Basic Mandarin Phrases You'll Use in Taiwan
Basic Mandarin phrases for Taiwan, in Traditional characters with pinyin: 不好意思, 好喔, 這個多少錢 and more, grouped by situation in real Taiwan phrasing.
The basic Mandarin phrases that do the most work in Taiwan are 不好意思 (bù hǎo yìsi, “excuse me” or “sorry”), 請問 (qǐng wèn, “may I ask”), 我聽不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng, “I don’t understand”), 請再說一次 (qǐng zài shuō yí cì, “please say it once more”), 這個多少錢？ (zhège duōshǎo qián?, “how much is this?”) and 好 (hǎo) or 好喔 (hǎo ō, a soft “okay”). Learn those six and you can start, ask, repair and agree.
The rest of this page groups phrases by situation, with pinyin and the Taiwan wording. Greetings and thanks have their own pages, How to Say Hello in Chinese and How to Say Thank You in Chinese, so they are not repeated here. Trip-specific phrases for taxis, hotels and transit are in Mandarin Phrases for Travel in Taiwan.
Getting attention and being polite
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning and use |
|---|---|---|
| 不好意思 | bù hǎo yìsi | Excuse me; sorry; also “I’m embarrassed to ask” |
| 請問 | qǐng wèn | ”May I ask”, the standard opener before a question |
| 麻煩你 | máfan nǐ | ”Could I trouble you”, before a request |
| 借過 | jièguò | ”Excuse me, let me pass”, in crowds and on the MRT |
| 抱歉 | bàoqiàn | A more formal “sorry” |
| 沒關係 | méi guānxi | ”It’s okay”, reply to an apology |
不好意思 is the most useful phrase on the page because it covers so many small situations: getting a waiter’s attention, bumping someone, asking a favour. 麻煩 (máfan) literally means trouble, and 麻煩你 turns that into a polite request: 麻煩你幫我拍照 (máfan nǐ bāng wǒ pāizhào, “could you take a photo for me”). 借過 is what you say to get past someone on the MRT or in a crowd.
When you don’t understand
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 我聽不懂 | wǒ tīng bù dǒng | I don’t understand (what I hear) |
| 請再說一次 | qǐng zài shuō yí cì | Please say it again |
| 請說慢一點 | qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn | Please speak a bit slower |
| 我在學中文 | wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén | I’m learning Chinese |
| 我只會說一點中文 | wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén | I only speak a little Chinese |
| 這個怎麼說？ | zhège zěnme shuō? | How do you say this? |
| 你會說英文嗎？ | nǐ huì shuō Yīngwén ma? | Do you speak English? |
| 可以寫下來嗎？ | kěyǐ xiě xiàlái ma? | Can you write it down? |
聽不懂 is “listen without understanding”, so it names the problem exactly: you heard it and it did not land. 可以寫下來嗎 is a good way around a fast or unfamiliar sentence, because reading is often easier than hearing for learners. English in Taiwan is 英文 (Yīngwén) or 英語 (Yīngyǔ), and both are in the dictionary.
If you find you understand more than you can say, I Understand Chinese but Can’t Speak is a good place to continue.
Yes, no and “okay”
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 對 | duì | Right; yes (agreeing with a statement) |
| 好 | hǎo | Okay; fine |
| 好喔 | hǎo ō | Okay (soft, friendly) |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | Can; that’s fine |
| 沒問題 | méi wèntí | No problem |
| 不用了 | bú yòng le | No need, thanks |
| 不要 | bú yào | I don’t want it |
Mandarin has no single word for “yes”. You repeat the verb or answer with 對 (agreement) or 好 (okay). Asked 你要不要？ (nǐ yào bú yào?, “do you want it?”), you answer 要 or 不要. 不用了 is the polite refusal for “do you want a bag, a receipt, a bag of ice”: it declines without sounding sharp, whereas 不要 can sound blunt on its own. The final 喔 in 好喔 is one of the Taiwanese sentence-final particles, which are explained on the particles page.
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Eating and drinking
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 幾位？ | jǐ wèi? | How many people? (the host asks) |
| 兩位 | liǎng wèi | Two people |
| 內用還是外帶？ | nèiyòng háishì wàidài? | Eat in or take away? |
| 我要這個 | wǒ yào zhège | I’ll have this (pointing) |
| 少冰 / 去冰 | shǎo bīng / qù bīng | Less ice / no ice (drinks) |
| 微糖 / 無糖 | wēi táng / wú táng | Lightly sweet / unsweetened |
| 買單 / 結帳 | mǎidān / jiézhàng | The bill, please |
For counting people, 位 (wèi) is the polite measure word, and 兩位 is the usual way to say two people. 內用 and 外帶 are the standard terms for eating in and taking away in restaurants. The drink-order terms 少冰 (less ice), 去冰 (no ice), 微糖 (lightly sweet) and 無糖 (unsweetened) are what you will say at a drink stand. Menu vocabulary beyond this is covered in Ordering Food in Taiwan.
Shopping and money
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 這個多少錢？ | zhège duōshǎo qián? | How much is this? |
| 太貴了 | tài guì le | Too expensive |
| 有沒有……? | yǒu méiyǒu…? | Do you have…? |
| 可以刷卡嗎？ | kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma? | Can I pay by card? |
| 我想要這個 | wǒ xiǎng yào zhège | I’d like this one |
Prices, 塊 and 元, discounts and receipts have their own page: Money in Chinese. The numbers themselves are in Chinese Numbers.
Asking where things are
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ……在哪裡？ | … zài nǎlǐ? | Where is…? |
| 請問洗手間在哪裡？ | qǐngwèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? | Where is the restroom? |
| 左邊 / 右邊 | zuǒbiān / yòubiān | Left / right |
| 直走 | zhí zǒu | Straight ahead |
| 遠不遠？ | yuǎn bù yuǎn? | Is it far? |
洗手間 (xǐshǒujiān) and 廁所 (cèsuǒ) both mean restroom, and 洗手間 is the polite everyday choice. The pattern “X 在哪裡” works for anything.
Saying goodbye and being sent off
拜拜 (bàibai, often heard as bái bai) is the casual “bye”, and 再見 (zàijiàn) the standard one. In shops and restaurants you may hear 慢走 (màn zǒu, literally “walk slowly”) from staff as you leave, a friendly send-off that needs no reply beyond a smile or 謝謝.
How to use this list
Pick one situation at a time. Learn the three or four phrases, say them aloud, and use them in the next real conversation. Your pronunciation will not be perfect. Some people will answer in English at first, and you can keep replying in Mandarin.
The 100 most useful single words behind these phrases are in Basic Chinese Words. If you want the sounds first, the pinyin chart and Zhuyin chart play every syllable.
Related reading
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