A collection of useful phrases in Taiwanese with Romanization and some recordings. The Romanization system used here is Pe̍h-ōe-jī. See the Taiwanese language page for more details.
Useful Taiwanese phrases.
| English | 台語/ Tâi-gí (Taiwanese) |
|---|---|
| Hello (General greeting) | 你好 (lí-hó) – sg 恁好(lín-hó) – pl |
| Hello (on phone) | 喂(ôe) |
Contents
How do you greet someone in Taiwan?
Shaking hands, smiling, and saying “hi” or “ni hao” is the most usual way to greet people in China or Taiwan. Use “nin hao” to greet older Chinese people.
Do they say Ni Hao in Taiwan?
For example, the well-known greeting “你好” (pronounced as “ni hao,” meaning “may you be fine“) is not so usually used in Taiwan Mandarin. It just… sounds a little weird to native speakers.
How do you say hello and thank you in Taiwan?
Basic Mandarin
- Yes = shi 是
- No = bu shi 不是
- Thank you = xie xie 謝謝
- Thank you very much = fei chang gan xie / hen gan xie 非常感謝 / 很感謝
- You’re welcome = bu yung shie 不客氣
- Please = ching 請
- Excuse me = duei bu chi 對不起
- Hello = ni hao 你好
How do you say hello in Taiwanese Hokkien?
Taiwanese: Basic Survival
Let’s start at the very beginning: Hello. You can greet the Taiwanese like a local by saying lí-hó (for one person) or lín-hó for more than one. Obviously, these are “westernised” phonetic renderings, nothing like the way these words are actually written!
How do you say welcome in Taiwan?
A collection of useful phrases in Taiwanese with Romanization and some recordings. The Romanization system used here is Pe̍h-ōe-jī.
Useful Taiwanese phrases.
| English | 台語/ Tâi-gí (Taiwanese) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | 歡迎光臨 (hoan-gêng kong-lîm) |
| Hello (General greeting) | 你好 (lí-hó) – sg 恁好(lín-hó) – pl |
| Hello (on phone) | 喂(ôe) |
What is disrespectful in Taiwan?
Putting an arm around another’s shoulder, winking and pointing with your index finger are all considered rude gestures. Point with an open hand. Palm facing outward in front of face moving back and forth means “no”.
What does NǏ HǍO mean?
hello
The Chinese phrase for “hello” is made of two characters: 你好 ►nǐ hǎo. The first character 你 (nǐ) means “you.” The second character 好 (hǎo) means “good”. Thus, the literal translation of 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is “you good“.
What is Lao Shi?
Lǎoshī is the Chinese word for “teacher.” It has two characters: 老師 and the first character lǎo 老 is a prefix which means “old.” The second character shī 師 means “teacher,” so the literal translation of lǎoshī is “old teacher.” However, 老 in this context just expressed respect and isn’t related to actual age at all.
What is Lao Shi Hao?
In China, a student meeting a teacher will employ the greeting laoshi hao！’ (‘Good morning, teacher‘ is used hereafter to refer to all of these terms). Laoshi, as an occupational title, can also be used as an honorific address term in Chinese, but in English teacher refers to a profession and is not a form of address.
What is I love you in Taiwan?
I love you in many languages
| Language | I love you |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 我愛你 [我爱你] (wǒ ài nǐ) |
| Chinese (Shanghainese) | 侬爱你 (ngu eh nóng) 吾老欢喜侬额 (Ngu long hushin long lah) |
| Chinese (Taiwanese) | 我愛你 (góa ài lì) |
| Choctaw | Chi hollo li |
How do you say excuse me in Taiwanese?
5. Taiwanese. Excuse me: Phai-say (formal and informal)
What xie xie means?
thank you
In most languages, one of the first and most important things you learn how to say is “thank you.” In English, “thank you” is a way of showing your appreciation and gratefulness towards someone. In Chinese culture, this is no different. This phrase in Mandarin is 谢谢 (xiè xie)! It’s such an important and useful phrase.
How do you say love in Taiwan?
In fact, a Taiwanese expresses “I love you” as 我佮意你 instead.
What is the meaning of Nihao?
Nihao, Ni Hao, or 你好 (Chinese: 你好; lit. ‘hello’) may refer to: Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, a Canadian/American children’s television show.
What’s your name in Taiwanese?
你叫什么名字？ (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) What’s your name? If you want to ask this question with respect or at a formal occasion, you can say “请问你叫什么名字？ (Qǐngwèn nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?)
Did you eat yet in Taiwanese?
食未 means “have you eaten yet”.
What is hello in Cantonese?
哈囉 is “hello” with a Cantonese pronunciation. We use it to greet people casually, just like you would use “hi” in English.哈囉，你好呀 (haa1 lo3，nei5 hou2 aa3), meaning “hello,” is usually used when you want to greet someone that you aren’t close with in a friendly way. It’s a more formal Cantonese greeting.
What is the meaning of blinking in Taiwan?
impolite
2. Blink: In Taiwan, blinking at someone is considered impolite. 3. Wink: Winking at women, particularly if you don’t know them is considered impolite in most countries. Europeans, however, do it as an art form.
Is it rude to tip in Taiwan?
Except for bellhops and service personnel in International Hotels, tipping in Taiwan is generally not expected. For restaurants (especially in large hotels), if there is a tip to be taken, they will just add 10-15% to your check.But in general don’t worry about tipping when you are eating out!
What does the dinner conversation in Taiwan usually focus on?
Dinner conversation often centers on the meal—how it was prepared, what ingredients were used, and where the ingredients were obtained. First-time visitors present hosts with a small gift such as fruit.
