Mandarin Phrases for Travel in Taiwan

These are the phrases that carry a trip to Taiwan: taxi, MRT, hotel, directions and the convenience store. Each is in Traditional characters with pinyin, in the wording people in Taiwan use. You do not need all of them. Pick the ten that match your itinerary, say them aloud until they feel ordinary, and keep the rest on your phone.

Two habits make every phrase work better. Start with 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi, “excuse me”) to get someone’s attention, and end with 謝謝 (xièxie). And when a phrase involves a place, show it written on your phone as well as saying it. Tones are hard to hear in a noisy station, and a written address is never misunderstood.

Taxi

Taxi drivers in Taiwan usually speak Mandarin, and some use 台語 with each other or on the phone. The exchange with you is short. State the destination, show the address, and that is most of it.

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
麻煩到這裡。	Máfan dào zhè lǐ.	To here, please. (show the address)
麻煩到台北車站。	Máfan dào Táiběi Chēzhàn.	To Taipei Main Station, please.
請問可以刷卡嗎?	Qǐngwèn kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma?	May I pay by card?
麻煩在前面路口停。	Máfan zài qiánmiàn lùkǒu tíng.	Please stop at the junction ahead.
我在這裡下車。	Wǒ zài zhè lǐ xià chē.	I will get out here.
到了。	Dào le.	We are here. (driver)

麻煩 (má fan, “to trouble”) is the standard polite opener for a request: 麻煩你 means “would you mind”. It is gentler than a bare 請. Asking about payment before you set off, as in the third line, avoids a surprise at the end if your card is not accepted.

MRT and 悠遊卡

The 捷運 (jié yùn, the MRT) is the easiest place to practise, because you can do almost everything by tapping and reading signs. The 悠遊卡 (yōu yóu kǎ, EasyCard) is the stored-value card for transit and many shops. For fares and passes, see the Taipei transit guide.

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
我想買悠遊卡。	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi Yōuyóukǎ.	I would like to buy an EasyCard.
我想加值五百元。	Wǒ xiǎng jiā zhí wǔbǎi yuán.	I would like to add 500 dollars.
請問去台北101怎麼走?	Qǐngwèn qù Táiběi Yī Líng Yī zěnme zǒu?	How do I get to Taipei 101?
請問這班車有到西門嗎?	Qǐngwèn zhè bān chē yǒu dào Xīmén ma?	Does this train go to Ximen?
請問要在哪裡轉車?	Qǐngwèn yào zài nǎlǐ zhuǎn chē?	Where do I change trains?
請問從幾號出口出去?	Qǐngwèn cóng jǐ hào chūkǒu chūqù?	Which exit should I take?

加值 (jiā zhí) and 儲值 (chú zhí) both mean to top up stored value, and either will be understood. Station exits are numbered, so the answer to the last question is usually something like 二號出口 (èr hào chūkǒu, “Exit 2”). 往…方向 (wǎng … fāngxiàng) on a platform sign means “toward …”, which tells you which side to wait on.

One piece of etiquette is worth reading in advance. Seats marked 博愛座 (bó ài zuò) are priority seats for people who need them, such as older people, pregnant passengers and people with injuries or small children. Leave them free if you can and give them up if someone who needs one is standing.

Hotel

Hotel staff often speak English, so these phrases are for the moments they do not, and for the small courtesy of starting in Mandarin.

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
我有訂房,名字是…	Wǒ yǒu dìng fáng, míngzi shì …	I have a reservation under the name …
請問可以辦理入住嗎?	Qǐngwèn kěyǐ bànlǐ rùzhù ma?	May I check in?
請問幾點退房?	Qǐngwèn jǐ diǎn tuì fáng?	What time is check-out?
請問可以寄放行李嗎?	Qǐngwèn kěyǐ jìfàng xínglǐ ma?	May I leave my luggage here?
請問早餐在哪裡?	Qǐngwèn zǎocān zài nǎlǐ?	Where is breakfast?
請問無線網路的密碼是什麼?	Qǐngwèn wúxiàn wǎnglù de mìmǎ shì shénme?	What is the Wi-Fi password?
房間的冷氣壞了。	Fángjiān de lěngqì huài le.	The air conditioning in the room is broken.

