Ordering basics
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 夜市 | yèshì | night market |
| 小吃 | xiǎochī | street snacks |
| 攤販 | tānfàn | street vendor / stall |
| 小吃攤 | xiǎochī tān | street food stall |
| 排隊 | páiduì | to line up |
| 菜單 | càidān | menu |
| 老闆 | lǎobǎn | shopkeeper (how you call vendors) |
| 一份 | yí fèn | one order / portion |
| 現金 | xiànjīn | cash (markets are cash-first) |
| 我要這個 | wǒ yào zhège | I'll have this |
| 有什麼推薦的嗎 | yǒu shénme tuījiàn de ma | what do you recommend? |
| 還有別的嗎 | hái yǒu biéde ma | what else is there? |
Amounts — cups, bowls, portions
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一杯 | yì bēi | one cup |
| 兩杯 | liǎng bēi | two cups |
| 一份 | yí fèn | one portion |
| 一碗 | yì wǎn | one bowl |
| 內用 | nèiyòng | eat in |
| 外帶 | wàidài | take out |
| 打包 | dǎbāo | to box up (leftovers) to go |
Spice levels
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 辣嗎 | là ma | is it spicy? |
| 不要辣 | búyào là | no spicy |
| 小辣 | xiǎo là | mild |
| 中辣 | zhōng là | medium |
| 大辣 | dà là | hot |
Drink shop sugar & ice levels
Taiwan's drink shops (手搖飲) have a standardized customization system — you'll use it at every bubble tea stop:
| Sugar | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無糖 | wútáng | 0% sugar |
| 微糖 | wéitáng | about 30% sugar |
| 半糖 | bàntáng | about 50% sugar |
| 少糖 | shǎotáng | about 70% sugar |
| 全糖 | quántáng | full sugar (usually the default) |
| Ice | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 去冰 | qùbīng | no ice |
| 微冰 | wéibīng | light ice (very little) |
| 少冰 | shǎobīng | less ice (about 70%) |
| 正常冰 | zhèngchángbīng | normal ice |
| Toppings | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 加珍珠 | jiā zhēnzhū | add boba pearls |
| 加料 | jiāliào | add toppings |
| 珍珠奶茶 | zhēnzhū nǎichá | bubble milk tea |
Must-try dishes
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 滷肉飯 | lǔròufàn | braised pork rice — the Taiwan classic |
| 牛肉麵 | niúròumiàn | beef noodle soup |
| 小籠包 | xiǎolóngbāo | soup dumplings |
| 臭豆腐 | chòudòufǔ | stinky tofu (strong smell, beloved) |
| 芒果冰 | mángguǒbīng | mango shaved ice |
| 鹽酥雞 | yánsūjī | Taiwanese popcorn chicken |
| 蚵仔煎 | ézǎijiān | oyster omelet |
| 豆花 | dòuhuā | tofu pudding dessert |
| 鳳梨酥 | fènglísū | pineapple cake |
| 大腸包小腸 | dàcháng bāo xiǎocháng | sausage-in-sticky-rice-bun |
| 車輪餅 | chēlúnbǐng | wheel cake (filled pancake) |
Paying
| Mandarin | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一共多少錢 | yígòng duōshǎo qián | how much altogether? |
| 現金 | xiànjīn | cash |
| 可以刷卡嗎 | kěyǐ shuākǎ ma | can I pay by card? |
| 可以刷悠遊卡嗎 | kěyǐ shuā Yōuyóukǎ ma | can I pay with EasyCard? |
| 統一發票 | tǒngyī fāpiào | uniform invoice — Taiwan's receipt lottery |
Mini practice
How do you order 'one portion'?
一份 (yí fèn) — 一份鹽酥雞 'one order of popcorn chicken'.
'To go' vs 'for here'?
外帶 = takeout, 內用 = eat in.
How do you ask for half sugar, no ice?
半糖去冰 (bàntáng qùbīng) — the classic bubble tea order.
What is 統一發票?
Taiwan's uniform invoice — the receipt lottery with real cash prizes.
