Skip to content
logo
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Destinations
Brand Logo
  1. Home
  2. Categories
  3. General Discussion
  4. Phrases That Make Taiwanese People Go: 'Wait, WHAT?!'

Phrases That Make Taiwanese People Go: 'Wait, WHAT?!'

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
taiwan
20 Posts 19 Posters 7 Views
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • F Offline
    F Offline
    Felix Glover
    wrote last edited by
    #8

    Your terms sound so old-fashioned... and you get shocked too easily. In mainland China, nothing really fazes us because there are so many provinces, and we're very aware that language habits differ everywhere. We wouldn't be shocked by a non-local usage.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • K Offline
      K Offline
      Kendra Howe
      wrote last edited by
      #9

      Mhmm, yeah. Someone above mentioned going for an interview at a Taiwanese company, being called 'Miss C,' and said it was terribly cringeworthy.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • D Offline
        D Offline
        Daisy Hermiston
        wrote last edited by
        #10

        Oh, give me a break! I went for an interview at a Taiwanese company, and they called me 'Miss X.' I almost died of cringe!

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • J Offline
          J Offline
          Joseph Thompson
          wrote last edited by
          #11

          Where I am, everyone, regardless of age, is just called 'jiějiě' (姐姐 - older sister).

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • P Offline
            P Offline
            Pat Pagac
            wrote last edited by
            #12

            Can a 40-year-old guy call a 20-year-old girl 'jiějiě' (older sister)?

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • K Offline
              K Offline
              Kathryn Heller
              wrote last edited by
              #13

              It's because 'xiānsheng' (先生 - Mr./sir) corresponds to 'nǚshì' (女士 - Ms./madam). 'Xiǎojiě' (小姐 - Miss) kind of pairs with 'xiǎogē' (小哥 - young man/bro), which feels a bit neither here nor there, too casual.

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • L Offline
                L Offline
                Leslie Kunde
                wrote last edited by
                #14

                Nobody actually says 'xiǎogē' (小哥 - young man/bro). 'Xiǎogē' is only for Fei Yu-ching, okay?

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • L Offline
                  L Offline
                  Lorena Runolfsson
                  wrote last edited by
                  #15

                  So, what are Taiwanese 'jiǔdiàn' (酒店 - places for drinking and business entertainment) called in mainland China?

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • H Offline
                    H Offline
                    Howard Legros
                    wrote last edited by
                    #16

                    A mainland netizen just commented, saying 'nightclubs' (夜店 - yèdiàn).

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Marcos Goodwin
                      wrote last edited by
                      #17

                      If you're on the street and don't know how to address someone, just say 'Nǐ hǎo' (你好 - hello) + 'Bù hǎoyìsi' (不好意思 - excuse me). Simple and easy.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • M Offline
                        M Offline
                        Marcos Goodwin
                        wrote last edited by
                        #18

                        Just call out 'Měinǚ!' (美女 - beautiful woman).

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • E Offline
                          E Offline
                          Eunice Rutherford
                          wrote last edited by
                          #19

                          You guys [in mainland China] might say 'lǎopó' (老婆 - wife), 'nǚpéngyǒu' (女朋友 - girlfriend), or 'xífù' (媳妇 - wife/daughter-in-law). But for us [in Taiwan], 'xífù' (媳妇) is typically how parents-in-law refer to their daughter-in-law (as 'érxífù' or 'xífù'). Husbands just call their wives 'lǎopó' (老婆).

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • E Offline
                            E Offline
                            Elsa Wyman
                            wrote last edited by
                            #20

                            Actually, this also varies by region. Plenty of people say 'lǎopó' (老婆 - wife). Different places have many different terms.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            Reply
                            • Reply as topic
                            Log in to reply
                            • Oldest to Newest
                            • Newest to Oldest
                            • Most Votes


                            • Login

                            • Don't have an account? Register

                            Powered by NodeBB Contributors
                            • First post
                              Last post
                            0
                            • Popular
                            • Recent
                            • Destinations