<<回台湾走走2011>> - 15 Commonly Encountered Taiwanese Lingo

---

Some of the most commonly used local lingo the visitor might encounter in beautiful Taiwan. Start practising for your next trip =)

1) 不好意思 – “Excuse Me”. It is very common to start a conversation with “Excuse Me” in Taiwan even when requesting for a service or asking for directions. This is similar to “Sumimasen” used by the Japanese.

2) 捷运 – Literally to mean “Fast Moving”. Refers to the MRT system in Taipei & Kaohsiung. We call it 地铁 in Singapore.

3) 优游卡 – Or “Easy Card”. Is similar to our EZ Link card valid for use on all public transportation rides and at convenience stores. There is an added 20%!d(MISSING)iscount when using the Easy Card to pay for the MRT rides.

4) 公车 / 客运 – “Public Buses” as they are more commonly known in Taiwan.

5) 高铁 – The “High Speed Rail” which is similar to the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) in Japan.

6) 博爱座 - Special “Reserved Seats” on MRT Trains for needy passengers.

7) 全票 / 半票 – “Adults” & “Children” tickets respectively.

8) 化妆室 – “Public Toilets” as they are more affectionately known.

9) 单点 – “A la Carte” items on a restaurant menu.

10) 内用 / 外带 – “Eat In” or “Take Out” respectively.

11) 统一发票 – “Standardised Serialised Receipts” that are issued all over Taiwan. Look out for lucky draws to see if your receipt had won you a prize.

12) 单人房 – “Single Room”. The Single Room comes with a double bed that is wide enough to accommodate 2 adults. If you are requesting for a Twin Room, expect to pay a premium for it.

13) 假日 – “Weekends”. Expect to pay a premium for the hotel room when checking-in on a Friday or Saturday.

14) Seven - Granted that "Seven" is not a Chinese Word. It is meant to be a short form for "7-11 Convenience Stores”. For some reasons, "Eleven" was clearly omitted to become “我要去Seven! (I'm going to Seven!)”

15) 面纸 – "Tissue papers."

---