Taiwan Mandarin Slang and Local Words: 80+ Everyday Phrases + Pronunciation Quirks
Goal: sound natural in Taiwan without sounding like you swallowed a textbook. Topic name in Chinese: 臺灣國語口語（Táiwān guóyǔ kǒuyǔ） + 在地用語（zàidì yòngyǔ） + 口頭禪（kǒutóuchán）.
Taiwan Mandarin is still Mandarin—but the vibe is different: softer consonants, fewer “-er” endings, and a whole buffet of particles like 欸（ēi）, 啦（la）, and 齁（hō）. Add slang like 很可以（hěn kěyǐ） and suddenly you sound like you’ve actually been outside in Taiwan.
Everything below is written in Traditional Chinese with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and real-life examples you can steal immediately. (Steal responsibly.)
Yak Snark Box
You can learn 1,000 words and still sound robotic if you never use particles. Taiwan Mandarin loves tiny “seasoning words.” Yes, they’re confusing. Yes, you need them. No, you can’t negotiate with the language.
Pronunciation Quirks You’ll Hear In Taiwan
These aren’t “rules,” they’re common real-life patterns. You can still pronounce standard Mandarin—people will understand you. But if you want the Taiwan feel, here’s what shows up a lot.
| What Changes | What It Sounds Like | Mini Example | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不捲舌（bù juǎnshé） | zh/ch/sh often soften toward z/c/s | 是不是 | shì bú shì (often sounds like sì bú sì) | Is it / isn’t it? |
| r- softens | “r” can sound lighter | 熱（熱不熱？） | rè (often softer) | Hot (Is it hot?) |
| 兒化少（érhuà shǎo） | Fewer “-r” endings in daily speech | 這裡（不是「這兒」） | zhèlǐ | Here |
| 口語縮音（kǒuyǔ suōyīn） | Words get shortened in casual speech | 這樣子 → 醬子 | zhèyàngzi → jiàngzi | “like this” → casual “like this” |
| 連接詞「和」 | Some people say hàn for “and” | 我和你 | wǒ hàn nǐ (also standard: wǒ hé nǐ) | Me and you |
Quick Pronunciation Practice
- Say these slowly, then casually: 是不是（shì bú shì）, 什麼（shénme）, 這樣子（zhèyàngzi）.
- Try a Taiwan-style reduction: 這樣子（zhèyàngzi） → 醬子（jiàngzi）.
- Listen for particles at the end: 啦（la）, 欸（ēi）, 齁（hō）.
The “Use-Today” Slang Cards
These 8 are ridiculously common. Learn them first, then binge the big tables later.
很可以
很可以（hěn kěyǐ） = pretty great / approved
這家咖啡很可以。
Zhè jiā kāfēi hěn kěyǐ.
“This café is legit.”
傻眼
傻眼（shǎyǎn） = speechless / stunned
我聽完直接傻眼。
Wǒ tīng wán zhíjiē shǎyǎn.
“I was instantly speechless.”
安啦
安啦（ān la） = relax / don’t worry
安啦，我會處理。
Ān la, wǒ huì chǔlǐ.
“Relax, I’ll handle it.”
是在哈囉
是在哈囉（shì zài hā luō） = what are you doing?? (mocking)
你是在哈囉？
Nǐ shì zài hā luō?
“What are you even doing?”
母湯／毋通
毋通（wú tōng） = don’t / not allowed
Common meme spelling: 母湯
這樣毋通啦。
Zhèyàng wú tōng la.
“Don’t do that.”
歹勢
歹勢（pài sè） = sorry / excuse me (Hokkien loan)
歹勢，借過一下。
Pài sè, jièguò yíxià.
“Sorry—excuse me.”
沒差
沒差（méi chā） = no big deal / doesn’t matter
沒差啦，改天再去。
Méi chā la, gǎitiān zài qù.
“No big deal, we’ll go another day.”
笑死
笑死（xiào sǐ） = I’m dying (from laughter)
你那句話笑死我。
Nǐ nà jù huà xiào sǐ wǒ.
“That line killed me.”
靠北
靠北（kào běi） = “damn/ugh” (rude; use with close friends)
靠北，又下雨。
Kào běi, yòu xiàyǔ.
“Ugh, it’s raining again.”
Everyday Slang, Particles, And Local Words
Below are big, scannable tables. Each entry includes: Hanzi + pinyin + meaning + real example. Copy-paste into your brain.
