世紀 shì jì – century 原住民族 yuán zhù mín zú – indigenous peoples; aboriginal ethnic groups 漢人 hàn rén – Han Chinese people 貿易來往 mào yì lái wǎng – trade exchanges; trading contacts 地理位置 dì lǐ wèi zhì – geographical location 東亞 dōng yǎ – East Asia 建立勢力 jiàn lì shì lì – to establish influence or power 荷蘭 hé lán – the Netherlands 貿易路線 mào yì lù xiàn – trade route 熱蘭遮城 rè lán zhē chéng – Fort Zeelandia (historic fortress in Tainan, Taiwan) 統治 tǒng zhì – to govern; to rule 修築 xiū zhù – to build; to const...
Aug 27, 2025•5 min
女足 nǚ zú – women's soccer team 抽血 chōu xiě – to draw blood 實驗 shí yàn – experiment 台灣師範大學 tái wān shī fàn dà xué – National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) 國腳 guó jiǎo – national team athlete (in this context, soccer player) 教練 jiào liàn – coach 連續 lián xù – consecutive; in a row 合格 hé gé – qualified; certified 醫護人員 yī hù rén yuán – medical staff; healthcare personnel 操作 cāo zuò – to operate (equipment or procedure) 配合 pèi hé – to cooperate; to comply 威脅 wēi xié – to threaten 扣 kòu – to deduct (...
Aug 25, 2025•8 min
國際盛會 guójì shènghuì – international grand event 大阪 Dàbǎn – Osaka, a major city in Japan 關西 Guānxī – Kansai, a region in Japan including Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe 世博會 (世界博覽會) shìbóhuì (shìjiè bólǎnhuì) – World Expo; a large-scale international exposition held every few years 讓生命閃耀光輝的未來社會藍圖 ràng shēngmìng shǎnyào guānghuī de wèilái shèhuì lántú – “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the theme of the Osaka 2025 World Expo 機構 jīgòu – organization; institution 碳中和 tàn zhōnghé – carbon neutrality 數位...
Aug 22, 2025•8 min
颱風 tái fēng – typhoon 雷陣雨 léi zhèn yǔ – thunderstorm 四面環海 sì miàn huán hǎi – surrounded by sea on all sides 地理位置 dì lǐ wèi zhì – geographical location 天然 tiān rán – natural 災害 zāi hài – disaster; calamity 初秋 chū qiū – early autumn 倒 dǎo – to fall over; to topple 淹水 yān shuǐ – to flood; flooding 停班停課 tíng bān tíng kè – suspension of work and classes 天氣預報 tiān qì yù bào – weather forecast 登陸 dēng lù – to make landfall (used for typhoons) 關緊 guān jǐn – to close tightly 玻璃 bō lí – glass 被風吹破 bèi fēn...
Aug 20, 2025•6 min
有史以來 yǒu shǐ yǐ lái – in all of history; ever since records began 大規模 dà guī mó – large-scale; massive 罷免 bà miǎn – to recall (an elected official); recall vote 下台 xià tái – to step down; to resign from a position 開端 kāi duān – beginning; starting point 立法院 lì fǎ yuàn – Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's legislature) 立法委員 lì fǎ wěi yuán – legislator; member of the Legislative Yuan 民進黨 mín jìn dǎng – Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), a major political party in Taiwan 過半席次 guò bàn xí cì – more than half...
Aug 18, 2025•13 min
連鎖火鍋店 lián suǒ huǒ guō diàn – chain hot pot restaurant 安慰 ān wèi – to comfort; to console 香氣四溢 xiāng qì sì yì – full of fragrance; aroma wafting everywhere 鍋底 guō dǐ – soup base (for hot pot) 熱騰騰 rè téng téng – steaming hot 讚 zàn – awesome; great (slang/exclamation) 肉多多火鍋 ròu duō duō huǒ guō – "Meaty Hot Pot" (a popular hot pot chain in Taiwan) 盎司 àng sī – ounce (unit of weight) 蔬菜吧 shū cài ba – vegetable bar (self-serve vegetable counter) 無限供應 wú xiàn gōng yìng – unlimited supply; all-you-can-e...
