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

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

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  • 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!

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    • 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).

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      • P Offline
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        Pat Pagac
        wrote last edited by
        #12

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

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        • K Offline
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          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.

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          • L Offline
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            Leslie Kunde
            wrote last edited by
            #14

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

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            • L Offline
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              Lorena Runolfsson
              wrote last edited by
              #15

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

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              • H Offline
                H Offline
                Howard Legros
                wrote last edited by
                #16

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

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                • M Offline
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                  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.

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                  • M Offline
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                    Marcos Goodwin
                    wrote last edited by
                    #18

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

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                    • E Offline
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                      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).

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                      • E Offline
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                        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.

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