Quick Reactions And Filler Sounds
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 欸 | ēi | hey / eh (getting attention) | 欸，你等一下。 | Ēi, nǐ děng yíxià. | Hey, wait a sec. |
| 喔 | ō | oh / got it | 喔，我懂了。 | Ō, wǒ dǒng le. | Oh, I get it. |
| 啦 | la | sentence softener | 好啦，走吧。 | Hǎo la, zǒu ba. | Alright, let’s go. |
| 齁 | hō | “right?” / seeking agreement | 很熱齁？ | Hěn rè hō? | Hot, right? |
| 捏 | niē | soft “you know” vibe | 可以捏，我陪你。 | Kěyǐ niē, wǒ péi nǐ. | Sure, I’ll go with you. |
| 咧 | liē | question particle | 你在幹嘛咧？ | Nǐ zài gànmá liē? | What are you doing? |
| 蛤 | há | huh? / what? | 蛤？你說什麼？ | Há? Nǐ shuō shénme? | Huh? What did you say? |
| 真的假的 | zhēn de jiǎ de | really? for real? | 真的假的？太扯了。 | Zhēn de jiǎ de? Tài chě le. | Really? That’s wild. |
| 沒差 | méi chā | doesn’t matter | 沒差啦，隨便你。 | Méi chā la, suíbiàn nǐ. | No big deal—up to you. |
| 安啦 | ān la | don’t worry | 安啦，來得及。 | Ān la, lái de jí. | Relax, we’ll make it. |
| 傻眼 | shǎyǎn | speechless | 看到價格我傻眼。 | Kàndào jiàgé wǒ shǎyǎn. | I was speechless seeing the price. |
| 笑死 | xiào sǐ | dying of laughter | 你這個梗笑死。 | Nǐ zhège gěng xiào sǐ. | Your joke killed me. |
Compliments And Hype
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 很可以 | hěn kěyǐ | pretty great / approved | 你這個想法很可以。 | Nǐ zhège xiǎngfǎ hěn kěyǐ. | Your idea is solid. |
| 超讚 | chāo zàn | super awesome | 你的簡報超讚！ | Nǐ de jiǎnbào chāo zàn! | Your presentation is awesome! |
| 讚啦 | zàn la | nice! (cheery) | 你這樣做，讚啦。 | Nǐ zhèyàng zuò, zàn la. | Doing it like that—nice. |
| 超狂 | chāo kuáng | insanely good / wild | 他一個人跑全馬，超狂。 | Tā yí gè rén pǎo quánmǎ, chāo kuáng. | He ran a marathon solo—insane. |
| 太猛了 | tài měng le | so strong / impressive | 你五分鐘就做完，太猛了。 | Nǐ wǔ fēnzhōng jiù zuò wán, tài měng le. | You finished in 5 minutes—beast. |
| 給力 | gěilì | powerful / helpful | 這功能很給力。 | Zhè gōngnéng hěn gěilì. | This feature is really helpful. |
| 水喔 | shuǐ ō | nice / looks good (Taiwan vibe) | 你今天很水喔。 | Nǐ jīntiān hěn shuǐ ō. | You look great today. |
| 有夠 | yǒu gòu | so / extremely (often complaining or praising) | 這雨有夠大。 | Zhè yǔ yǒu gòu dà. | This rain is ridiculously heavy. |
| 可以欸 | kěyǐ ēi | nice / that works | 這個搭配可以欸。 | Zhège dāpèi kěyǐ ēi. | This combo works nicely. |
| 不錯哦 | búcuò ō | not bad (friendly) | 你這樣講不錯哦。 | Nǐ zhèyàng jiǎng búcuò ō. | That’s a good way to say it. |
| 好扯 | hǎo chě | so crazy / unbelievable | 你抽到頭獎，好扯！ | Nǐ chōu dào tóujiǎng, hǎo chě! | You won first prize—no way! |
| 超雷／不雷 | chāo léi / bù léi | a dud / not a dud | 這家店不雷，可以去。 | Zhè jiā diàn bù léi, kěyǐ qù. | This place isn’t a dud—go for it. |
Complaints And Calling People Out
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 靠北 | kào běi | damn/ugh (rude) | 靠北，又塞車。 | Kào běi, yòu sāichē. | Ugh, traffic again. |
| 毋通 | wú tōng | don’t / not allowed | 這樣毋通啦！ | Zhèyàng wú tōng la! | Don’t do that! |
