hundredwords

How do you say hello in Taiwanese Hokkien?

Expect to hear 食飽未？ (Tsia̍h-pá buē?, "Have you eaten?"), 你是佗位人？ (Lí sī tó-uī lâng?, "Where are you from?"). Useful things to say: 你好！ (Lí hó!, "Hello!") and 食飽矣。 (Tsia̍h-pá ah., "I have, thanks").

Draft: First draft. A native Taiwanese speaker has not checked these lines yet, and some wording varies between north and south. Tell us if something sounds off.

The whole conversation: Saying hello to the neighbours

Older people in Taiwan often speak Taiwanese first. A few words of it at the corner shop or the guesthouse gets a big smile.

  1. You say
    你好！ Lí hó! Hello!
  2. You hear
    食飽未？ Tsia̍h-pá buē? Have you eaten?

    This is a hello, not an invitation to lunch. Answer with the next line.

  3. You say
    食飽矣。 Tsia̍h-pá ah. I have, thanks.
  4. You say
    阿伯，你好！ A-peh, lí hó! Hello, uncle!
  5. You say
    阿姨，多謝！ A-î, to-siā! Thanks, auntie!
  6. You say
    多謝！ To-siā! Thank you!

    感謝 (kám-siā) also means thank you and sounds a little more formal.

  7. You say
    歹勢！ Pháinn-sè! Sorry! Excuse me!

    Sorry, excuse me and pardon me in one word. Even Mandarin speakers use it.

  8. You hear
    無要緊。 Bô-iàu-kín. No problem.
  9. You hear
    你是佗位人？ Lí sī tó-uī lâng? Where are you from?
  10. You say
    再會！ Tsài-huē! Goodbye!

    Plenty of people just say 掰掰 (bai-bai), the same as in Mandarin.

Taiwanese is spoken most in the south (Tainan, Kaohsiung) and by older people everywhere. Young people in Taipei mostly speak Mandarin, but almost everyone understands these greetings.

Is this what people really say here?

Questions about this scene

How do you say hello in Taiwanese Hokkien?

Expect to hear 食飽未？ (Tsia̍h-pá buē?, "Have you eaten?"), 你是佗位人？ (Lí sī tó-uī lâng?, "Where are you from?"). Useful things to say: 你好！ (Lí hó!, "Hello!") and 食飽矣。 (Tsia̍h-pá ah., "I have, thanks").

What does "食飽未？" mean in Taiwanese Hokkien?

It means "Have you eaten?". It is pronounced Tsia̍h-pá buē?. A natural reply is 食飽矣。 (Tsia̍h-pá ah.), "I have, thanks".

What does "你是佗位人？" mean in Taiwanese Hokkien?

It means "Where are you from?". It is pronounced Lí sī tó-uī lâng?. A natural reply is 再會！ (Tsài-huē!), "Goodbye!".