Aug 15, 2025•6 min
大吃特吃 dà chī tè chī - to eat a lot; to feast 夜店 yè diàn - nightclub 一堆人 yì duī rén - a bunch of people; a crowd 習俗 xí sú - custom; tradition 紅蛋 hóng dàn - red-dyed egg 紅麴 hóng jú - red yeast rice (used for coloring or fermentation) 食用色素 shí yòng sè sù - edible food coloring 水煮蛋 shuǐ zhǔ dàn - boiled egg 染成 rǎn chéng - to dye into (a color) 象徵 xiàng zhēng - to symbolize; a symbol 吉祥喜慶 jí xiáng xǐ qìng - auspicious and festive 避邪 bì xié - to ward off evil spirits 圓形 yuán xíng - circular shape 圓滿 yu...
Aug 13, 2025•6 min
關注 guān zhù – to pay attention to / attention 明星 míng xīng – celebrity / star 心臟 xīn zàng – heart (organ) 肝臟 gān zàng – liver (organ) 移植手術 yí zhí shǒu shù – transplant surgery 醫療成就 yī liáo chéng jiù – medical achievement 引起了爭議 yǐn qǐ le zhēng yì – caused controversy 器官 qì guān – organ (of the body) 捐贈 juān zèng – to donate / donation 活摘器官 huó zhāi qì guān – live organ harvesting 爭議 zhēng yì – controversy / dispute 政治犯 zhèng zhì fàn – political prisoner 來源 lái yuán – source / origin 紀錄片 jì lù pià...
Aug 11, 2025•5 min
福隆海水浴場 (Fulong Beach) Transportation:Take the Taiwan Railway (TRA) to Fulong Station Address:新北市貢寮區福隆街41號 (No. 40, Fulong St., Gongliao District, New Taipei City) 海水浴場 hǎi shuǐ yù chǎng – beach resort; seaside swimming area 貢寮 Gòng liáo – Gongliao (a district in New Taipei City, Taiwan) 金色的沙灘 jīn sè de shā tān – golden beach 陽光 yáng guāng – sunlight; sunshine 海浪 hǎi làng – ocean wave 療癒 liáo yù – healing; soothing (often used to describe things that relax or comfort the soul) 雄偉 xióng wěi – maje...
Aug 08, 2025•5 min
父親節 fù qīn jié - Father’s Day 華盛頓州 Huá shèng dùn zhōu - Washington State (in the USA) 辛苦 xīn kǔ - hard; toilsome; full of hardship 玫瑰 méi guī - rose (flower) 紀念 jì niàn - to commemorate; in memory of 由來 yóu lái - origin; source 溫馨 wēn xīn - warm and sweet; heartwarming 豪華 háo huá - luxurious; fancy 皮夾 pí jiá - wallet 皮帶 pí dài - belt 實用 shí yòng - practical; useful 三c產品 sān C chǎn pǐn - 3C products (computer, communication, and consumer electronics) 平板 píng bǎn - tablet 金門高粱酒 Jīn mén gāo liáng j...
Aug 06, 2025•8 min
微軟 wéi ruǎn – Microsoft 裁員 cái yuán – to lay off employees / layoffs 工程師 gōng chéng shī – engineer 震撼 zhèn hàn – shock / to be shocked 華盛頓州 Huá shèng dùn zhōu – Washington State (U.S.) 總部 zǒng bù – headquarters 軟體工程師 ruǎn tǐ gōng chéng shī – software engineer 產品經理 chǎn pǐn jīng lǐ – product manager 整體來說 zhěng tǐ lái shuō – overall / generally speaking 全球員工 quán qiú yuán gōng – global employees 跨部門 kuà bù mén – across departments 跨地區 kuà dì qū – across regions / cross-regional 減少 jiǎn shǎo – to r...
Aug 04, 2025•5 min
大稻埕夏日節 Dàdàochéng xià rì jié – Dadaocheng Summer Festival 大稻埕煙火 Dàdàochéng yān huǒ – Dadaocheng fireworks 市集 shì jí – market or fair (often temporary and festive) 煙火秀 yān huǒ xiù – fireworks show 七夕情人節 Qīxī qíng rén jié – Qixi Festival; Chinese Valentine’s Day 北門站 Běi Mén zhàn – Beimen Station (on the Taipei MRT Green Line) 靜修女中 Jìng xiū nǚ zhōng – Jinxiou Girls’ High School (a local bus stop name) 雙連站 Shuāng lián zhàn – Shuanglian Station (on the Taipei MRT Red Line) 大橋頭站 Dà qiáo tóu zhàn – Daq...
