有素食吗？
yǒu sùshí ma?
Do you have vegetarian dishes · trad. 有素食嗎？
有素食吗？ (yǒu sùshí ma) is a common question to ask if a restaurant offers vegetarian dishes. 素 (sù) refers to plant-based food.
What does 有素食吗？ (yǒu sùshí ma?) mean?
有素食吗？ (yǒu sùshí ma?) means “do you have vegetarian dishes” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “have vegetarian food?”
When to use it
Neutral and polite. It's suitable for most restaurant settings. To specify you are vegetarian, you can say 我是素食者 (wǒ shì sùshízhě), “I am a vegetarian.”
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “yoh SOO-shur mah.” The tones are falling-rising, falling-rising, then neutral for 吗.
Other ways to say it
- 有素的吗？yǒu sù de ma?Do you have vegetarian options? (more casual)
- 我是素食者。wǒ shì sùshízhě.I am vegetarian.
- 有没有素食？yǒu méiyǒu sùshí?Do you have vegetarian food? (alternative phrasing)
Examples
请问，有素食吗？
qǐngwèn, yǒu sùshí ma?
Excuse me, do you have vegetarian dishes?
这家餐厅有素食，我们可以去那里。
zhè jiā cāntīng yǒu sùshí, wǒmen kěyǐ qù nàli.
This restaurant has vegetarian dishes, we can go there.
我吃素，有素食的菜吗？
wǒ chī sù, yǒu sùshí de cài ma?
I'm vegetarian, do you have vegetarian dishes?
Pro tip: Be aware that some “vegetable” dishes in Chinese cuisine might still use meat broth or a small amount of meat for flavoring, even if they appear to be vegetarian. It's best to clarify if you have strict dietary needs.
Related phrases
微辣 · Mildly spicy少放盐 · Less salt, please我对花生过敏 · I'm allergic to peanuts
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →