broth-based dishes are safe by default — soups and noodle broths are often the saltiest items on the menu, so the request applies there most of all.
What you might hear back
- 好，让厨房少放盐。Hǎo, ràng chúfáng shǎo fàng yánOkay, I'll have the kitchen use less salt.
- 清淡一点是吧？Qīngdàn yìdiǎn shì ba?Lighter flavor, right?
- 没问题，不咸的。Méi wèntí, bù xián deNo problem, it's not salty.
Common questions
- How do you say "Not too salty, please" in Chinese?
- "Not too salty, please" in Chinese is 不要太咸。 — written in pinyin as Bú yào tài xián. It is a restaurant phrase you would use in China.
- What does 不要太咸。 mean in Chinese?
- 不要太咸。 (Bú yào tài xián) means "Not too salty, please". Broken down word by word: 不 (bú) means "not"; 要 (yào) means "want"; 太 (tài) means "too"; 咸 (xián) means "salty".
- When would you use "Not too salty, please" in Chinese?
- Use it while ordering anything braised, soupy or home-style, where salt is the main seasoning and Chinese kitchens season generously by local standard. Also the right sentence for kids' meals and for anyone managing blood pressure on a long trip.
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