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Scene illustrating a Traditional Chinese-language ordering a coffee conversation

Key Phrases

您好

nín hǎo

Hello

一杯咖啡

yī bēi kā fēi

A cup of coffee

請稍等一下

qǐng shāo děng yí xià

Please wait a moment

Skills You'll Learn

Ordering coffee

點咖啡

diǎn kā fēi

Expressing gratitude

表達感謝

biǎo dá gǎn xiè

Describing coffee flavors

描述咖啡風味

miáo shù kā fēi fēng wèi

Lesson Roleplay

Imagine walking into a coffee shop where you and the barista engage in a conversation to place your order. You express your preference for a type of coffee bean and choose between a hot or iced coffee. The barista provides recommendations and confirms your order with courtesy.

您好,我可以幫您什麼?

nín hǎo wǒ kě yǐ bāng nín shén me

Hello, how may I assist you?

你好,我想要一杯咖啡。

nǐ hǎo wǒ xiǎng yào yī bēi kā fēi

Hi, I would like a cup of coffee.

好的,您想要哪種咖啡豆?我們有哥倫比亞豆、義大利烘焙或者是拼配豆。

hǎo de nín xiǎng yào nǎ zhǒng kā fēi dòu wǒ men yǒu gē lún bǐ yà dòu yì dà lì hōng bèi huò zhě shì pīn pèi dòu

Sure, which type of coffee beans would you like? We have Colombian beans, Italian roast, or blends.

哥倫比亞豆是什麼風味的?

gē lún bǐ yà dòu shì shén me fēng wèi de

What is the flavor profile of Colombian beans?

它味道酸甜適中,帶有果香。

tā wèi dào suān tián shì zhōng dài yǒu guǒ xiāng

They are moderately sweet and sour with a fruity aroma.

Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases

🫵🏼

nín

You (formal)

💬 Used for politeness, especially with strangers or superiors.

🇹🇼 In Taiwan, using [您] is a way to show respect, common in customer service.

See breakdown →
👍

hǎo

Good

💬 A versatile word used in many phrases, like [你好] (knee-how) for hello.

🇹🇼 Good manners often involve saying [好] at the end of a greeting.

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👋

您好

nín hǎo

Hello

💬 A formal way to greet someone, notice that [您] is polite.

🇹🇼 Typically used in more formal settings or with elders.

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👁️

I

💬 Pronounced as (wo). It's the subject in most sentences.

🇹🇼 The concept of 'I' is straightforward, but modesty is valued in speech.

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🔛

可以

kě yǐ

Can

💬 Used to express ability or permission.

🇹🇼 It's common to use [可以] when asking for permission politely.

See breakdown →
🤝

bāng

Help

💬 Pronounced as (bang). Can be used both as a verb and noun.

🇹🇼 People often appreciate when you offer to [幫] in Taiwan.

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什麼

shén me

What

💬 Used in questions to inquire about unknowns. Pronounced as (shuh-ma).

🇹🇼 It's polite to add [請問, 請問你可以幫什麼?] to questions for respect.

See breakdown →
🤔🤝

我可以幫您什麼?

wǒ kě yǐ bāng nín shén me

How can I help you?

💬 A polite way to offer assistance.

🇹🇼 Common phrase in customer service, showing readiness to assist.

See breakdown →
👉

You

💬 Used informally among friends or equals.

🇹🇼 [你] is less formal than [您], commonly used in casual conversations.

See breakdown →
🚀

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