Ordering a coffee Part 2 (Advanced): Indicates whether the coffee is for in-store or to be taken out.

💬 Adding 嗎 (ma) to the end of a statement turns it into a yes/no question. Without it, 還有位子 simply means "there are still seats".

💬 Time words like 現在 go at the front of the sentence, not the end as in English. Other time words follow the same rule: 明天還有位子嗎？ "are there seats tomorrow?"

💬 都 (dōu) means "all" and sits before the verb, not before the noun as in English. Another example: 票都賣完了 "the tickets are all sold out".

💬 左右 (zuǒ yòu) literally means "left-right". After a number, it means "about" or "or so": 五點左右 "around five o'clock".

🇹🇼 People say this all the time in Taiwan to show they're listening and taking in new information. It's like "oh, okay" and is neither surprised nor rude.

💬 改 (gǎi) means "change". Put it right before the new choice to switch an earlier one, as in 改熱的 "make it hot instead".

💬 Starting with 那 (nà) here means "in that case" rather than "that". It's the natural way to react to news you've just heard.

🇹🇼 Taiwan restricts free plastic bags, so shops usually ask whether you want one. Some charge a small fee for it.

💬 Putting 就好 after something means "just this is enough". It works for any request: 水就好 "just water is fine".

💬 不用 (bú yòng) is the polite way to turn down something offered. 不 becomes (bú) here because the next sound falls in tone.

🇹🇼 Saying no to the bag up front is common in Taiwan, where reducing plastic is taken seriously. It saves the cashier from asking you.

💬 元 (yuán) is the written and formal word for dollar. In casual speech you'll often hear 塊 (kuài) instead: 八十五塊.

💬 Chinese has no single word for "yes". You answer by repeating the verb from the question, so to 可以刷卡嗎？ "can I pay by card?" the reply is simply 可以.

💬 用 X 付 means "pay with X": 用信用卡付 "pay by credit card".

🇹🇼 悠遊卡 (yōu yóu kǎ), the EasyCard, is the transit card most people in Taiwan carry. It works at convenience stores and many cafés, so asking about it is perfectly normal.

🇹🇼 感應 (gǎn yìng) "sense, detect" is the word for tapping a card or phone. In Taiwan it's used for credit cards, EasyCard (悠遊卡), and mobile pay alike.

💬 好了 after a noun means "is ready" or "is done". It can also mean "when it's ready" with no separate word for "when": 飯好了 "the food's ready".

💬 您 (nín) is the polite form of 你 "you". Staff use it with customers.

🇹🇼 Many Taiwanese chains hand you a receipt with an order number and call it out, or show it on a screen. Keep the receipt handy until you've collected your drink.