Learning even a handful of phrases in Mandarin will be received with warmth and genuine appreciation by the locals. Taiwanese people usually do not expect foreign tourists to speak Chinese, but effort is noticed and rewarded. The romanisations below follow Hanyu Pinyin, with tone marks included. Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone; the meaning of a word changes entirely depending on its tone, which is the feature Westerners find most daunting. Do not let this discourage you: Taiwanese people are patient with tonal errors, particularly from foreigners, and context usually clarifies meaning.

Basic Greetings and Courtesies

• Nǐ hǎo（你好）— Hello (literally “You good”). Safe in all contexts.
• Xièxiè（謝謝）— Thank you. One of the most important phrases to know. Pronounced roughly “shyeh-shyeh”.
• Bù kèqì（不客氣）— You’re welcome. Pronounced roughly “boo kuh-chee”.
• Duìbuqǐ（對不起）— I’m sorry / Excuse me (for a genuine apology or having bumped into someone).
• Bùhǎoyìsi（不好意思）— Excuse me (for getting someone’s attention, or mild awkwardness). Used far more frequently in everyday Taiwanese life than the more formal duìbuqǐ.
• Zàijiàn（再見）— Goodbye.

Essential Practical Phrases

• Qǐng（請）— Please (placed before a request).
• Wǒ bù dǒng（我不懂）— I don’t understand.
• Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?（你會說英語嗎？）— Do you speak English?
• Duōshǎo qián?（多少錢？）— How much does this cost?
• Wǒ yào zhège（我要這個）— I would like this one. (Point at what you want.)
• Mǎidān（買單）— The bill, please (used in restaurants).
• Wǒ chī sù（我吃素）— I am vegetarian.
• Wǒ duì _____ guòmǐn（我對＿＿＿過敏）— I am allergic to _____. Fill in: huāshēng（花生，peanuts）, hǎixiān（海鮮，seafood）, rǔzhìpǐn（乳製品，dairy）.
• Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?（廁所在哪裡？）— Where is the toilet?
• Wǒ mí lù le（我迷路了）— I am lost.

Numbers

One through ten: yī, èr, sān, sì, wǔ, liù, qī, bā, jiǔ, shí. Eleven is shíyī (ten-one), twelve is shíèr, twenty is èrshí, twenty-one is èrshíyī, and so on. The pattern is logical once you grasp it.

Useful words for navigating food

• Miàn（麵）— Noodles.
• Fàn（飯）— Rice.
• Tāng（湯）— Soup.
• Ròu（肉）— Meat.
• Jī（雞）— Chicken.
• Zhū（豬） — Pork.
• Niú（牛）— Beef.
• Yú（魚）— Fish.
• Là（辣）— Spicy.
• Bù yào là（不要辣）— Not spicy, please.

A note on tone and register

Taiwanese conversational style is generally indirect and non-confrontational. Saying “no” directly is often avoided in favour of ambiguous or deflecting responses. If you ask for something and receive a long, hesitant response, or an “it might be difficult”, this is often a polite “no” or “I don’t know”. It is a different cultural grammar of politeness.