打包带走

打包带走 is a super common phrase you'll hear in China every single day! Literally, it translates to 'pack up' (打包) and 'take away' (带走). It is the go-to expression when you're at a restaurant and realize your eyes were bigger than your stomach.

Think of it as the Chinese equivalent of asking for a doggy bag or ordering takeout. Whether you are at a fancy hotpot place or a small street food stall, using this phrase tells the staff you want your food wrapped up so you can enjoy it later in the comfort of your own home.

It is incredibly versatile. You can use it for leftovers, or even when you order food specifically to skip the dine-in experience entirely. It’s friendly, direct, and essential for anyone navigating the delicious world of Chinese dining.

The history of 打包 (dǎbāo) is fascinating because it reflects the evolution of Chinese dining culture. Historically, dining out was often a communal, slow-paced affair. The concept of 'taking away' wasn't always standard practice in traditional banquet settings.

As urban life accelerated in the late 20th century, the need for convenience grew. 打包 evolved from simple wrapping of goods to a formal request for service. The word dǎ (打) literally means 'to hit' or 'to strike,' but in this context, it functions as a verb meaning 'to bundle' or 'to wrap.' Bāo (包) means 'bag' or 'package.'

Combined with dàizǒu (带走), which means 'to take away,' the phrase became a standardized service term. It mirrors how Western cultures adopted 'take-out' or 'take-away' as the service industry expanded to meet the demands of busy workers and students.

You will mostly use this in casual and semi-formal dining scenarios. When the waiter asks if you want to finish your meal, you can simply say '打包带走' or just '打包'. It is polite and expected.

Common collocations include 请帮我打包 (Please help me pack this) or 我要打包一份 (I want to pack one portion). It is very common to hear this in food courts, coffee shops, and family restaurants.

While it is perfectly fine to use in a casual restaurant, if you are at an extremely high-end, formal banquet, sometimes people might be a bit more subtle, though it is still widely accepted. It’s a very functional phrase that bridges the gap between customer and server perfectly.

While '打包带走' itself is a functional phrase, it is often associated with related expressions:

• 打包票 (dǎ bǎopiào): To guarantee something. It uses the same 'pack' verb but in a metaphorical sense of 'packaging a promise.'
• 带走 (dài zǒu): Simply 'to take away.' Used for items, people, or memories.
• 打包回家 (dǎbāo huíjiā): 'Pack it to go home.' A slightly more descriptive version.
• 外卖 (wàimài): 'Take-out.' Often used as a noun for the food itself.
• 打包处理 (dǎbāo chǔlǐ): To handle things in a batch/bundle. Used in business contexts.

Grammatically, 打包带走 acts as a serial verb construction. You have two actions: packing and taking. In Chinese, these verbs follow each other naturally without needing a conjunction like 'and.'

For pronunciation, focus on the third tone in dǎ and bǎo. The dài is a fourth tone (falling), and zǒu is a third tone. It has a rhythmic quality that is easy to remember once you get the hang of the tones.

There is no plural form in Chinese, so the phrase remains the same whether you are packing one dish or ten. It is a very stable, fixed expression that doesn't change based on the object being packed.