In everyday speech you will often hear Wi-Fi said in English, so 請問有Wi-Fi嗎? is also fine. 壞了 (huài le) means “has broken” and works for almost anything: the shower, the lock, the lamp.

Asking for and Following Directions

Asking is easy. The hard part is following the answer, so learn to recognise a small set of words by ear.

中文	Pinyin	Meaning
請問…在哪裡?	Qǐngwèn … zài nǎlǐ?	Excuse me, where is …?
離這裡遠嗎?	Lí zhè lǐ yuǎn ma?	Is it far from here?
走路大概要幾分鐘?	Zǒu lù dàgài yào jǐ fēnzhōng?	About how many minutes on foot?
直走	zhí zǒu	go straight
左轉 / 右轉	zuǒ zhuǎn / yòu zhuǎn	turn left / turn right
紅綠燈	hóng lǜ dēng	traffic light
過馬路	guò mǎlù	cross the road
對面 / 旁邊 / 附近	duìmiàn / pángbiān / fùjìn	opposite / beside / nearby

A typical answer sounds like 直走,到紅綠燈右轉,就在左手邊。 (Zhí zǒu, dào hóng lǜ dēng yòu zhuǎn, jiù zài zuǒ shǒu biān. “Go straight, turn right at the traffic light, and it is on your left.”) If you catch 左 or 右 and 紅綠燈, you have most of it. Confirm by repeating: 紅綠燈右轉,對嗎? (Hóng lǜ dēng yòu zhuǎn, duì ma?) Most people will happily say yes or correct you.

Convenience Store

Convenience stores are everywhere in Taiwan, and the counter exchange follows a script. Knowing the clerk’s lines matters more than knowing yours, because you only need a few words to answer.

What you may hear	Pinyin	Your reply
需要袋子嗎?	Xūyào dàizi ma?	要 (yào) / 不用,謝謝 (bú yòng, xièxie)
要加熱嗎?	Yào jiā rè ma?	要 / 不用
有載具嗎?	Yǒu zàijù ma?	沒有 (méi yǒu)
還需要什麼嗎?	Hái xūyào shénme ma?	不用了,謝謝 (bú yòng le, xièxie)
總共兩百一十元。	Zǒnggòng liǎng bǎi yīshí yuán.	pay by cash, card or EasyCard

Wording varies from chain to chain and clerk to clerk, so treat these as typical rather than fixed. 加熱 (jiā rè) is for food that can be heated, and 載具 (zài jù, literally “carrier”) is a question about an e-invoice barcode, which you can answer with 沒有. To ask about payment, say 可以用悠遊卡嗎? (Kěyǐ yòng Yōuyóukǎ ma?) or 可以刷卡嗎? When the clerk states the price in Mandarin, numbers practice helps; see Chinese numbers and money in Chinese.

When You Get Stuck

Three phrases are worth learning even if you forget everything else:

• 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 more slowly.”
• 可以寫下來嗎? (Kěyǐ xiě xiàlái ma?) “Could you write it down?”

Writing it down works well in Taiwan, because a written line sidesteps any trouble with tones or accent. Hold up your phone, and a translation app fills the gaps. When the person replies in English, it is usually meant kindly; this guide explains how to keep the conversation going in Mandarin if you want the practice.

Practising Before You Go

Say each phrase aloud with the tones, not just read it. The tone practice page plays single syllables so you can check the four tones. Learn the numbers 1–10 and the words for dollars first, since they appear in every transaction. If you want the full list of everyday basics, see basic Mandarin phrases. For food, ordering food in Taiwan covers menus and night markets, and Chinese signs in Taiwan covers what you will read on the street.

Related Reading

• Getting Around Taipei: A Language Student’s Transit Guide: fares, passes and routes.
• Ordering Food in Taiwan: menus, stalls and drinks.
• Basic Mandarin Phrases You’ll Use in Taiwan: the everyday core.
• Chinese Signs in Taiwan: characters to recognise.