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

[Joseph Thompson]

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

[Pat Pagac]

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

[Kathryn Heller]

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.

[Leslie Kunde]

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

[Lorena Runolfsson]

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

[Howard Legros]

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

[Marcos Goodwin]

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.

[Marcos Goodwin]

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

[Eunice Rutherford]

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).

[Elsa Wyman]

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