My Top 70+ Practical Chinese Phrases for Your Taiwan Trip

I thought learning French at university was hard. But boy, did I get a reality check when I moved to Taiwan!

The same pronoun for he, she, or it, words that change meaning depending on the tone, and even just counting to 10—let’s just say it was a struggle!

I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and have definitely wanted to crawl into a hole more times than I care to admit publicly!

Embarrassing as it is, even after living here for 13 years, I still mix up words and throw in a wrong tone or two (Chinese tones are way trickier than you might think!). When I first arrived, it was even harder—fewer people spoke English, and I felt like I was constantly playing charades just to get through the day!

But here’s the thing: Chinese is a tough language to crack, and you probably won’t get it perfect from the start!

It’s totally okay to mess up. I do it all the time, and I’ve learned to laugh at myself whenever I get a puzzled stare from a shop assistant or even end up with something I didn’t intend to order!

That’s why I’ve put together the most useful and common Chinese words and phrases to help make your first trip to Taiwan a little smoother.

Do you need to know all of them?

Heck no!

Honestly, just knowing how to say ‘hello‘ and ‘thank you‘ can go a long way!

But whether you’re spending one day in Taipei or planning a two-week trip around Taiwan, these 70 useful Mandarin words and phrases will help you get by a little easier (or, at the very least, give you a few embarrassing moments to laugh about later)!

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Useful Chinese Words & Phrases for Traveling in Taiwan

Below, you’ll find the most common Chinese words and phrases that I think are super useful for anyone traveling to Taiwan. I use most of these daily, so I know they’ll come in handy on your trip, too!

I’ll start with the basics, like greetings and numbers, but I’ve also included tips for ordering food, getting around, and shopping—perfect if you’re keen to impress a local or two!

If you want to go the extra mile, you can use Google Translate (make sure it’s set to Traditional Chinese!) to help with pronunciation or try a language-learning app for extra practice. See my post on essential apps for Taiwan for more recommendations. And if you’re serious about learning Chinese, I highly recommend checking out Cecilia Chen‘s IG page and YouTube channel—she’s got loads of useful videos that cover the basics and so much more!

The Basics

One of the best things about Taiwan is its people – Taiwanese people are incredibly friendly and love interacting with foreigners. They’ll go out of their way to help you, whether they can speak English or not. So the best tip I can give you — always be polite and friendly. Here are the most basic Mandarin phrases you should know:

• Yes – Shì(是)

• No – Bùshì (不是)

• Thank you – Xièxiè (謝謝)

• Please – Qǐngwèn (請問)

• I’m sorry – Duìbùqǐ (對不起)

• Excuse me – Bù hǎoyìsi (不好意思)

• Can you help me? – Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma? (你可以幫我嗎?)

• Help, I’m lost! – Bāngzhù, wǒ mílùle! (幫助，我迷路了!)

• Can you speak English? – Nǐ huì shuō Yīngwén ma? (你會說英文嗎?)

• Where’s the toilet? – Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? (廁所在哪裡?)

Greeting in Chinese

Being polite in Taiwan isn’t just about knowing your pleases and thank yous—it’s also about starting off on the right foot. The easiest way? A friendly greeting!

And trust me — taking a moment to say hello before jumping into a conversation can leave a great first impression on the locals. Here are a few basic greetings to master:

• Hello – Nǐ hǎo (你好)

• Good morning – Zǎo ān (早安)

• Good evening – Wǎnshang hǎo (晚上好)

• Goodbye / See you – Zài jian (再見)

• Good night – Wǎn’an (晚安)

• How are you? – Nǐ hǎo ma? (您好嗎?)

Chinese Numbers You Need to Know

Numbers play a big role in our everyday lives, and traveling in Taiwan is no exception. Whether you’re trying to catch a bus or train or figuring out how much to pay for that delicious bubble milk tea at the night market, numbers are everywhere. Here are the most important ones.

• 0 – líng (0)
• 1 – yī (一)
• 2 – èr (二)
• 3 – sān (三)
• 4 – sì (四)
• 5 – wǔ (五)
• 6 – liù (六)
• 7 – qī (七)
• 8 – bā (八)
• 9 – jiǔ (九)
• 10 – shí (十)
• 100 – bǎi (百)
• 1,000 – qiān (千)
• 10,000 – wàn (萬)

Common Chinese Phrases for Getting Around Taiwan

One of the things I love most about Taiwan is its transportation system! It’s super easy to navigate and makes getting around the island so much easier.

With MRTs in Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung, exploring the top 3 biggest cities is a piece of cake. There are also buses, trains, and the High-Speed Rail (bullet train) to travel between places quickly. You can also easily catch a ferry to one of the offshore islands!

Taxis are easy to hail, or if you’re in a rush, pop into a convenience store and ask the staff to call one for you. Uber is also available in most cities.

Ticketing is simple, too! You can buy tickets for buses, trains, and the High-Speed Rail online or from station kiosks (with English options). If you’re feeling adventurous and can read Chinese, grab tickets from Ibon machines at 7-Elevens across Taiwan.

Here are the most useful transport related phrases you could use.

