Getting through the Immigration Agency: Asking which documents are missing and when your ARC will be ready

💬 還 (hái) means "still" and sits right before the verb. 缺 (quē) means "lack", and 還缺 asks what's still outstanding. Same slot: 我還要什麼？ "What else do I still need?"

💬 份 (fèn) is the counting word for documents and copies: 一份表格 "one form", 兩份影本 "two photocopies". 少 (shǎo) here means "be short of", not just "few".

🇹🇼 Your employer's HR department issues this letter. Immigration often asks for it when renewing a work-based ARC, so it's worth requesting in advance.

💬 去哪裡 (qù nǎ lǐ) + verb asks where to go to do something: 我要去哪裡繳費？ "Where do I go to pay?"

💬 Here 跟 (gēn) means "from", not "with". 跟 + person or place + 拿 or 借 is how you say who you get something from: 跟朋友借 "borrow from a friend".

💬 Put 就可以 after an action to say that's all it takes: 填表就可以 "just fill in the form".

💬 Adding 了 (le) at the end makes 就可以 sound more relaxed and reassuring, like "and you're all set".

💬 好 (hǎo) here means "ready" or "done", not "good". You can use it the same way for food, repairs or paperwork: 飯好了 "the food's ready".

🇹🇼 Government offices in Taiwan count only weekdays, so national holidays such as Lunar New Year can stretch the wait noticeably.

💬 大概 (dà gài) means "about" or "roughly" and goes before the number: 大概兩個禮拜 "about two weeks".

💬 傳簡訊 (chuán jiǎn xùn) is the Taiwan way to say "send a text". On the mainland you'd more often hear 發短信.

🇹🇼 Make sure your Taiwan phone number on the application is correct. This text is usually your only signal that the card is ready to collect.

💬 來 before an action means "come (here) to do it": 來拿 "come get it", 來看 "come see".

💬 來拿 means "come to pick up". Chinese chains a movement verb straight onto the action, with no "to" in between: 去買 "go buy", 來看 "come see".

💬 Starting with 那 (nà) works like "so" or "then", tying your question to what was just said.

💬 The 了 (le) signals a change: you didn't know before, now you do. Plain 我知道 would just mean "I know".

💬 您 (nín) is the respectful form of 你 "you".

🇹🇼 您 suits thanking a civil servant at a counter. With friends, plain 謝謝 is normal.

🇹🇼 Staff or hosts say this to someone who is leaving. It literally means "walk slowly". You don't say it back; just reply 謝謝 or 掰掰 "bye-bye".