It is relatively uncommon for foreigners to be fluent in Taiwanese. However, by taking the time to learn and use simple greetings in Taiwanese, you can already make a remarkable impact on the Taiwanese people you meet. Mastering these basic phrases showcases your genuine interest in the local culture and language, and it demonstrates your respect and appreciation for the community you are engaging with.
Here is a list of common greetings in Taiwanese. If you’d like more information about pronunciation or word usage, don’t forget to refer to MoeDict.
| TAIWANESE | BOPOMO | TÂI-LÔ | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | ㄌㄧˋ ㄏㄜˋ | lí-hó | Hello |
| 恁好 | ㄌㄧㄣˋ ㄏㄜˋ | lín-hó | Hello (everyone) |
| 喂 | ㄨㆤㆷ | ueh | Hello (on the phone) |
| 你食飽未？ | ㄌㄧˋ ㄐㄧㄚㆷ˙ ㄅㄚˋ ㆠㄨㆤ˫ ? | lí tsia̍h‑pá buē? | Have you eaten? (Common greeting) |
| 食飽矣 | ㄐㄧㄚㆷ˙ ㄅㄚˋ ㄚㆷ | tsia̍h‑pá ah | I have eaten |
| 你好無? | ㄌㄧˋ ㄏㄜˋ ㆠㄜˊ ? | lí hó bô? | How are you? |
| 我真好 | ㆣㄨㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄏㄜˋ | guá tsin hó | I am fine |
| 你呢？ | ㄌㄧˋ ㄋㄧㆷ? | lí nih? | And you? |
| 多謝 | ㄉㄜ ㄒㄧㄚ˫ | to‑siā | Thank you |
| 感謝 | ㄍㆰˋ ㄒㄧㄚ˫ | kám‑siā | Thank you |
| 真久無看你 | ㄐㄧㄣ ㄍㄨˋ ㆠㄜˊ ㄎㄨㆩ˪ ㄌㄧˋ | tsin kú bô khuànn lí | Long time no see |
| 𠢕早 | ㆣㄠˊ ㄗㄚˋ | gâu‑tsá | Good morning |
| 午安 | ㆣㆦ˫ ㄢ | gōo-an | Good afternoon |
| 暗安 | ㆰ˪ ㄢ | àm-an | Good evening/ night |
| 晚安 | ㆠㄨㄢˋ ㄢ | buán-an | Good evening/ night |
| 再見 | ㄗㄞ˪ ㄍㄧㄢ˪ | tsài‑kiàn | Goodbye |
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