Learn Trad Chinese

“Hard” depends on what your brain grew up practicing. Mandarin trains you to love tones, characters, and grammar without conjugations. The languages that feel toughest flip that table: dense inflection, long consonant clusters, moving stress, unfamiliar sounds, and writing systems that hide vowels or pack verbs with grammar stickers. This guide maps where the road […]

“Easy” in languages is like “easy” in desserts—depends on your taste, your tools, and whether you grew up around a bakery. For Mandarin Chinese speakers (especially those using Traditional Chinese), certain languages hand you big shortcuts: shared vocabulary from 漢字（hànzì, Chinese characters）, similar grammar habits (measure words, topic-comment rhythm), or ultra-regular spelling systems. This guide

Prepositions in Mandarin are often coverbs—little verbs that slide in front of a noun to mark relationships like “at,” “to,” “from,” “with,” “for,” “about,” and “toward.” Add a few location words（上、下、裡、外、前、後、旁邊、附近）and time frames（以前、之後、期間）, and everyday sentences click into place. This guide uses Traditional Chinese with pinyin immediately after, plus clear English glosses you can drop

Conversations flow on small bridges: and, but, because, so, if. In Mandarin, these connectors are compact and powerful. Master a handful of patterns—因為…所以…, 雖然…但是…, 如果…就…—and thoughts click together like Lego. This guide focuses on clear, high-frequency linking words in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin after each example and a concise English gloss. Core Concepts Linking words

Slang is the spice rack of everyday Mandarin—especially in Taiwan. Learn a handful of high-frequency 俚語 you’ll actually hear on LINE, Instagram, night markets, and in the office. Each item shows Traditional Chinese first, pinyin second, and a clear English gloss. Keep it playful, but note the register so you don’t bring “group chat energy”

It is the most urgent, universally needed phrase in any new language. When nature calls, politeness and clarity are paramount, but Mandarin offers several different ways to ask “Where is the toilet?” Choosing the right word is crucial, as the term for “toilet” can range from a crude noun to a sophisticated euphemism for the

Food is where vocabulary shakes hands with real life. In Traditional Chinese, cuisine terms are built from intuitive roots—飯 for rice-based meals, 麵 for noodles, 湯 for soup—and cooking methods like 炒（stir-fry）or 清蒸（steam）slot neatly in front of ingredients. Learn the patterns once, then mix and match to order like a local, read menus, and rave

Whether you’re in a night market grabbing a quick can of 台啤 (Táipí – Taiwan Beer) or sitting down at a specialized brewpub, knowing the lingo is essential. The word for beer, 啤酒 (Píjiǔ), is easy enough, but ordering the correct style, temperature, and quantity requires specialized vocabulary. This article is your complete toolkit for

Cafés are language gyms with better lighting. In Taiwan, ordering coffee or tea is a string of small, friendly verbs—要、來、給—and a few fast choices: hot or iced, dine-in or take-out, sugar and ice levels, milk type, size. Learn the verbs and the menu nouns in Traditional Chinese (with pinyin right after), and you can place

You walk into a Taipei flower shop, ready to buy a bouquet for your host family. Rows of gorgeous blooms surround you in every direction. The shopkeeper asks which flowers you want, and you freeze. Do you know how to say “rose” in Chinese? More importantly, do you know that giving someone chrysanthemums might send