| 不要鬧 | bù yào nào | stop messing around | 不要鬧，我很認真。 | Bù yào nào, wǒ hěn rènzhēn. | Stop it—I’m being serious. |
| 是在哈囉 | shì zài hā luō | what are you doing? (mocking) | 你是在哈囉？ | Nǐ shì zài hā luō? | What are you even doing? |
| 有事嗎 | yǒu shì ma | what’s your problem? | 你有事嗎？ | Nǐ yǒu shì ma? | Do you have a problem? |
| 你很煩欸 | nǐ hěn fán ēi | you’re annoying | 你很煩欸，先不要。 | Nǐ hěn fán ēi, xiān bù yào. | You’re annoying—stop for now. |
| 屁啦 | pì la | no way / BS | 屁啦，哪有那麼誇張。 | Pì la, nǎ yǒu nàme kuāzhāng. | No way, it’s not that dramatic. |
| 超瞎 | chāo xiā | ridiculous / lame | 這理由超瞎。 | Zhè lǐyóu chāo xiā. | This excuse is ridiculous. |
| 北七 | běi qī | idiot (mild insult) | 別北七好嗎？ | Bié běiqī hǎo ma? | Don’t be an idiot, okay? |
| 白目 | báimù | oblivious / tactless | 你很白目欸。 | Nǐ hěn báimù ēi. | You’re seriously tactless. |
| 北爛 | běilàn | stupid (rude) | 那句話太北爛。 | Nà jù huà tài běilàn. | That line was so stupid. |
| 龜毛 | guīmáo | picky / nitpicky | 你也太龜毛了吧。 | Nǐ yě tài guīmáo le ba. | You’re way too picky. |
People Types And Social Labels
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鄉民 | xiāngmín | netizens (esp. forum vibe) | 鄉民又在吵了。 | Xiāngmín yòu zài chǎo le. | The netizens are fighting again. |
| 8+9 | bā jiā jiǔ | delinquent “wannabe gangster” stereotype (negative) | 他打扮很8+9。 | Tā dǎbàn hěn bā jiā jiǔ. | He’s dressed in a very “89” way. |
| 奧客 | àokè | difficult customer | 今天又遇到奧客。 | Jīntiān yòu yù dào àokè. | Met a difficult customer again today. |
| 雷包 | léibāo | liability teammate | 拜託別當雷包。 | Bàituō bié dāng léibāo. | Please don’t be a liability. |
| 玻璃心 | bōlíxīn | thin-skinned | 別玻璃心，我開玩笑。 | Bié bōlíxīn, wǒ kāiwánxiào. | Don’t be so sensitive—I’m joking. |
| 佛系 | fóxì | chill / not trying too hard | 我最近很佛系。 | Wǒ zuìjìn hěn fóxì. | I’ve been super chill lately. |
| 厭世 | yànshì | world-weary / cynical | 他講話好厭世。 | Tā jiǎnghuà hǎo yànshì. | He sounds so cynical. |
| 中二 | zhōng’èr | cringey “teen” vibe | 這台詞有點中二。 | Zhè táicí yǒudiǎn zhōng’èr. | This line is a bit cringe. |
| 菜鳥 | cài niǎo | newbie | 我是菜鳥，請多指教。 | Wǒ shì càiniǎo, qǐng duō zhǐjiào. | I’m new—please guide me. |
| 小確幸 | xiǎo què xìng | tiny daily happiness | 一杯珍奶就是小確幸。 | Yì bēi zhēnnǎi jiù shì xiǎo què xìng. | Boba tea is my tiny happiness. |
| 尬聊 | gàliáo | awkward chat | 那場尬聊好累。 | Nà chǎng gàliáo hǎo lèi. | That awkward chat was exhausting. |
| 擺爛 | bǎilàn | to give up / “I’m done trying” | 我今天想擺爛。 | Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng bǎilàn. | I feel like giving up today. |
Texting And Internet Life
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 已讀 | yǐ dú | read (message seen) | 他已讀了。 | Tā yǐ dú le. | He’s read it. |
| 已讀不回 | yǐ dú bù huí | left on read | 他又已讀不回。 | Tā yòu yǐ dú bù huí. | He left me on read again. |
| 私訊 | sī xùn | DM (private message) | 你私訊我就好。 | Nǐ sīxùn wǒ jiù hǎo. | Just DM me. |