• I want to go to… – Wǒ xiǎng qù… (我想去…)

• One ticket to… – Yī zhāng piào qù… (一張票去…)

• Two tickets to… – Liǎng zhāng piào qù… (兩張票去…)

• Can you help me? – Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma? (你可以幫我嗎?)

• Do you have a map? – Nǐ yǒu dìtú ma? (你有地圖嗎?)

• Can you phone a taxi for me, please? – Qǐngwèn nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ jiào jìchéngchē ma? (請問你可以幫我叫計程車嗎?)

Essential Words & Phrases for Ordering Food or Drinks in Chinese

Taiwan is a foodie’s dream, with some of Asia’s best street food markets! If you’re grabbing a bite at a night market, ordering is usually easy since most vendors know a bit of English. You’ll often find English menus at popular tourist spots, though sometimes the translations can be more amusing than helpful.

But most of the times, you’ll find that local eateries only have Chinese menus. In that case, Google Translate can be a lifesaver, even if it’s not always 100% accurate. Another way to figure out what to order is to walk through the restaurant, see what other diners are eating, and point to a dish you like.

Food Related Phrases

• Do you have an English menu? – Nǐ yǒu yīngwén càidān ma? (你有英文菜單嗎?)

• What do you recommend? – Nǐ yǒu shé me jiànyì? (你有什麼建議?)

• I’m vegetarian – Wǒ shì sùshí zhě (我是素食者)

• Spicy – Là (辣)

• A little spicy – Yīdiǎn là (一點辣)

• I don’t want spicy – Wǒ bùyào jiā là (我不要加辣）

• How much is it? – Zhège duōshǎo qián? (這個多少錢?)

Basic Food Words

Taiwan has a variety of weird and wonderful treats – most noteworthy being

• Stinky tofu – Chòu dòufu (臭豆腐)

• Century egg – Pídàn (皮蛋).

• Soup dumplings – Xiao long bao (小籠包)

• Beef – Niúròu (牛肉)

• Chicken – Jī ròu (雞肉)

• Pork – Zhūròu (豬肉)

• Duck – Yā ròu (鴨肉)

• Lamb – Yángròu (羊肉)

• Seafood – Hǎixiān (海鮮)

• Fish – Yú ròu(魚肉)

• Noodles – Miàn (麵條)

• Rice – Fàn (白飯)

• Dumplings – Shuǐjiǎo (水餃)

• Vegetables – Shūcài (蔬菜)

Basic Words for Beverages

• Beer – Píjiǔ (啤酒)

• Water – Shuǐ (水)

• Coffee – Kāfēi (咖啡)

• Tea – Chá (茶)

• Coke – Kělè (可樂)

• Bubble Milk Tea – Zhēnzhū nǎichá (珍珠奶茶)

Useful Phrases for Shopping

If you’re like me and can’t resist a bit of shopping, here are some phrases to help you out while you’re indulging in a little retail therapy!

• How much is it? – Zhège duōshǎo qián? (這個多少錢?)

• It is too expensive. – Tā tài guìle (它太貴了)

• Do you have anything cheaper? – Nǐ yǒu gèng piányí de dōngxī ma? (你有更便宜的東西嗎)

• Do you have this in another color? – Nǐ yǒu lìng yīzhǒng yánsè ma? (你有另一種顏色嗎?)

• Do you have this in a bigger/ smaller size? – Nǐ yǒu bǐ zhège gèng dà/gèng xiǎo de chǐcùn ma? (你有比這個更大/更小的尺寸嗎?)

• Where’s the ATM? – ATM zài nǎlǐ? (ATM在哪裡?)

• Can I pay with a card? – Wǒ kěyǐ yòng kǎ fù qián ma? (我可以用卡付錢嗎?)

Other Mandarin Phrases (that Locals Will Love)

Now if you want to gain some serious street cred, these phrases will do the trick!

• Nice to meet you! – Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ (很高興認識你)

• See you tomorrow!- Míngtian jiàn (明天見)

• I’m hungry – Wǒ èle (我餓了)

• I’m full – Wǒ bǎole (我飽了)

• Can I have a beer, please? – Qǐng gěi wǒ yībēi píjiǔ? (請給我一杯啤酒？)

• I’m thirsty – Wǒ kǒu kě (我口渴)

• Can I buy you a beer? – Wǒ kěyǐ qǐng nǐ hē bēi píjiǔ ma? (我可以請你喝杯啤酒嗎？)

• Cheers – Gānbēi (乾杯)

• Oh my god! – Wǒ de tiān a (我的天啊)

• I like you – Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ (我喜歡你)

• My Chinese is not good – Wǒ de zhōngwén bù hǎo (我的中文不好)

• I don’t understand – Wǒ tīng bù dǒng (我聽不懂)

• I’m just looking – Wǒ zhǐshì kàn kàn (我只是看看)

Conclusion

Taiwan is an amazing place to explore, and learning a few Chinese phrases will make your trip even smoother.

I hope these phrases help you order food, navigate the city, shop like a local, or even just say hello! But if all else fails, you can always put your charades skills to the test.

And remember, there’s always Google Translate! For more tips on traveling in Taiwan, feel free to check out my other travel guides.

If you find these phrases useful, don’t forget to save them for future refs!