🤔🙅🗣️

How to Say ‘You don't seem to have told me first.’ in Traditional Chinese

您好像沒先跟我說欸。

nín hǎo xiàng méi xiān gēn wǒ shuō āi

[nín hǎoxiàng méi shyen gen wo shwaw ei]

🇹🇼 In Taiwan: Polite 您, hedging 好像, and a soft 欸 (ēi) at the end combine to make a firm point very gently. This is how locals push back without causing a scene.

Phrase Breakdown

您好像

nín hǎo xiàng

you seem to

您 (nín) is the polite 'you'. 好像 (hǎoxiàng) means 'it seems', which softens the complaint.

Example

您好像很累。

You seem tired.

Words in this phrase

您

nín

[nín]

you (polite)

A polite form of address for 'you'.

Example

您需要幫忙嗎？

Do you need help?

好像

hǎo xiàng

[hǎoxiàng]

seemingly; it seems

Softens a statement; 'it looks like'.

Example

他好像生氣了。

He seems angry.

沒先跟我說欸。

méi xiān gēn wǒ shuō āi

not have told me beforehand

欸 (ei) is a Taiwanese final particle that gently points something out.

Example

你沒先跟我說欸。

You didn't tell me first, you know.

Words in this phrase

沒

méi

[méi]

did not

Indicates a negative past action.

Example

他沒看見我。

He did not see me.

先

xiān

[shyen]

first; in advance

Indicates doing something first, before another action. Useful in planning or polite requests.

Example

我先訂位，晚一點再確認人數。

I'll make the reservation first, then confirm the number of people later.

跟

gēn

[gen]

with; to

A preposition meaning 'with' someone or 'to' someone in conversation.

Example

你可以跟招募人員聊聊。

You can chat with the recruiter.

我

wǒ

[wo]

I; me

The first-person pronoun used to talk about yourself.

Example

我想多了解你們公司的制度，所以先自我介紹。

I want to learn more about your company’s system, so I’ll introduce myself first.

說

shuō

[shwaw]

to say; to speak

Used when you want to say something directly. In flirting, it helps introduce a compliment naturally.

Example

我想說，你的外套很好看。

I want to say, your jacket looks great.

欸

āi

[ei]

eh (soft particle)

Sentence-final particle softening a remark or complaint.

Example

這樣不對欸。

That's not right, eh.

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