| 秒回 | miǎo huí | reply instantly | 你怎麼都秒回？ | Nǐ zěnme dōu miǎohuí? | How do you reply so fast? |
| 放閃 | fàng shǎn | show off romance (PDA online) | 他們又在放閃。 | Tāmen yòu zài fàngshǎn. | They’re showing off again. |
| 閃人 | shǎn rén | bounce / leave quickly | 我先閃人了。 | Wǒ xiān shǎnrén le. | I’m gonna bounce first. |
| 洗版 | xǐ bǎn | spam the feed | 別洗版啦，拜託。 | Bié xǐbǎn la, bàituō. | Stop spamming the feed, please. |
| 開嗆 | kāi qiàng | start a fight (verbally) | 他在留言區開嗆。 | Tā zài liúyán qū kāi qiàng. | He started beef in the comments. |
| 筆戰 | bǐ zhàn | keyboard war | 他們又開始筆戰。 | Tāmen yòu kāishǐ bǐzhàn. | They started a keyboard war again. |
| 噴 | pēn | to flame / roast (online) | 別亂噴人。 | Bié luàn pēn rén. | Don’t flame people randomly. |
| 爆 | bào | to blow up (views / anger) | 這篇貼文爆了。 | Zhè piān tiēwén bào le. | This post blew up. |
| 打卡 | dǎkǎ | check in (social media) | 我們去那邊打卡。 | Wǒmen qù nàbiān dǎkǎ. | Let’s go check in there. |
Taiwan Local Words You’ll Actually Hear
These are not “slang,” but they’re classic Taiwan Mandarin choices that make you sound local fast.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 腳踏車 | jiǎo tà chē | bicycle | 我騎腳踏車去上班。 | Wǒ qí jiǎotàchē qù shàngbān. | I bike to work. |
| 捷運 | jié yùn | MRT / metro | 我搭捷運到台北車站。 | Wǒ dā jiéyùn dào Táiběi Chēzhàn. | I take the MRT to Taipei Main Station. |
| 計程車 | jì chéng chē | taxi | 我們叫一台計程車吧。 | Wǒmen jiào yì tái jìchéngchē ba. | Let’s call a taxi. |
| 司機 | sī jī | driver (common polite address) | 司機大哥，前面停一下。 | Sījī dàgē, qiánmiàn tíng yíxià. | Driver, please stop up front. |
| 外帶 | wài dài | takeout | 我要外帶，謝謝。 | Wǒ yào wàidài, xièxie. | Takeout, please. |
| 內用 | nèi yòng | dine in | 我們內用。 | Wǒmen nèiyòng. | We’re eating here. |
| 發票 | fā piào | receipt / invoice | 記得拿發票喔。 | Jìde ná fāpiào ō. | Remember to take the receipt. |
| 統一發票 | tǒng yī fā piào | uniform invoice (lottery receipt) | 統一發票可以對獎。 | Tǒngyī fāpiào kěyǐ duìjiǎng. | You can check lottery prizes with invoices. |
| 早安 | zǎo ān | good morning | 早安！你吃早餐了嗎？ | Zǎo ān! Nǐ chī zǎocān le ma? | Morning! Have you eaten? |
| 晚安 | wǎn ān | good night | 晚安，明天見。 | Wǎn ān, míngtiān jiàn. | Good night, see you tomorrow. |
| 禮拜 | lǐ bài | week (common in Taiwan) | 禮拜六你有空嗎？ | Lǐbài liù nǐ yǒu kòng ma? | Are you free Saturday? |
| 不會 | bù huì | you’re welcome (Taiwan common) | 謝謝！—不會。 | Xièxie! —Bù huì. | Thanks! —No problem. |
Number Slang And “Code Words”
Some of these come from Taiwanese (Hokkien) internet culture, but you’ll see them everywhere in Taiwan chats.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | bā qī | idiot (insult) | 你很87欸。 | Nǐ hěn bā qī ēi. | You’re such an idiot. |
| 543 | wǔ sì sān | nonsense / blah blah | 別跟我講543。 | Bié gēn wǒ jiǎng wǔ sì sān. | Don’t talk nonsense to me. |
| 2266 | èr èr liù liù | sloppy / messy | 你做得很2266。 | Nǐ zuò de hěn èr èr liù liù. | You did it really sloppily. |