Aug 01, 2025•7 min
打工度假 dǎ gōng dù jià - working holiday 補貼旅費 bǔ tiē lǚ fèi - to subsidize travel expenses; to help pay for travel costs 順便 shùn biàn - incidentally; at the same time; while doing something else 進修語言 jìn xiū yǔ yán - to further study/improve one’s language skills 簽訂 qiān dìng - to sign (an agreement or contract) 打工度假簽證 dǎ gōng dù jià qiān zhèng - working holiday visa 紐西蘭 Niǔ xī lán - New Zealand 奧地利 Ào dì lì - Austria 比利時 Bǐ lì shí - Belgium 以下 yǐ xià - below Feeling stuck or frustrated with your C...
Jul 30, 2025•5 min
毒品 dú pǐn – illegal drugs 個人 gè rén – individual / personal 吸毒 xī dú – to use drugs 一千萬 yī qiān wàn – ten million 衍生 yǎn shēng – to give rise to / to derive from 暴力 bào lì – violence 肇事 zhào shì – to cause an accident or incident (usually bad) 自殘 zì cán – self-harm / to injure oneself 綁架 bǎng jià – kidnapping 極端 jí duān – extreme / radical 濫用 làn yòng – to abuse / misuse 合成毒品 hé chéng dú pǐn – synthetic drugs 加強 jiā qiáng – to strengthen / to enhance 打擊 dǎ jí – to strike / to crack down on 經濟成長 ...
Jul 28, 2025•6 min
吃到飽餐廳 chī dào bǎo cān tīng – all-you-can-eat restaurant 吃到飽界的天花板 chī dào bǎo jiè de tiān huā bǎn – the pinnacle of the all-you-can-eat world; the best of its kind 連鎖 lián suǒ – chain (as in a chain restaurant or store) 饗食天堂 xiǎng shí tiān táng – "Eatogether Buffet Restaurant," a high-end buffet restaurant chain in Taiwan 口碑超級高 kǒu bēi chāo jí gāo – has an excellent reputation 水準 shuǐ zhǔn – standard or quality level 異國料理 yì guó liào lǐ – exotic/international cuisine 生魚片 shēng yú piàn – sashimi (...
Jul 25, 2025•6 min
神祕 shén mì – mysterious; full of mystery 宗教 zōng jiào – religion 儀式 yí shì – ritual; ceremony 觀落陰 guān luò yīn – a Taiwanese ritual that allows people to "see the underworld" or communicate with deceased relatives 民間信仰 mín jiān xìn yǎng – folk beliefs; popular religion 進入靈界 jìn rù líng jiè – to enter the spiritual world 陰間 yīn jiān – the underworld; the realm where spirits or ghosts live 去世的親人 qù shì de qīn rén – deceased relatives 道教 dào jiào – Taoism; a traditional Chinese religion 清朝 Qīng chá...
Jul 23, 2025•11 min
輝達 huī dá - NVIDIA, a major American technology company known for graphics processing units (GPUs) 設立 shè lì - to establish or set up 總部 zǒng bù - headquarters 電腦展 diàn nǎo zhǎn - COMPUTEX 執行長 zhí xíng zhǎng - CEO or executive director 黃仁勳 Huáng Rénxūn - Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA 宣布 xuān bù - to announce 北投士林科技園區 (北士科) Běi tóu Shì lín Kē jì Yuán qū (Běi shì kē) - Beitou Shilin Technology Park, a tech district in Taipei 業務 yè wù - business operations 評估 píng gū - to evaluate or a...
Jul 21, 2025•7 min
Yilan International Children's Folklore & Folkgame Festival Location: 宜蘭縣五結鄉親河路2段2號 (No. 2, Section 2, Qinhe Road, Wujie Township, Yilan County) 宜蘭 Yí lán – Yilan (a county in northeastern Taiwan) 國際童玩節 guó jì tóng wán jié – International Children's Folklore & Folkgame Festival (a summer cultural and recreational event in Yilan) 冬山河親水公園 Dōng shān hé qīn shuǐ gōng yuán – Dongshan River Water Park (a popular venue for festivals and outdoor activities in Yilan) 宜蘭縣縣長 Yí lán xiàn xiàn zhǎng ...
