餐馆

• Pinyin: cān guǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 餐 (meal) + 馆 (establishment, hall)

Meaning

Restaurant.

A general term for eating establishments, slightly more formal than 饭馆. Can refer to restaurants of various sizes and types. Interchangeable with 饭店 in many contexts.

Examples

1. 这家餐馆的川菜做得特别正宗。 This restaurant makes very authentic Sichuan cuisine.
2. 周末去餐馆吃饭的人特别多，最好提前预订。 There are a lot of people eating at restaurants on weekends — it's best to make a reservation in advance.
3. 他在一家意大利餐馆当厨师。 He works as a chef at an Italian restaurant.

Usage Guide

Context: dining, everyday, business

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 附近有什么好餐馆？(Are there any good restaurants nearby?)
• 我们去餐馆吃吧。(Let's go eat at a restaurant.)

Don't Say

• 把小吃摊叫做'餐馆'——餐馆指有座位的正式用餐场所 (Don't call a food stall a 餐馆 — 餐馆 refers to formal dining establishments with seating)

Origin & History

Compound of 餐 (meal) + 馆 (establishment/hall), meaning 'meal establishment.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal