In this episode, we learned how to order drinks and about three functions of the verb “ū” (to have, to exist). (These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.)
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| Lán lâi-khì bé ím-liāu, hó--bô? | Let’s go buy some drinks, what do you think? |
| ím-liāu | drink, beverage |
| Hū-kīn ū tsi̍t king ím-liāu-tiàm. | There’s a drink shop nearby. |
| hū-kīn | nearby |
| Guá ū king-kuè. | I walked/passed by it. |
| king-kuè | to pass by/through |
| Guá ū khuànn-tio̍h tsi̍t king sin khui--ê. | I’ve seen one newly opened. |
| sin | new |
| khui | to open; open |
| Lí kám bô tsia̍h tsá-tǹg? | Didn’t you eat breakfast? |
| Ū--lah, guá ū tsia̍h. | Well, yeah, I did (eat). |
| In kám ū ka-pi? | Do they have coffee? |
| In ū ka-pi--bô? | Do they have coffee? |
| In ū ka-pi kah ling-tê. | They have coffee and milk tea. |
| oo ka-pi | black coffee |
| hún-înn-ling-tê | boba milk tea |
*Syllables that require tone changes are greyed out.
BOBA TEA ETIQUETTE: ORDERING TIPS
Boba tea is a popular tea-based drink invented in Taiwan in the 1980s. When ordering at a boba tea shop, you will be typically asked:
| Size | Hot / Cold | The sugar level “tinn-tōo” | The amount of ice “ping-liōng” |
| 1) Tuā pue: large 2) Tiong pue: medium 3) Sè pue: small | 1) Sio--ê: hot 2) Ping--ê: ice cold | 1) Tsìng-siông tinn: Standard 2) Tsió thn̂g: Less sugar (~80%) 3) Puànn thn̂g: Half sugar (~50%) 4) Bî thn̂g: A little sugar (~20%) 5) Bô thn̂g: No sugar | 1) Tsìng-siông ping: Standard 2) Tsió ping: Less Ice (70-80%) 3) Bî ping: A little Ice (~30%) 4) Khì ping: No Ice (cold but no ice cubes in the cup) |
Many Taiwanese would specify what they’d like all in one go, following this exact order:
| Number | Size | Hot / Cold | Type of Drink | Sugar | Ice |
| Tsi̍t ê | tuā pue(--ê) | ping--ê | hún-înn-ling-tê: | bî thn̂g | tsió ping |
| one | large | ice | boba milk tea | a little sugar | less ice |
When ordering a cold drink, you usually indicate the amount of ice, so “ping--ê” (ice) can be omitted. Try to order a cup of boba tea yourself and see if you can do it in one go. You can listen to our podcast to review this sentence. For more words about drinks, you can check out our downloadable workbook.
For this episode, we did receive some suggestions from a listener for alternative ways to specify your sugar level that we'd also like to share with all of our listeners. A big thanks to Ngôo Hê-bí for contacting us and providing this suggestion!
thn̂g 7-hun tō hó = 70% of the normal sugar level = tsió-thn̂g
thn̂g 5-hun tō hó = 50% of the normal sugar level = puànn-thn̂g
thn̂g 3-hun tō hó = 30% of the normal sugar level = bî-thn̂g
GRAMMAR: THREE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE VERB “Ū”
In this episode, we’ve talked about the three basic functions of the verb “ū”.
- To show possession e.g. In ū ka-pi kah ling-tê. They have coffee and milk tea.
- To show existence (location + “ū”) e.g. Hū-kīn ū tsi̍t king ím-liāu-tiàm. There is a drink shop nearby.
- To show a completed action (“ū” + verb)
When used before an action verb, it indicates the action has been completed. You can think of it as confirming the fact that it happened or the “existence” of the event or action. e.g. Guá ū king-kuè. I have passed by (it). / I passed by (it).
ONE BITE CHALLENGE: AS YOU HARVEST CLAMS, YOU ALSO WASH YOUR PANTS
For all those overachievers out there, we will try to throw in a little something each episode that is a bit more challenging. The One Bite Challenge for this episode is a Taiwanese saying that means “to kill two birds with one stone”: It kiam jī kòo, bong lâ-á kiam sé khòo. “As you harvest clams, you also wash your pants”
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| kiam | to be both … and … ; to hold two functions/posts |
| kòo | to take care of, to look after |
| kiam-kòo | to take into account both sides |
| it | one |
| jī | two |
| bong | to touch, to fumble around/for |
| lâ-á | clams |
| sé | to wash |
| khòo | pants, slacks |
Music Credit: TeknoAXE