In your first week at a job in Taiwan, colleagues hand you tasks in Mandarin, and you will want to check them politely.
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 大家好，我是今天新來的同事，我叫安娜。dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì jīntiān xīnlái de tóngshì, wǒ jiào Ānnà. | Hello everyone, I'm the new colleague who started today. My name is Anna. | Put your own name after 我叫 (wǒ jiào). |
| 我在設計部門，負責網站。wǒ zài shèjì bùmén, fùzé wǎngzhàn. | I'm in the design department, and I'm in charge of the website. | Swap in your own team and job. 負責 (fùzé) means to be in charge of something. |
| 很高興認識你，請多指教。hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ, qǐng duō zhǐjiào. | Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you. | 請多指教 (qǐng duō zhǐjiào) asks for guidance, and people say it to end an introduction. 請多多指教 (qǐng duō duō zhǐjiào) is just as common. To a whole office, say 很高興認識大家 (hěn gāoxìng rènshi dàjiā) instead of 認識你. |
| 請問，我該怎麼稱呼您？qǐngwèn, wǒ gāi zěnme chēnghū nín? | Excuse me, what should I call you? | Ask it when you're not sure what to call someone. 您 (nín) is the respectful form of 你 (nǐ). It fits a client, a manager or an older colleague, and it reads naturally in a message. With a colleague at your own level, 你 is normal. |
| 王經理，早安。Wáng jīnglǐ, zǎo'ān. | Good morning, Manager Wang. |
Introducing Yourself at the Office
大明去辦公室
Level 1Daming is going to the office today.
Hello, everyone, I'm Daming. It's nice to meet you.
Hello, Daming. I'm Xiaomei.
Hello. I'm Jiahao.
Welcome! It's nice to meet you.
A surname plus a job title, like 王經理 (Wáng jīnglǐ) for Manager Wang, is a safe way to start. Then listen to how your colleagues address each other and do the same.
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 這個麻煩你下班前處理一下。zhège máfan nǐ xiàbān qián chǔlǐ yíxià. | Please deal with this before you leave today. | 麻煩你 (máfan nǐ) opens a polite request, and 下班前 (xiàbān qián) is the deadline. |
| 有問題隨時問我。yǒu wèntí suíshí wèn wǒ. | Ask me any time you have a question. | |
| 麻煩你了。máfan nǐ le. | Thank you for taking care of it. | Say it when someone agrees to help you. |
| Say this | It means | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 收到shōudào | Got it | A message or file reached you |
| 了解liǎojiě | Understood | You know what to do |
| 沒問題méi wèntí | No problem | You can do it |
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 我再確認一下。wǒ zài quèrèn yíxià. | Let me double-check. | 確認 (quèrèn) means to confirm. |
| 我可能沒聽清楚，可以請你再說明一下嗎？wǒ kěnéng méi tīng qīngchǔ, kěyǐ qǐng nǐ zài shuōmíng yíxià ma? | I may not have heard that clearly. Could you explain it once more? | 可能 (kěnéng) means maybe. It puts the missed part on you, which keeps the question polite. |
| 可以請你寫下來嗎？kěyǐ qǐng nǐ xiě xiàlái ma? | Could you write it down? | Good for names and numbers. |
| 請問，這個什麼時候要？qǐngwèn, zhège shénme shíhòu yào? | Excuse me, when do you need this? | Ask it when a request comes with no deadline. |
Asking a Colleague for Help
可以麻煩你幫我一下嗎
Level 2Lin Ming, a new colleague, is in the Taipei office.
Excuse me, could you give me a hand? This printer isn't printing.
Sure, let me take a look.
Is there paper inside?
There's no paper left inside. See, it goes here.
Great, thank you!
You're welcome, that should do it.
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 我先看一下，稍後回覆您。wǒ xiān kàn yíxià, shāohòu huífù nín. | I'll take a look first and reply to you shortly. | 稍後 (shāohòu) means shortly. |
| 抱歉，剛剛沒看到訊息。bàoqiàn, gānggāng méi kàndào xùnxí. | Sorry, I didn't see your message just now. | |
| 我馬上修改，再傳給您。wǒ mǎshàng xiūgǎi, zài chuán gěi nín. | I'll fix it right away and send it back to you. | Use it when someone points out a mistake in a file. |
Telling a Colleague You Will Be Late
公車很慢，我今天會遲到
Level 2Zhihao and Yating are looking at messages on their phones.
Good morning, Yating! The bus is very slow, so I'll be ten minutes late today.