Jul 18, 2025•6 min
插頭 chātóu - plug (of an electrical device) 插座 chāzuò - power socket, outlet 拔掉 bádiào - to pull out, to unplug 電器 diànqì - electrical appliance 插在插座上 chā zài chāzuò shàng - plugged into the socket 插電 chādiàn - to be plugged in / connected to electricity 鎖門 suǒmén - to lock the door 關門 guānmén - to close the door 檢查 jiǎnchá - to check, to inspect 安心 ānxīn - to feel at ease, relieved 瓦斯爐 wǎsīlú - gas stove 安全感 ānquángǎn - sense of security 強迫症 qiǎngpòzhèng - obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 焦慮症...
Jul 16, 2025•10 min
周邊 zhōubiān - surrounding; nearby 軍事演習 jūnshì yǎnxí - military exercise 針對 zhēnduì - targeted at; aimed at 賴清德 Lài Qīngdé - William Lai (current President of Taiwan) 境外的敵對勢力 jìngwài de díduì shìlì - external hostile forces 挑釁 tiǎoxìn - provoke; provocation 懲罰 chéngfá - punish; punishment 軍艦 jūnjiàn - warship 戰鬥機 zhàndòujī - fighter jet 軍方 jūnfāng - military authorities 奪取 duóqǔ - seize; capture 制空權 zhìkōngquán - air superiority 封鎖 fēngsuǒ - blockade 海域 hǎiyù - sea area 模擬 mónǐ - simulate; simula...
Jul 14, 2025•9 min
環島 huán dǎo - to travel around the island (usually referring to circling Taiwan) 徒步 tú bù - to walk on foot; to hike 鐵路 tiě lù - railway; railroad 郵輪式列車 yóu lún shì liè chē - cruise-style train (a slow, scenic train journey similar to a cruise) 觀光列車 guān guāng liè chē - tourist train (designed for sightseeing) 順時針 shùn shí zhēn - clockwise (e.g. traveling around Taiwan in a clockwise direction) 逆時針 nì shí zhēn - counterclockwise 挑 tiāo - to choose; to pick 一段 yí duàn - a section; a part (refers ...
Jul 11, 2025•7 min
剩女 shèng nǚ – leftover woman; a woman who is considered past the typical age for marriage 適婚年齡 shì hūn nián líng – suitable age for marriage 剩 shèng – leftover; remaining 剩菜剩飯 shèng cài shèng fàn – leftover food ; food not eaten in the previous meal 剩下來 shèng xià lái – left behind; remaining 外表 wài biǎo – appearance; looks 被蟲咬過 bèi chóng yǎo guò – bitten by bugs/insects 傷人 shāng rén – hurtful; emotionally harmful 黃金單身漢 huáng jīn dān shēn hàn – eligible bachelor; attractive unmarried man 人生勝利 rén...
Jul 09, 2025•7 min
匯率 huìlǜ – exchange rate 台幣 Táibì – New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) 美金 Měijīn – U.S. Dollar (USD) 突然間 tūránjiān – suddenly 大幅 dàfú – substantially, significantly 升值 shēngzhí – to appreciate (in value), especially currency 兌 duì – to exchange (currency) 爆炸 bàozhà – to explode; (figuratively) to erupt or cause an uproar 中央銀行 zhōngyāng yínháng – central bank 禿鷹 tūyīng – vulture; here refers to "vulture investors" or "speculators" 炒匯 chǎo huì – to speculate on currency exchange 市場混亂 shìchǎng hùnluàn – marke...
Jul 07, 2025•10 min
暑假 shǔ jià - summer vacation 家長 jiā zhǎng - parents/guardians 雙薪家庭 shuāng xīn jiā tíng - dual-income family 虎爸虎媽 hǔ bà hǔ mā - tiger parents (strict or demanding parents) 說長不長，說短也不短 shuō cháng bù cháng, shuō duǎn yě bù duǎn - not too long, not too short 事先規劃 shì xiān guī huà - advance planning 暑假作業 shǔ jià zuò yè - summer homework 自律 zì lǜ - self-discipline 報名 bào míng - to register/sign up 夏令營 xià lìng yíng - summer camp 營隊 yíng duì - camp group 分組 fēn zǔ - to divide into groups 輔導員 fǔ dǎo yuán...
