Getting around
捷運
下一站。
Next stop.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
How the language is used
Mandarin is the main public language. Taiwanese Hokkien is widely spoken. Signs use traditional characters.
In this city
- Language
- Chinese
- Also heard
- Mostly Chinese
- A local word
- 珍奶 — One bubble tea.
- Writing
- traditional Chinese characters
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
Food
店
一杯珍奶。
One bubble tea.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The street
街
你好。
Hello.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The counter
家
食飯未？
Have you eaten?
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The language through the day
Mandarin is the main public language. Taiwanese Hokkien is widely spoken at home and in markets. Signs use traditional characters.
Around Ximending, Da'an, Tamsui, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Taipei can run on four lines: “下一站。”, “一杯珍奶。”, “你好。”, and “食飯未？”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in traditional Chinese characters.
- 你 is the ordinary you. 您 is the polite one, for older people and in service.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Taipei, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: 珍奶. It means One bubble tea..
Places you can see
- Taipei 101 — A tall tower that marks the skyline.
- National Palace Museum — Galleries of imperial collections in the north of the city.
- Night markets — Street markets such as Shilin, busy in the evening.
Food
You order beef noodles and night-market snacks in Mandarin.
Getting around
The metro is signed in traditional characters. You still speak Mandarin.
Daily life
You read traditional characters on signs and speak Mandarin. You may hear Hokkien in a shop.
A few everyday phrases
Chinese
| Phrase | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | Nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 谢谢 | Xièxie | Thank you |
| 早上好 | Zǎoshang hǎo | Good morning |
| 我叫… | Wǒ jiào… | My name is… |
