No Coriander, No Chilli

How to use this card

1. Save it before you travel. Download the whole pack from /rescue-cards/ and it works offline — no app, no data plan.
2. Show the big Chinese line to whoever you are talking to. They read characters; the English at the bottom is for you.
3. Say it out loud too if they hesitate. A spoken request gets a faster answer than a silent card, and repeating it removes all doubt.
4. Read the English to understand the reply.

What they will likely say

• “好，不放香菜。” — OK, no coriander.
• “香菜我们这里是必放的。” — Here we always add coriander.
• “那你只能自己挑出来了。” — Then you will have to pick it out yourself.
• “不放香菜辣椒，少了点味道。” — Without coriander and chilli it is a bit plain.

Pro tips

• Not liking coriander is a genetic thing, not a preference — roughly 10–20% of people cannot detect the aldehydes in it at all. You are not being fussy, and saying so in Chinese earns real goodwill.
• 葱 (cōng, spring onion) and 蒜 (suàn, garlic) are separate and can be avoided individually. 葱姜蒜 (cōng jiāng suàn) is the standard “aromatics” trio.
• At a noodle shop, 小葱 (xiǎo cōng, chopped spring onion) is served in a separate bowl by default — just leave it alone rather than asking for it removed.

Related guides

• Full guide — background reading for this situation

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This card is one of the TravelHubChina phrase cards — bilingual, offline, and verified against how people actually talk in China rather than textbook grammar. The full set is free at travelhubchina.com/rescue-cards/.