Ordering a coffee (Advanced): The size of coffee you want.

💬 夠 "enough" plus an action means there's enough to do that action. For example, 夠吃 means "enough to eat". 不太 softens it to "not quite", which sounds gentler than a flat 不夠.

💬 怕 (pà) literally means "to fear", but in everyday speech it often just means "I'm worried that…". It's followed by a whole sentence, as in 我怕來不及 "I'm worried I won't make it in time".

🇹🇼 Chains like Starbucks in Taiwan sometimes list sizes in ounces, but most local drink shops use milliliters (毫升).

🇹🇼 Taiwan strongly encourages reusable cups, and most cafés and drink shops give a small discount, usually around NT$5, when you bring your own.

💬 Here 有 before an action stresses that you really did it: "I did bring one". It's very common in Taiwan Mandarin, and you'll also hear 我有吃 "I did eat".

💬 裝得下 means "can fit it in". Saying the first syllable both positive and negative, 裝不裝, turns it into a yes-or-no question. The same pattern gives 吃不吃得完 "can you finish it or not".

💬 Adding 一下 (yí xià) after an action makes it sound quick and casual. Note that 一 is read (yí) here because it comes before the falling tone of 下.

💬 裝 (zhuāng) means "to hold" or "to fit inside" for any container. Swap in another size to reuse it, as in 可以裝中杯 "it can hold a medium".

💬 折 (zhé) plus an amount means money off. Be careful, though: 打八折 means you pay 80% of the price, not 80% off.

🇹🇼 麻煩 "to trouble (you)" is a very common polite opener in Taiwan when ordering. It sounds softer and more natural than starting with 我要 "I want".

💬 The order is: count (一杯 "one cup"), then temperature with 的, then size, then the drink. Swap pieces in the same slots to build any order, as in 一杯冰的中杯美式 "an iced medium Americano".

💬 When a number has a gap in the middle, you say 零 to mark it: 一百零五 (yì bǎi líng wǔ) is 105. Without 零, 一百五 would mean 150.

🇹🇼 Prices are written with 元, but people usually say 塊 out loud.

🇹🇼 In Taiwan, 這邊 (zhè biān) is often used as a soft, polite lead-in when handing something over, rather than literally pointing at a place.

💬 To say 110, you put 一 before 十: 一百一十 (yì bǎi yī shí). Saying just 一百十 isn't used.

💬 找 (zhǎo) usually means "to look for", but with money it means "to give change". The amount goes after the person, as in 找你十塊 "here's ten back".

🇹🇼 Staff use the polite 您 with customers. In many shops they'll call out your order number or a receipt number rather than your name.

🇹🇼 Taiwanese people say this constantly as a light "thanks for doing that". It's perfect after staff check your cup or hand over your drink, and doesn't feel like a heavy apology.