hundredwords

What Chinese do you need at a Taiwan night market?

Expect to hear 臭豆腐，要試試看嗎？ (chòu dòufu, yào shìshì kàn ma, "Stinky tofu. Want to try it?"), 要辣嗎？ (yào là ma, "Spicy?"), 這邊吃還是帶走？ (zhèbiān chī háishi dài zǒu, "Eating here or taking it with you?"). Useful things to say: 這是什麼？ (zhè shì shénme, "What's this?") and 我要這個。 (wǒ yào zhège, "I'll have this one").

The whole conversation: At the night market

Shilin, Raohe or Ningxia: you point, you pay, you eat standing up.

  1. You say
    這是什麼？ zhè shì shénme What's this?
  2. You hear
    臭豆腐，要試試看嗎？ chòu dòufu, yào shìshì kàn ma Stinky tofu. Want to try it?
  3. You say
    我要這個。 wǒ yào zhège I'll have this one.
  4. You hear
    要辣嗎？ yào là ma Spicy?
  5. You say
    小辣。 xiǎo là A little spicy.
  6. You say
    一份多少？ yí fèn duōshǎo How much for one portion?
  7. You say
    兩份。 liǎng fèn Two portions.

    When you count things, two is 兩 (liǎng), not 二 (èr).

  8. You hear
    這邊吃還是帶走？ zhèbiān chī háishi dài zǒu Eating here or taking it with you?
  9. You say
    好吃！ hǎochī Delicious!
Is this what people really say here?

Questions about this scene

What Chinese do you need at a Taiwan night market?

Expect to hear 臭豆腐，要試試看嗎？ (chòu dòufu, yào shìshì kàn ma, "Stinky tofu. Want to try it?"), 要辣嗎？ (yào là ma, "Spicy?"), 這邊吃還是帶走？ (zhèbiān chī háishi dài zǒu, "Eating here or taking it with you?"). Useful things to say: 這是什麼？ (zhè shì shénme, "What's this?") and 我要這個。 (wǒ yào zhège, "I'll have this one").

What does "臭豆腐，要試試看嗎？" mean in Mandarin (Taiwan)?

It means "Stinky tofu. Want to try it?". It is pronounced chòu dòufu, yào shìshì kàn ma. A natural reply is 我要這個。 (wǒ yào zhège), "I'll have this one".

What does "要辣嗎？" mean in Mandarin (Taiwan)?

It means "Spicy?". It is pronounced yào là ma. A natural reply is 小辣。 (xiǎo là), "A little spicy".

What does "這邊吃還是帶走？" mean in Mandarin (Taiwan)?

It means "Eating here or taking it with you?". It is pronounced zhèbiān chī háishi dài zǒu. A natural reply is 好吃！ (hǎochī), "Delicious!".