Useful Taiwanese phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Taiwanese with Romanization and some recordings. The Romanization system used here is Pe̍h-ōe-jī. See the Taiwanese language page for more details.

Click on the English phrases to see them in many other languages.

Key to abbreviations: sg = said to one person, pl = said to more than one person.

English	台語 / Tâi-gí (Taiwanese)
Welcome	歡迎光臨 (hoan-gêng kong-lîm)
Hello	你好 (lí-hó) - sg / 恁好 (lín-hó) - pl 喂 (ôe) - on phone
Have you eaten? (Common greeting) Reply: I have eaten ("I am full")	你食飽未？ (lí chia̍h pá bōe/bē) 你有食飽無？(lí ū chia̍h pá bô？) used by a host to a guest to mean 'Am I making you comfortable? Am I fulfilling my duties to you as a host?' 你食飽無 (lí chia̍h pá bô) (lit. "Are you full?" / "Have you eaten?")
	食飽啊 (chia̍h pá ah)
How are you? (I'm) fine, thanks, and you? (I'm) not bad, thanks, and you?	你好否? (lí-hó-bò)
	(我)真好, 多謝, 你呢？ ((góa) chin-hó, to-siā, lí ne?) (我)佅孬, 多謝, 你呢？ ((góa) bē-bái/bōe-bái, to-siā, lí ne?)
Long time no see	真久無看你 (chîaⁿ-kú bô khóaⁿ lí) 誠久無看你 (chîaⁿ-kú bô khóaⁿ lí)
What's your name? My name is ...	請問，你貴姓？ (chhiáⁿ-mn̄g, lí kùi-sèⁿ?) 你叫啥物名？ (lí kiò sáⁿ-mih/síaⁿ-mih miâ?)
What's your name? My name is ...	我姓 ... (góa sèⁿ ...) 我叫 ... (góa kiò ...)
Where are you from? I'm from ...	你是佗位的人？ (lí sī tó-ūi ê lâng?)
Where are you from? I'm from ...	我是...人 (góa sī ...lâng)
Pleased to meet you	我真歡喜及你熟似 (góa chin hoaⁿ-hí ki̍p lí se̍k-sāi)
Good morning	敖早 (gâu-chá)
Good afternoon	午安 (gō-an)
Good evening	暗安 (àm-an) / 晚安 (àm-an/bóan-an)
Good night	暗安 (àm-an) / 晚安 (bóan-an)
Goodbye	再見 (chài-kiàn)
Good luck	好運 (hó-ūn)
Cheers/Good health!	乾杯! (kan poe/pe!) 呼乾啦! (ho͘ ta là!)
Have a nice day	祝你今仔日真好的日子 (chiok lí kin á ji̍t/li̍t chin hó ê ji̍t chí) 祝你今仔日真好天 (chiok lí kin á ji̍t/li̍t chin hó thiⁿ)
Bon appetit	食福 (chia̍h hok) - Eat well, enjoy good food 食卡飽 (chia̍h kah pá) - Eat till satisfied 食氣 (chia̍h khì) - Eat up
Bon voyage	順行 (sūn-kiâⁿ) / 順風 (sūn-hong)
Do you understand?	你聽有無？ (lí thiaⁿ-ū-bô?)
I understand	我聽有 (góa thiaⁿ-ū)
I don't understand	我聽無 (góa thiaⁿ-bô)
I don't know	我毋知影 (góa m̄ chai-iáⁿ) 我毋捌 (góa m̄ pat)
Please speak more slowly	請講佫卡慢 (chhìa kóng kóh khah bān)
Please say that again	請閣講一擺 (chhiáⁿ koh-kóng chi̍t-pái)
Please write it down	請寫起來 (chhìa sía khí lâi)
Do you speak Taiwanese? Yes, a little	你會曉講台語無? (lí ē-hiáu kóng tâi-gí bô)
Do you speak Taiwanese? Yes, a little	會曉, 一屑仔 (ē-hiáu, chi̍t-sut-á) 會曉, 一點仔 (ē-hiáu, chi̍t-tiám-á)
How do you say ... in Taiwanese?	台語啥物講? (tâi-gí sáⁿ-mih/síaⁿ-mih kóng?)
How much is this?	若多錢？(lōa-chōe/chē chîⁿ)
Sorry	失禮 (sit-lé) 歹勢 (pháiⁿ-sì/phái-sè) 對不起 (tùi-put-khí)
Please	請 (chhiáⁿ)
Thank you Response	多謝 (to-siā) 感謝 (kám-siā) 撈力 (ló làt)
Thank you Response	免客氣 (bián kheh-khì) 熟似 (se̍k-sāi)
Where's the toilet?	便所佇佗位？ (piān-so tī tó-ūi?)
This gentleman/lady will pay for everything	這位先生欲請你 (chit-ūi sian-seⁿ/sian- siⁿ/sian-sé beh/boeh chhiáⁿ lì) 這位女士欲請你 (chit-ūi lí-sū/lú-sū beh/boeh chhiáⁿ lì)
Would you like to dance with me?	你愛欲和我跳舞無？ (lì ài-beh/boeh hām góa thiàu-bú bô?)
I miss you	我真數念你 (góa chin siàu-liām lì)
I love you	我愛你 (góa ài lì)
Get well soon	趕緊恢復 (kóaⁿ kín hoe ho̍k)
Go away!	去！ (khì) 走！ (cháu!)
Leave me alone!	勿關我！ (mài koan góa!)
Help! Fire! Stop!	救命！ (kiù-miā!) 火！ (hóe/hé!) 停！ (thêng!)
Call the police!	叫警察! (kiò kéng-chhat)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year	聖誕節快樂 (sèng-tàn-chat/chiat khòai-lo̍k) 新年快樂 (sin-nî khòai-lo̍k) 恭喜發財 (kiong-hí hoat-châi)
Happy Easter	復活節快樂 (ho̍k-o̍ah-chat/chiat khòai-lo̍k)
Happy Birthday	生日快樂 (seng/seⁿ-ji̍t khòai-lo̍k)
One language is never enough	一種語言永遠無夠 (chi̍t-chéng gí-giân éng-óan bô-kàu)
My hovercraft is full of eels	我的氣墊船充滿了鱔魚 (góa ê khì-tiām-chûn chhiong-móa liáu sian-hî)

Corrections and additional phrases provided by David L Chen (陳立偉)

Chinese Translation

of names and phrases

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, please contact me. If you can provide audio recordings of any of these phrases, please send them to