This unit covers food and dining vocabulary in Bengali. You will learn food terms (bhat, dal, machh, torkari); how to order in a restaurant (menu, order); expressing preferences (bhalo lage, pochondo); and Bengali cuisine and meal customs. These skills are essential for dining in restaurants, attending formal meals, and understanding culinary culture in Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Basic Sentences

Bengali (romanized)	English
Menu din.	Give me the menu.
Ekta bhat, dal, ebong machh chai.	I want rice, dal, and fish.
Aamar machh bhalo lage.	I like fish.
Torkari kom jol diye din.	Give the vegetable curry with less water.
Aami misti pochondo kori.	I like sweets.
Kichhu khabar khaben?	Will you have something to eat?
Cha khaben?	Will you have tea?
Bhat khaowa shesh hoyeche?	Has the rice eating finished?
Aami niramish khabo.	I will eat vegetarian.
Eta khub bhalo.	This is very good.

Key Vocabulary

Bengali	English
bhat	cooked rice
dal	lentils
machh	fish
torkari	vegetable curry
menu	menu
order	order
bhalo lage	I like (it pleases me)
pochondo	preference, liking
pochondo kori	I like
khabar	food
khaben	you will eat (formal)
cha	tea
misti	sweet
jol	water
niramish	vegetarian
shesh	end, finish
khub	very
kom	less

Grammar Notes

Food Vocabulary: bhat, dal, machh, torkari

bhat – cooked rice (staple)
dal – lentils, lentil soup
machh – fish (very common in Bengali cuisine)
torkari – vegetable curry
misti – sweets
cha – tea

Menu din. – Give me the menu.
Ekta bhat, dal, machh chai. – I want rice, dal, and fish.
Order korte chai. – I want to order.
Eta anun. – Bring this.

Expressing Preferences: bhalo lage, pochondo

bhalo lage – I like (literally: it pleases me well)
pochondo kori – I like, I prefer
Aamar machh bhalo lage. – I like fish.
Aami misti pochondo kori. – I like sweets.

Bengali Cuisine and Meal Customs

Rice is the staple; meals typically include bhat, dal, torkari, and often machh or murgi (chicken)
Eating with the right hand is traditional
Bhat khaowa – eating rice (the main meal)
Cha is often served after meals
Niramish – vegetarian (no fish/meat)

Drills

Drill 1: Restaurant Orders

Bengali	English
Menu din.	Give me the menu.
Ekta bhat, dal, machh chai.	I want rice, dal, and fish.
Cha khaben?	Will you have tea?
Order korte chai.	I want to order.

Drill 2: Expressing Preferences

Bengali	English
Aamar machh bhalo lage.	I like fish.
Aami misti pochondo kori.	I like sweets.
Aamar dal bhalo lage na.	I don’t like dal.
Eta khub bhalo.	This is very good.

Drill 3: Food Requests

Bengali	English
Torkari kom jol diye din.	Give the vegetable curry with less water.
Jol din.	Give me water.
Aami niramish khabo.	I will eat vegetarian.
Kichhu khabar khaben?	Will you have something to eat?

Drill 4: Meal Customs

Bengali	English
Bhat khaowa shesh hoyeche?	Has the meal finished?
Cha khaben?	Will you have tea?
Bhalo khabar chhilo.	The food was good.
Dhonyobaad.	Thank you.

Narrative

Gotokal aami ekta restaurant-e gelam. Prothom menu dilo. Aami ekta bhat, dal, machh ebong torkari order korlam. Aamar machh bhalo lage. Torkari kom jol diye bollen. Khabar khub bhalo chhilo. Sheshe cha khaalam. Misti pochondo kori, kintu ekhon khaalam na. Bhalo obhob. Dhonyobaad.

Yesterday I went to a restaurant. First they gave the menu. I ordered rice, dal, fish, and vegetable curry. I like fish. I said give the vegetable curry with less water. The food was very good. Finally I had tea. I like sweets, but I didn’t eat any now. Good experience. Thank you.

Food and Dining

Grammar Focus

Course Material