Top 50 phrases to get by Taiwan (Advanced): Getting around and shopping

💬 Put any place before 在哪裡 to ask where it is — the question word stays at the end, where the answer would go: 捷運站在哪裡？ "Where is the MRT station?".

🇹🇼 Convenience stores, MRT stations, and department stores reliably have free public restrooms, so they're the go-to spots when you need one.

🇹🇼 Locals say 捷運 (jié yùn); the mainland word 地鐵 "subway" will be understood but marks you as not from here. Eating and drinking are banned inside MRT stations and trains, and fines are enforced.

💬 站 (zhàn) attaches to the end of a place or transport word to make "that station/stop": 捷運站 "MRT station", 公車站 "bus stop", 台北站 "Taipei Station".

💬 捷運 (jié yùn) is the Taiwan word for the metro; in mainland China it's 地鐵 "subway".

💬 捷運 is Taiwan's word for MRT/metro, so this is the local term to learn. Use the same pattern with other places: 便利商店在哪裡？

🇹🇼 In Taiwan, asking for a 捷運站 is very natural in cities like Taipei. On the mainland, you'd more often hear a different word for metro, so 捷運 is a Taiwan-specific win.

💬 Taiwan says 公車 (gōng chē), while the mainland says 公交車 "bus".

🇹🇼 Buses in Taiwan often won't stop unless you wave one down, so raise your hand as yours approaches.

💬 計程車 (jì chéng chē) is the Taiwan word; the mainland says 出租車 "taxi". Many people also say 小黃 (xiǎo huáng) "little yellow", after the cars' color.

💬 This is 火車 "train" + 站 "station". Build other places the same way: 公車站 "bus stop", 捷運站 "MRT station".

💬 機場 (jī chǎng) is 機 "machine/plane" + 場 "field". The same 機 is in 飛機 (fēi jī) "airplane".

💬 票 (piào) is a falling tone. Pair it with what it's for: 車票 "train/bus ticket", 電影票 "movie ticket".

🇹🇼 The 悠遊卡 (yōu yóu kǎ) works on the MRT, buses, and YouBikes, and you can pay with it at convenience stores. Tapping it is how most locals get around and buy small things.

💬 邊 (biān) means "side", so 左邊 is literally "left side". Swap the first part to get other directions: 右邊 "right", 旁邊 "beside".

💬 直 means "straight" and 走 means "walk/go", with the way of moving placed before the action. Directions follow this pattern, like 往前走 "walk forward".

💬 轉 (zhuǎn) means "turn". The direction goes first, then the verb: 左轉 "turn left", 右轉 "turn right".

💬 遠 (yuǎn) works as a full statement with no 是 "is" needed: 很遠 means "it's far".

💬 近 (jìn) needs no 是 "is". 很近 already means "it's close", and 不遠 "not far" is a common way to say the same thing.

💬 Add 嗎 (ma) to the end of any statement to turn it into a yes/no question: 很遠 "it's far" becomes 很遠嗎？. Here 很 doesn't mean "very"; it just completes the phrase.

💬 Swap 這裡 for any place to reuse the sentence: 我要去機場 "I want to go to the airport".

🇹🇼 Showing a taxi driver the address on your phone while saying this is exactly what locals and visitors do.

🇹🇼 This is natural in a taxi or ride service when you want the driver to stop at a spot. On a bus in Taiwan, people usually press the stop button rather than say this out loud unless they need extra help.

🇹🇼 In speech, people usually just name the chain, like 7-11 or 全家 (quán jiā) "FamilyMart". Convenience stores in Taiwan are where you pay bills, top up your EasyCard, and pick up parcels.

🇹🇼 Night markets are the heart of Taiwanese street food, and they mostly take cash only. Eating while walking between stalls is completely normal there.

💬 The useful phrase is 多少錢？ (duō shǎo qián) "how much money?", the standard way to ask a price.

💬 貴 (guì) is a full sentence by itself, with no 是 "is" needed: 太貴了 "too expensive" is the handy phrase for haggling.

💬 太...了 means "too..." as in "excessively," not just "very." You can reuse it with other adjectives: 太貴了, 太遠了.

💬 Say this as (pián yí), not (biàn yí), even though 便 is read (biàn) in 便利商店 "convenience store".

🇹🇼 At night markets, asking 可以便宜一點嗎？ "can it be a bit cheaper?" is acceptable for clothes and trinkets. It's not done for food.

💬 一點 after an adjective means "a bit," so 便宜一點 is "a bit cheaper." The 一 is pronounced (yì) here because it comes before another falling-tone syllable.

🇹🇼 This is a polite way to bargain in markets or small shops, but not something to use in fixed-price chain stores or department stores. In Taiwan, tone matters a lot here: keep it light and friendly.

💬 個 here is the all-purpose counting word; 這 (zhè) "this" needs it before pointing at something, as in 這個多少錢？ "How much is this?".

💬 要 means "want" or "will have" and is very handy when ordering or choosing. Swap the last part: 我要咖啡, 我要這個.

💬 Saying a verb then its negative turns it into a yes/no question: 要不要？ "Do you want it?" works the same way.

🇹🇼 In clothing stores this is completely normal, but in some market stalls or smaller shops the answer may be no. Staff may point you to a fitting room rather than answer with a full sentence.

💬 子 (zi) at the end is said lightly and quickly with no real tone. It's often just a noun ending, as in 杯子 "cup".

🇹🇼 Plastic bags in Taiwan cost a small fee at stores, so cashiers ask; many locals carry their own bag.

💬 Here 不 stays (bù), since 需 isn't a falling tone. Swap the noun to refuse other things: 我不需要發票 "I don't need a receipt".

🇹🇼 Plastic bags at Taiwanese shops cost a small fee by law, so clerks will often ask whether you want one. Many locals carry their own.

🇹🇼 Cash is still king at night markets, small eateries, and traditional shops in Taiwan. Always carry some, even though cards work in bigger stores.

💬 卡 (kǎ) means "card" and closes many card names: 信用卡, 悠遊卡 "EasyCard", 會員卡 "membership card".

🇹🇼 Night markets, small eateries, and street stalls are often cash-only, so it's worth asking before ordering; transit cards like EasyCard also work at many convenience stores.

🇹🇼 Taiwan's 發票 (fā piào) receipts double as lottery tickets, with numbers drawn every two months. Clerks may also ask if you want to store it on a phone barcode 載具 (zài jù) "e-invoice carrier".