Survival Mandarin for Your First Month in Taiwan

The first month in Taiwan is a run of errands: find a place, sign a lease, open a bank account, collect your residence card, buy a phone number, and learn when the garbage truck comes. Each errand has a script, and the scripts are shorter than you expect. This guide gives you the lines you will say and the lines you will hear for five of them, in the wording people in Taiwan use, with a link to the logistics guide behind each.

Two ground rules apply to every script. First, start with 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) or 請問 (qǐngwèn) to get attention, and end with 謝謝 (xièxie). Second, put numbers, dates and addresses in writing, on your phone if need be. A misheard figure at a landlord’s door is a more expensive mistake than a clumsy sentence. If you need the numbers themselves, see Chinese numbers.

Wording varies by person and by shop, so read the “you will hear” lines as typical rather than fixed. This is a phrase guide. For rules, fees and documents, rely on the official sites and the linked guides, and check them at the time you act.

The Landlord

For the neighbourhoods, the typical process and the money side, see housing in Taipei. Landlords are often reached by LINE message first, and by phone or in person for viewings.

You say

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
請問這間房子還有嗎?	Qǐngwèn zhè jiān fángzi hái yǒu ma?	Is this place still available?
我可以看房嗎?	Wǒ kěyǐ kàn fáng ma?	May I view it?
租金一個月多少?	Zūjīn yí ge yuè duōshǎo?	How much is the rent per month?
租金包含水電嗎?	Zūjīn bāohán shuǐdiàn ma?	Does the rent include water and electricity?
管理費要另外付嗎?	Guǎnlǐfèi yào lìngwài fù ma?	Is the management fee separate?
押金是多少?	Yājīn shì duōshǎo?	How much is the deposit?
租期多久?	Zūqí duō jiǔ?	How long is the lease term?

You will hear

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
你想什麼時候搬進來?	Nǐ xiǎng shénme shíhou bān jìnlái?	When do you want to move in?
租約是一年。	Zūyuē shì yì nián.	The lease is for a year.
水電另外算。	Shuǐdiàn lìngwài suàn.	Water and electricity are charged separately.

Learn 租約 (zūyuē, lease), 押金 (yājīn, deposit) and 管理費 (guǎnlǐfèi, building management fee) before you view anything, since they appear on most listings and contracts. When something breaks, a short message gets results: 熱水器壞了 (rèshuǐqì huài le, “the water heater is broken”) or 有漏水 (yǒu lòu shuǐ, “there is a leak”), followed by 可以請人來修理嗎? (Kěyǐ qǐng rén lái xiūlǐ ma?, “could you send someone to repair it?”). Before you sign, ask someone who reads Chinese to look at the lease with you, because a phrase guide cannot do that job.

The Bank

See opening a bank account for what to bring and how it works.

You say

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
我想開戶。	Wǒ xiǎng kāi hù.	I would like to open an account.
請問需要帶什麼文件?	Qǐngwèn xūyào dài shénme wénjiàn?	What documents do I need to bring?
我有護照和居留證。	Wǒ yǒu hùzhào hàn jūliúzhèng.	I have a passport and a residence card.
我要存款 / 提款 / 轉帳。	Wǒ yào cúnkuǎn / tíkuǎn / zhuǎnzhàng.	I want to deposit / withdraw / transfer.
可以幫我看一下嗎?	Kěyǐ bāng wǒ kàn yíxià ma?	Could you take a look at this for me?

You will hear

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
請先抽號碼牌。	Qǐng xiān chōu hàomǎpái.	Please take a number first.
請填這張表格。	Qǐng tián zhè zhāng biǎogé.	Please fill out this form.
請在這裡簽名。	Qǐng zài zhè lǐ qiānmíng.	Please sign here.
請稍等。	Qǐng shāo děng.	Please wait a moment.