Good morning! No worries, the morning meeting starts at 9:30.
Thank you! Which conference room are we in?
Got it, it's in Conference Room 3. Take your time.
Okay, I'll be there in a bit.
LINE is a common work chat app in Taiwan. When you join a work group there, a short hello and your introduction are enough.
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 兩點在三樓會議室開會。liǎng diǎn zài sān lóu huìyìshì kāihuì. | We have a meeting at two, in the meeting room on the third floor. | 開會 (kāihuì) means to hold or attend a meeting. |
| 我可以補充一下嗎？wǒ kěyǐ bǔchōng yíxià ma? | May I add something? | Let the most senior people speak first, then ask. |
| 好的，我記下來了。hǎo de, wǒ jì xiàlái le. | OK, I've written it down. |
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 中午要一起訂便當嗎？zhōngwǔ yào yìqǐ dìng biàndāng ma? | Shall we order lunch boxes together at noon? | The person who collects the orders is called 主揪 (zhǔjiū). |
| 我跟大家一樣就好。wǒ gēn dàjiā yíyàng jiù hǎo. | I'll have the same as everyone. | Easy to say when a colleague is ordering for the group. |
| 辛苦了。xīnkǔ le. | Thank you for your hard work. | The dictionary lists it as words of comfort for someone who has worked hard, and some people hear it as a boss speaking down to staff. To a manager or client, say 謝謝 (xièxie) (see the FAQ). |
| 請問還有什麼需要我幫忙的嗎？qǐngwèn háiyǒu shénme xūyào wǒ bāngmáng de ma? | Excuse me, is there anything else you need my help with? | On your first day, check with your manager that nothing is left before you go. |
| 我先走了。wǒ xiān zǒu le. | I'm heading out first. | Some offices say goodbye when people leave, and in others people just nod. 我先下班了 (wǒ xiān xiàbān le) is another common way to say it. |
| Phrase | English |
|---|---|
| 這份報告麻煩你整理一下，明天中午前給我。zhè fèn bàogào máfan nǐ zhěnglǐ yíxià, míngtiān zhōngwǔ qián gěi wǒ. | Manager: Please tidy up this report and give it to me before noon tomorrow. |
| 好的，請問要整理成表格嗎？hǎo de, qǐngwèn yào zhěnglǐ chéng biǎogé ma? | You: OK. Excuse me, should I put it in a table? |
| 對，整理成表格就可以了。duì, zhěnglǐ chéng biǎogé jiù kěyǐ le. | Manager: Yes, a table is fine. |
| 好的，了解，我今天下班前先傳給您看。hǎo de, liǎojiě, wǒ jīntiān xiàbān qián xiān chuán gěi nín kàn. | You: Understood. I'll send it to you to look at before I leave today. |
| 好，麻煩你了。hǎo, máfan nǐ le. | Manager: Good, thank you for taking care of it. |
| 沒問題。méi wèntí. | You: No problem. |
Pleco
Pleco is a Chinese dictionary and text reader for iPhone and Android, and its basic version is free.
- Copy a message into Pleco and tap an unfamiliar word to see what it means.
- Find an unknown character by drawing it with your finger.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
The Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei runs classes in three-month terms, with 15 hours of class a week. All classes are taught in Chinese, and business Chinese is part of the intermediate levels.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Taiwan Mandarin. You learn from Taiwan Mandarin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Type any topic you like, and Poppy, your AI tutor, can write you a lesson about your own workplace.
- Lessons use traditional characters and the words people use in Taiwan.
- Read with zhuyin or pinyin over the characters.
- When Taiwan reads a word differently, you see the Taiwan reading first and the mainland one beside it.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading. You can also export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn web novels or books from Taiwan into lessons. However, you can send Poppy a screenshot of a page, and she'll explain it sentence by sentence.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Do You Need Mandarin to Work in Taiwan?
It depends on the job. Different industries, and even different positions, have different language needs. Some Taiwanese companies work with university Mandarin centers to build short courses with the vocabulary and workplace conversations their industry uses, and the Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University teaches business Mandarin.
Can You Say 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) to Your Boss?
The Ministry of Education's dictionary lists 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) as words of comfort when you meet someone who has worked hard. Some office workers hear it as a boss speaking down to staff, and one says a manager corrected them for using it with a client. With a boss or a client, a plain 謝謝 (xièxie) is the safer choice, and so is naming what the person did, like 謝謝你的幫忙 (xièxie nǐ de bāngmáng).
How Do You Hand Over a Business Card in Taiwan?
Hold your 名片 (míngpiàn) in both hands, with the print facing the other person, and take theirs with both hands. Look at a card you receive before you put it away. It also helps to have cards in both Chinese and English.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office, Social Etiquette in Taiwan (names and titles are very important; business cards are exchanged at introductions and handed over with both hands; carry cards in Chinese and English)
- Cultural Atlas (SBS and Mosaica), Taiwanese Culture: Greetings (formal titles; first names only when invited; surname followed by title, like Lin Laoshi)
- Cultural Atlas (SBS and Mosaica), Taiwanese Culture: Business Culture (business cards after introductions, both hands, print facing the recipient, look at a card before putting it away; letting senior people speak first shows respect)
- Taipei Times, FEATURE: Language learning a boon to immigrants (2026-03-01; Mandarin is needed for on-site instructions and management communication; different industries and positions have different language needs; NTNU Mandarin Training Center materials cover industry-specific Mandarin and business applications)
- NTNU Mandarin Training Center, quarter classes (three-month terms; classes taught in Chinese with zhuyin and pinyin; the course list includes 商業中文, Business Chinese, in the intermediate levels 501-802)
- 104職場力 (2022-10-13), 職場怎麼稱呼有學問!叫同事「XX哥、OO姐」會得罪人嗎? (start with a job title or 先生/小姐; ask 我該怎麼稱呼您; copy how colleagues address each other)
- 104職場力 (2024-06-12), 上班第一天要帶什麼?新人自我介紹怎麼說? (a new hire's introduction: name, department and duties, ending with 請大家多多指教; a new hire joins a work group on Teams, Slack or Line and says hello; on the first day, check with the manager before leaving)
- TutorABC, Cultural Etiquette for Business Meetings in China & Taiwan (address people by family name plus title, like 王經理, Manager Wang; present and receive a card with both hands, facing the other person)
- Frontiers in Psychology (2021), The Impact of Social Media Usage on Work Efficiency (in Taiwan, apps such as Line or Facebook Messenger are common in the workplace)
- 104職場力 (United Daily News reprint, 2024-07-04), 「辛苦了」上對下語氣 職場恐冒犯人? (Threads users split on whether 辛苦了 is a warm thank-you or sounds like a boss speaking down to staff)
- 104職場力 (United Daily News reprint, 2026-05-14), 以為很和善!職場最常講「2句話」竟成地雷 (some workers like 辛苦了 as a courtesy; one reports a manager correcting them for saying it to a client or boss; others say use 謝謝 upward)
- 104職場力 (United Daily News reprint, 2024-06-08), 下班會跟同事打招呼嗎? (whether people greet colleagues when leaving depends on the office and how well they know each other; some only nod)
- TVBS News (2026-08-13), 當主揪最無奈!買手搖10大「心累煩惱」 (office group orders for drinks; the 主揪 collects each person's order and money)
- United Daily News (2024-07-20), 同事揪團訂飲料! (coworkers often organize group orders for drinks or lunch boxes)
- TaiwanPlus, Mandarin on the Go Ep15: Campus Conversations in Mandarin (你好我叫…, 很高興認識你)
- Wiktionary, 指教 (to give advice; to comment on something)
- Wiktionary, 收到 (to receive; to get)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 辛苦 (tiring work; a polite request to someone who will do a job; a greeting that comforts someone who has worked hard)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 您 (the respectful form of 你)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 麻煩 (trouble; to bother)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 指教 (to correct and teach)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 經理 (a manager who runs a department of a company)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 名片 (a business card)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 稱呼 (to address someone)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 了解 (to understand)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 確認 (to confirm)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 稍後 (a little later)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 開會 (to hold a meeting)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 會議室 (a meeting room)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 便當 (a lunch box; its example is eating lunch boxes at noon during a meeting)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 下班 (to finish work for the day)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 負責 (to be in charge)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 部門 (a unit of an organization)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 幫忙 (to help)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 補充 (to add what is missing)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 抱歉 (to be sorry)
- 教育部重編國語辭典修訂本 (moedict.tw), 修改 (to revise)
- Pleco, Pleco Chinese Dictionary on the App Store (copy text into the reader and tap words; handwriting; tap-lookups in Word, PDF and EPUB files are a paid upgrade)
- Pleco, Pleco for iPhone / iPad (a free basic version; one-time paid add-ons; no subscriptions)
- Pleco, Pleco Chinese Dictionary on Google Play (free app with paid add-ons)