Jul 04, 2025•10 min
World Gym and Fitness Factory (健身工廠) are the two biggest gym chains in Taiwan. If you're thinking about working out while you're here, check which one is closest to you! 健身房 jiàn shēn fáng – gym; fitness center 健身 jiàn shēn – to work out; to exercise for fitness 風潮 fēng cháo – trend; craze 年紀 nián jì – age 舉重 jǔ zhòng – weightlifting 瑜珈 yú jiā – yoga 教練 jiào liàn – coach; instructor; personal trainer 深蹲 shēn dūn – squat (exercise) 伏地挺身 fú dì tǐng shēn – push-up 核心 hé xīn – core (muscles); centra...
Jul 02, 2025•8 min
網紅 wǎnghóng – internet celebrity, influencer 百靈果 Bǎilíngguǒ – "Bailingguo," a popular Taiwanese podcast 主持人 zhǔchírén – host, presenter 遊學 yóuxué – study abroad (short-term, often combined with travel) 台積電 Táijīdiàn – TSMC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 爆炸 bàozhà – to explode; (here) to spark outrage or heated discussion 圖片 túpiàn – image, picture 中華文化 Zhōnghuá wénhuà – Chinese culture 元素 yuánsù – element, component 端午節 Duānwǔjié – Dragon Boat Festival 清明節 Qīngmíngjié – Tomb-Sweepin...
Jun 30, 2025•7 min
Kaohsiung Beer Rock Festival Event Date: 2025-07-04 ~ 2025-07-06 Event Location: No. 789 Zhonghua 5th Road (Plaza directly across from Dream Mall, Kaohsiung) 高雄啤酒音樂節 Gāo xióng pí jiǔ yīn yuè jié - Kaohsiung Beer Rock Festival 夢時代廣場 Mèng shí dài guǎng chǎng - Dream Mall Plaza (a large shopping and event area in Kaohsiung) 夏日音樂嘉年華 xià rì yīn yuè jiā nián huá - summer music carnival 現場 xiàn chǎng - on-site; live (location of the event or performance) 舞台 wǔ tái - stage (for performances) 藝人 yì rén -...
Jun 27, 2025•8 min
播客 bō kè – podcast 第一集 dì yī jí – the first episode 初衷 chū zhōng – original intention; initial motivation 程度 chéng dù – level; proficiency 針對 zhēn duì – to be aimed at; to target 聽力 tīng lì – listening comprehension 口說 kǒu shuō – speaking (ability); oral expression 生活化 shēng huó huà – related to daily life; down-to-earth 決策 jué cè – decision-making; policy decision 測驗 cè yàn – test; quiz 基礎 jī chǔ – basic; foundational Feeling stuck or frustrated with your Chinese progress? Book a one-on-one tri...
Jun 25, 2025•11 min
車禍 chēhuò – traffic accident 老先生 lǎo xiānshēng – elderly man 闖紅燈 chuǎng hóngdēng – to run a red light 巷子 xiàngzi – alley, small lane 高速衝撞 gāosù chōngzhuàng – high-speed collision 路人 lùrén – pedestrian, passerby 造成 zàochéng – to cause, to result in 三死十二傷 sān sǐ shí’èr shāng – 3 dead and 12 injured 慘劇 cǎnjù – tragedy 閃躲 shǎnduǒ – to dodge, to evade 踩煞車 cǎi shāchē – to step on the brake 踩油門 cǎi yóumén – to step on the gas pedal 駕駛 jiàshǐ – driver; to drive 視力 shìlì – eyesight, vision 聽力 tīnglì – he...
Jun 23, 2025•8 min
木柵動物園 mùzhà dòngwùyuán – Muzha Zoo, a large zoo in Taipei, Taiwan 南投 Nántóu – Nantou, a city in central Taiwan 九九峰動物樂園 jiǔjiǔ fēng dòngwù lèyuán – JOJOZOO PARK, a large animal park in Nantou 規模 guīmó – scale, size 鳥類主題動物園 niǎo lèi zhǔtí dòngwùyuán – bird-themed animal park 珍奇的鳥類 zhēnqí de niǎo lèi – rare and exotic bird species 互動區 hùdòng qū – interactive area 珍稀 zhēnxī – rare, precious 鴕鳥 tuóniǎo – ostrich 搖頭晃腦 yáo tóu huàng nǎo – to shake one's head (in a bobbing or swaying manner) 鸚鵡 yīngwǔ –...
Jun 20, 2025•6 min