In a branch you usually take a numbered ticket, which is the 號碼牌 (hàomǎpái), and wait for your number to be called. Listen for your digits, or watch the screen. The form fields you will meet are 姓名 (xìngmíng, name), 地址 (dìzhǐ, address), 電話 (diànhuà, telephone), 生日 (shēngrì, birthday) and 簽名 (qiānmíng, signature).

The Immigration Counter (ARC)

The 居留證 (jūliúzhèng) is your Alien Resident Certificate, and it is handled by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (移民署, Yímínshǔ). The step-by-step process for students is in the student ARC guide.

You say

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
我想申請居留證。	Wǒ xiǎng shēnqǐng jūliúzhèng.	I would like to apply for a residence card.
這是我的護照。	Zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào.	This is my passport.
請問還需要什麼文件?	Qǐngwèn hái xūyào shénme wénjiàn?	Do I need any other documents?
請問大概要等多久?	Qǐngwèn dàgài yào děng duō jiǔ?	About how long will it take?
我來領居留證。	Wǒ lái lǐng jūliúzhèng.	I am here to collect my residence card.

You will hear

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
請出示護照。	Qǐng chūshì hùzhào.	Please show your passport.
請給我影本。	Qǐng gěi wǒ yǐngběn.	Please give me a copy.
請稍等。	Qǐng shāo děng.	Please wait a moment.

影本 (yǐngběn) is a photocopy, and 正本 (zhèngběn) is the original. Counters sometimes ask for the original and a copy, so learn both. If a document is missing, the officer will say what is needed, and you should write it down.

The Phone Shop

The SIM card guide covers the options and how they differ. In the shop, the language is simple.

You say

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
我想辦門號。	Wǒ xiǎng bàn ménhào.	I would like to get a phone number.
我想買預付卡。	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yùfùkǎ.	I would like to buy a prepaid SIM.
我要儲值。	Wǒ yào chúzhí.	I want to top up.
月租多少?	Yuèzū duōshǎo?	What is the monthly fee?
我的手機沒有訊號。	Wǒ de shǒujī méiyǒu xùnhào.	My phone has no signal.

You will hear

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
請出示證件。	Qǐng chūshì zhèngjiàn.	Please show your ID.
您要哪一種方案?	Nín yào nǎ yì zhǒng fāng’àn?	Which plan would you like?

流量 (liúliàng) means data allowance and is the word to look for in a plan’s description. Ask the clerk to write the price and the term down if you are unsure.

The Garbage Truck

Taiwan’s rubbish system has set collection times and sorting rules, which are covered in the garbage truck guide. The Mandarin you need is small.

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
垃圾車	lè sè chē	garbage truck
資源回收	zīyuán huíshōu	recycling
廚餘	chúyú	food waste
請問垃圾車幾點來?	Qǐngwèn lè sè chē jǐ diǎn lái?	What time does the garbage truck come?
這個要丟哪裡?	Zhè ge yào diū nǎlǐ?	Where should I put this?
我不知道怎麼分類。	Wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme fēnlèi.	I do not know how to sort this.

The MOE dictionary reads 垃圾 as lè sè, and it is the form commonly heard in Taiwan. If you learned lā jī from mainland materials, you will still be understood. Ask a neighbour or your building’s staff, 請問這個要怎麼分? (Qǐngwèn zhè ge yào zěnme fēn?) They are usually glad to show you.

Making the Scripts Stick

1. Pick the one errand you will do first and learn only that script.
2. Say each line aloud, including the tones. If you hesitate on a word, look it up on the dictionary search page.
3. Listen for the lines you will hear, not only the ones you say. The reply is where most people get stuck.
4. Keep a note on your phone with your address, your name in characters if you have a Chinese name, and the phrases you use most.

If you are still planning the move, learning Mandarin before moving to Taiwan shows how to spread this vocabulary across several months. For the clinic, see Mandarin at the doctor and pharmacy.

Related Reading

• Where to Live in Taipei: neighbourhoods and costs.
• Opening a Bank Account in Taiwan: the practical side.
• Taiwan Student ARC: the process step by step.
• Taiwan Garbage Truck and Trash System: collection times and sorting.