| 88 | bā bā | bye-bye | 我先走啦，88。 | Wǒ xiān zǒu la, bā bā. | I’m heading out—bye. |
Meme Phrases You’ll Hear Quoted
These are “quote-able” internet phrases that got big in Taiwan. Use them like seasoning—fun, not every sentence.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 規工 | guī gōng | all day (Taiwanese “整天” meme) | 你規工都在忙嗎？ | Nǐ guī gōng dōu zài máng ma? | Are you busy all day? |
| 毋通 | wú tōng | don’t / not allowed (meme spelling: 母湯) | 這個真的毋通啦。 | Zhège zhēn de wú tōng la. | This really isn’t okay. |
| 小等一下 | xiǎo děng yíxià | wait a sec (meme spelling: 修但幾勒) | 小等一下，我拿包包。 | Xiǎo děng yíxià, wǒ ná bāobāo. | Wait a sec, I’ll grab my bag. |
| 上車囉 | shàng chē luō | hop on / join the trend | 這個哏我上車囉。 | Zhège gěng wǒ shàng chē luō. | I’m hopping on this meme. |
| 你後面有車 | nǐ hòumiàn yǒu chē | quoted warning meme | 走路不要滑手機，你後面有車。 | Zǒulù bùyào huá shǒujī, nǐ hòumiàn yǒu chē. | Don’t look at your phone—there’s a car behind you. |
| 肯恰拿 | kěn qià ná | it’s okay (phonetic meme) | 沒關係啦，肯恰拿。 | Méi guānxì la, kěn qià ná. | It’s fine—no worries. |
| 卡比寶寶吃水餃 | kǎ bǐ bǎobǎo chī shuǐjiǎo | tone-challenge quote (meme) | 這句超難：卡比寶寶吃水餃。 | Zhè jù chāo nán: kǎ bǐ bǎobǎo chī shuǐjiǎo. | This line is hard: “Kirby baby eats dumplings.” |
| 從從容容游刃有餘 | cóngcóng róngróng yóu rèn yǒu yú | calm and fully in control (quoted) | 我本來應該從從容容游刃有餘。 | Wǒ běnlái yīnggāi cóngcóng róngróng yóu rèn yǒu yú. | I should’ve been calm and in control. |
| 匆匆忙忙連滾帶爬 | cōngcōng mángmáng lián gǔn dài pá | panicking mess (quoted) | 結果變成匆匆忙忙連滾帶爬。 | Jiéguǒ biànchéng cōngcōng mángmáng lián gǔn dài pá. | Instead, it turned into a total scramble. |
Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes
- Overusing rude slang: Words like 靠北（kào běi） and 北爛（běilàn） are spicy. Use with close friends, not at work, not with elders.
- Skipping particles entirely: If you sound too “flat,” add one small softener: 啦（la）, 欸（ēi）, or 喔（ō）.
- Forcing an accent: Don’t cosplay. Speak clearly first; let “Taiwan-ness” come naturally as you listen more.
Practice: Sound More Taiwan In 5 Minutes
- Turn these into casual Taiwan-style responses by adding one particle: 好, 可以, 沒關係.
- Reply to a friend’s photo with 2 hype words from the tables.
- Make 3 daily sentences using Taiwan local words: 捷運（jiéyùn）, 外帶（wàidài）, 發票（fāpiào）.
Sample Answers (Click To Expand)
1) 好啦（hǎo la）／可以欸（kěyǐ ēi）／安啦（ān la）
2) 超讚（chāo zàn）！很可以（hěn kěyǐ）！
3) 我搭捷運去公司。Wǒ dā jiéyùn qù gōngsī. “I take the MRT to work.”
我要外帶一份便當。Wǒ yào wàidài yí fèn biàndāng. “I want a bento to go.”
發票給我，謝謝。Fāpiào gěi wǒ, xièxie. “Give me the receipt, thanks.”
Final Yak Box
If you learn only 10 things, learn these: 欸（ēi）, 啦（la）, 喔（ō）, 齁（hō）, 很可以（hěn kěyǐ）, 沒差（méi chā）, 安啦（ān la）, 傻眼（shǎyǎn）, 不要鬧（bù yào nào）, 外帶（wàidài）. Congratulations—you now sound 300% more Taiwan in daily life.
