饭店

• Pinyin: fàn diàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 饭 (meal, rice) + 店 (shop, inn) — a meal shop, i.e. restaurant

Meaning

Restaurant; hotel. A place where meals are served, or in some contexts a hotel.

Has two meanings depending on context. In everyday speech, usually means restaurant. In northern China and in formal contexts, can refer to a hotel (北京饭店, Beijing Hotel). For clarity, 餐厅 is more specific for restaurant and 酒店 for hotel.

Examples

1. 我们去饭店吃饭吧。 Let's go eat at a restaurant.
2. 这家饭店的菜很好吃。 The food at this restaurant is delicious.
3. 饭店离这里不远。 The restaurant is not far from here.

Usage Guide

Context: food, travel

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 附近有饭店吗？(Is there a restaurant nearby?)
• 这家饭店很有名。(This restaurant is very famous.)

Don't Say

• 我住在饭店 without context (Could be ambiguous — if you mean hotel, 酒店 is clearer; if restaurant, it sounds odd to 'live' there)

Origin & History

Compound of 饭 (rice, meal) and 店 (shop, inn) — a shop that serves meals.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal