Taiwanese slang: 26 everyday words, and where they come from

What are the most common Taiwanese slang words?

The Taiwanese slang words you’ll hear most are 真的假的 (zhēn de jiǎ de, “really?”), 超 (chāo, “super”), 好喔 (hǎo o, “OK!”), 傻眼 (shǎ yǎn, “speechless”), 很扯 (hěn chě, “ridiculous”) and 小確幸 (xiǎo què xìng, “a small happiness”). The last column says where CiaoSpeak’s course teaches the word: a unit, or a speaking scene where a character says it.

“Who you can say it to” is the useful column. 好喔 (hǎo o), 對啊 (duì a) and 真的假的 (zhēn de jiǎ de) are fine with almost anyone; 傻眼 (shǎ yǎn), 很瞎 (hěn xiā) and 魯蛇 (lǔ shé) are for friends. 機車 (jī chē) is the classic trap: it’s the everyday word for a scooter, and it’s also slang for someone annoying, so “你很機車” is an insult, not a comment about transport.

Which Taiwanese slang does CiaoSpeak teach?

CiaoSpeak’s Chinese course teaches the casual, everyday words a learner needs, each in the lesson where it fits: 真的假的 (zhēn de jiǎ de), 好啦 (hǎo la), 對啊 (duì a) and 欸 (éi) in Unit 5, 超 (chāo) in Unit 10 and 老外 (lǎo wài) in Unit 2. It teaches 機車 (jī chē) only as the word for a scooter, and it doesn’t teach internet slang like 魯蛇 (lǔ shé) or the Hokkien loanwords below, apart from 阿公 (ā gōng, “grandpa”) and 阿嬤 (ā mà, “grandma”). Tap a line to hear it:

• 真的假的Unit 5

  zhēn de jiǎ de

  Really?? / No way!

• 超Unit 10

  chāo

  super / extremely (casual intensifier)

  Put it before an adjective: 超好吃 (chāo hǎo chī, “so tasty”), 超累 (chāo lèi, “so tired”).

• 好啦Unit 5

  hǎo la

  Okay, okay / fine (casual softener)

• 對啊Unit 5

  duì a

  Yeah, exactly

• 欸Unit 5

  éi

  Hey! / Oh!

• 哇Unit 5

  wa

  Wow

• 老外Unit 2

  lǎo wài

  foreigner (casual)

• 加油Unit 5

  jiā yóu

  You can do it! / Go for it!

  Literally “add oil”: what you say to someone before an exam, a race or a hard day.

The characters in the Speak tab talk this way too. These are their own recordings:

• 好喔！Speak

  hǎo o!

  Okay!

  The breakfast-shop auntie, taking your order. That little 喔 (o) makes it friendly.

• 沒問題！Speak

  méi wèntí!

  No problem!

• 好，馬上來！Speak

  hǎo, mǎshàng lái!

  Okay, coming right up!

Is Taiwanese slang Mandarin or Hokkien?

Both: most Taiwanese slang is Chinese (Mandarin), and a good part is borrowed from Taiwanese Hokkien, a separate language many Taiwanese grew up with. Hokkien loanwords are often written with Chinese characters that sound alike rather than with their original characters, which is why 母湯 (mǔ tāng) (“don’t”) reads as “mother soup” if you take the characters literally. People say them with the Hokkien pronunciation, shown here in Tâi-lô, Taiwan’s official romanization for Hokkien:

阿公 (ā gōng, “grandpa”) and 阿嬤 (ā mà, “grandma”) come from Hokkien too (a-kong, a-má) and are now plain everyday Taiwan Chinese; CiaoSpeak teaches both in Unit 4:

• 阿公Unit 4

  ā gōng

  Grandpa (casual)

• 阿嬤Unit 4

  ā mà

  Grandma (casual)

Want to go further? Taiwanese Hokkien vs. Mandarin explains how the two languages differ, and where Hokkien is actually taught.

How do people in Taiwan say OK and bye?

People in Taiwan say 好喔 (hǎo o) or 好啊 (hǎo a) for “OK!”, 沒問題 (méi wèn tí, “no problem”) for “sure”, and 拜拜 (bài bai) for “bye”, borrowed from English. Shopkeepers send you off with 慢走 (màn zǒu, “take care”), literally “walk slowly”.

• 拜拜Unit 5

  bài bai

  Bye bye

• 慢走Unit 5

  màn zǒu

  Take care!

• 哈囉Unit 2

  hā luō

  Hello (casual)

  “Hello” borrowed from English, very common in Taiwan.

• 等等Unit 5

  děng děng

  hang on / wait a sec (casual)

  “Hang on”, “wait a sec”.

Which Taiwanese slang words are rude?

The rude ones to recognize, not say, are 87 (bā qī), which sounds like 白癡 (bái chī, “idiot”), and 靠北 (kào běi), a vulgar Hokkien exclamation (khàu-pē, written with sound-alike characters for 哭爸 (kū bà), literally “crying for your father”), used like “damn!” or to tell someone off. 機車 (jī chē) as “annoying” is milder, but still for friends only.

• 87 (bā qī): “idiot”. Common online; rude to someone’s face.
• 靠北 (kào běi): vulgar. Know it, don’t say it.
• 你很機車 (nǐ hěn jī chē): “you’re so annoying”. Teasing between friends, rude to anyone else.

How can you practice casual Taiwan Chinese out loud?

Practice by answering real questions out loud and reacting the way people in Taiwan do, with short words like 對啊 (duì a) and 真的假的 (zhēn de jiǎ de). In CiaoSpeak’s Speak tab, a character in a Taiwan scene asks you one question at a time: the breakfast-shop auntie, a night-market stall owner, a taxi driver, the convenience-store clerk, a new coworker or Xiaomei, your language-exchange partner. You answer by voice or by typing, and the app tells you whether a person would understand you. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today’s questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like.

Ordering a drink? How to order bubble tea in Chinese covers sugar and ice levels. Before a trip, see Taiwan travel phrases.

Frequently asked questions

What does 真的假的 mean?

Really? or No way! 真的假的 (zhēn de jiǎ de) literally means real or fake?, and people in Taiwan say it when they hear something surprising. It is casual but fine with almost anyone.

What does 機車 mean in Taiwan slang?

機車 (jī chē) is the everyday word for a scooter, and as slang it means annoying or difficult: 你很機車 (nǐ hěn jī chē) is you are so annoying. Keep the slang meaning for friends.

What does 歹勢 mean?

Sorry, excuse me, or that is embarrassing. 歹勢 comes from Taiwanese Hokkien (pháinn-sè), and people in Taiwan use it in Chinese conversation too, for example when squeezing past someone.

Is 87 rude in Taiwan?

Yes. 87 (bā qī) sounds like 白癡 (bái chī), idiot. It is common online and among friends as teasing, but rude to say to someone you do not know well.