🇹🇼
Essential apps for
Taiwan
台灣
MandarinTWD5 apps
Taiwan is much more app-friendly to foreigners than mainland China. Google Maps works great, and LINE is the universal messenger.
🔌
Power & Plug
TypeA / B
Voltage110V
Freq60Hz
Same plugs as the US.
💬
Basic phrases
Mandarin
- Hello你好nǐ hǎo
- Thank you謝謝xièxie
- Excuse me / Sorry不好意思bù hǎoyìsi
- Yes是shì
- No不是bú shì
+10 more below
🎎
Tipping
Tipping is not customary in Taiwan and is generally not expected at restaurants, taxis, or hotels. Many sit-down restaurants already add a 10% service charge, so no extra tip is needed.
🚖Rideshare & Taxi
See all →🗺️Navigation & Maps
See all →💬Translation
See all →📱Messaging
See all →Phrases
All Mandarin phrases
Hello
你好
nǐ hǎo
Thank you
謝謝
xièxie
Excuse me / Sorry
不好意思
bù hǎoyìsi
Yes
是
shì
No
不是
bú shì
Please
請
qǐng
Goodbye
再見
zàijiàn
How much?
多少錢？
duōshǎo qián?
Where is the bathroom?
廁所在哪裡？
cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?
The check, please
買單，謝謝
mǎidān, xièxie
I don't understand
我聽不懂
wǒ tīng bù dǒng
Do you speak English?
你會說英文嗎？
nǐ huì shuō yīngwén ma?
Help!
救命！
jiùmìng!
Delicious
好吃
hǎochī
Cheers
乾杯
gānbēi
Briefing
What to know before you go
✓ Do
- Remove your shoes before entering homes, temples' inner halls, and some traditional restaurants or guesthouses.
- Receive and give business cards, money, and gifts with both hands as a sign of respect.
- Queue patiently and stand on the right side of MRT escalators, leaving the left side clear for people walking.
- Do not eat, drink, or chew gum on the MRT metro system, where it is prohibited and fined.
- In temples, dress modestly, speak quietly, and do not point your feet toward altars or Buddha statues.
- When dining, wait for elders to begin and avoid sticking your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, which resembles funeral incense.
✕Don't
- Do not write someone's name in red ink, as it is associated with death and severing ties.
- Avoid giving clocks, umbrellas, or sharp objects as gifts, which symbolize death or cutting a relationship.
- Do not discuss Taiwan's political status or cross-strait relations bluntly with strangers.
- Avoid touching people's heads or being loud and confrontational in public, which is seen as a loss of face.
⚠️ Common scams to know
- Some bars and 'tea houses' in Taipei lure tourists in with friendly hostesses and then present an enormous, inflated bill at the end.
- Unmetered or 'broken meter' taxis may quote a high flat fare, so insist on the meter or use a ride app.
- Street vendors and night-market stalls occasionally short-change foreign tourists or quote a higher 'tourist price', so count your change.
- Fake monks may approach you offering a blessing or amulet and then aggressively demand a donation.
Going elsewhere?