The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese. However, there are also several other languages spoken in Taiwan, including Hokkien (also known as Minnan or Taiwanese), Hakka, and indigenous languages such as Atayal, Amis, and Paiwan.
Hokkien is the most widely spoken language after Mandarin Chinese, and it is spoken by a significant portion of the population, particularly in southern Taiwan. Hakka is spoken by a smaller but still significant portion of the population, particularly in northern and eastern Taiwan.
Here are some basic phrases in Taiwanese Mandarin with their pronunciation in Australian English:
- Hello - 你好 (nǐ hǎo) - nee how
- Thank you - 謝謝 (xiè xiè) - sheh sheh
- Yes - 是 (shì) - shir
- No - 不是 (bù shì) - boo shir
- Excuse me - 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) - boo how ee suh
- Goodbye - 再見 (zài jiàn) - zi jen
- How much is this? - 這個多少錢？(zhè ge duō shǎo qián?) - juh guh dwuh shao chyen
- Where is the restroom? - 廁所在哪裡？(cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ?) - tsuh swuh dzai naa lee
- I don't understand - 我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng) - wo boo dong
- Can you speak English? - 你會說英文嗎？(nǐ huì shuō yīng wén ma?) - nee hway shwor ying wun ma
In Taiwan, numbers are typically expressed in Mandarin Chinese, which has its own pronunciation system. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in Mandarin Chinese, along with their pronunciation in Australian English:
- 一 (yī) - pronounced like "ee" in "feet"
- 二 (èr) - pronounced like "are" with a short "e" sound
- 三 (sān) - pronounced like "sun"
- 四 (sì) - pronounced like "sir"
- 五 (wǔ) - pronounced like "woo"
- 六 (liù) - pronounced like "leo"
- 七 (qī) - pronounced like "chee"
- 八 (bā) - pronounced like "bah"
- 九 (jiǔ) - pronounced like "joe"
- 十 (shí) - pronounced like "sure"
It's worth noting that the pronunciation of these numbers in Mandarin Chinese may vary slightly depending on the speaker's accent or dialect.
As for the pronunciation in Australian English, it's important to keep in mind that the sounds of certain vowels and consonants may differ from those in Mandarin Chinese. Your National Escort will be happy to help!
Next: Insurance