Asking cute stranger for their number: Finding something in common

💬 Time words like 上個月 go near the front, before the verb, not at the end as in English. The 了 after 爬 marks that the hike already happened.

💬 也 "too" and 常 "often" both go before the verb, in that order. Compare English, where "too" comes at the end.

🇹🇼 Locals just say 101 (yī líng yī) for Taipei 101, with no need to add "Taipei" or "tower".

💬 漂亮 is the whole description on its own, with no 是 needed. The 很 mainly completes the sentence, so it doesn't strongly mean "very".

💬 The time 晚上 comes first to set the scene, then the action and then the description. Try 早上看101很清楚 "101 looks clear in the morning".

💬 Here 還 means "else" or "besides" and goes before the verb. Also: 你還喜歡吃什麼？ "What else do you like to eat?"

🇹🇼 Yangmingshan is the big national park just north of Taipei, known for its hot springs, volcanic trails and spring flowers. It's a classic weekend or date outing.

💬 過 (guò) after a verb asks about experience, meaning "ever". Swap in another verb: 你吃過臭豆腐嗎？ "Have you ever eaten stinky tofu?"

💬 還沒 (hái méi) is the natural answer to a 過 question. It implies that you might still do it, which plain 沒有 doesn't.

💬 想 (xiǎng) before a verb means "want to", and it is softer than 要. Also: 我很想吃 "I really want to eat it".

🇹🇼 Saying you haven't been somewhere but really want to go leaves an open door, and it invites the other person to offer to take you.

💬 很多 goes straight before a noun without the counting word: 很多人 "lots of people".

💬 To say "there is/are", use 有 with the time or place first, and you don't need a word like "there": 晚上有很多人 "There are lots of people at night".

💬 加 (jiā) literally means "add". It works for any app: 加臉書 "add on Facebook", 加IG "add on Instagram".

🇹🇼 In Taiwan, asking for someone's LINE is the normal way to ask for their contact, and it's far more common than asking for a phone number. It also feels lower-stakes, since it's easy to chat casually there.

💬 一起 (yì qǐ) "together" goes before the verb. Note that 一 is read (yì) here because the next syllable has a third tone.

🇹🇼 Suggesting a shared activity next time is a casual, low-stakes way to ask someone out in Taiwan. It sounds friendlier than asking directly for a date.

🇹🇼 In Taiwan people rarely trade phone numbers. Instead, one person opens their LINE QR code and the other scans it, and offering to scan is the normal way to ask.

💬 叫 (jiào) literally means "to be called". It's the everyday way to give your name, and it's less stiff than 我的名字是.

💬 Ending a sentence with 喔 (o) makes it warmer and friendlier, a bit like adding "okay?" or a smile.

🇹🇼 This is a casual, friendly sign-off once you've swapped contacts, and it signals that you'd like to chat again.

🇹🇼 掰掰 (bāi bāi) comes from English "bye-bye". It's the most common casual goodbye in Taiwan, and adults use it too, not just kids.