In this episode, we’ve talked about eating at “stir-fry places” in Taiwan, asking for recommendations, and also the price.
(These show notes use tables and rich formatting. Please visit the episode webpage for an optimal viewing experience.)
SENTENCES AND VOCABULARY
| TAIWANESE | ENGLISH |
| Ū (siánn-mih) thui-tsiàn--ê--bô? | Do you have any recommendations? |
| thui-tsiàn / tshui-tsiàn | to recommend |
| hái-sán-tànn | seafood vendor, seafood place |
| Tâi-uân-lâng tsiok ài tsia̍h hái-sán. | Taiwanese people really love eating seafood. |
| Guá ài khì tsia̍h hiān-tshá--ê. | I really like to go to quick, stir-fry places. |
| ài | to like, to love, to want to; to need to, require |
| hiān tshá--ê | (something that is) stir-fried on the spot after ordering; quick-fry or stir-fry restaurants |
| tshá pn̄g | fried rice |
| hiān tsò--ê | (something that is) freshly made |
| hiān bán--ê | (fruit that is) freshly picked or harvested |
| tsi̍t puânn tshài | one dish |
| Tsi̍t puânn tshài ài guā-tsē tsînn? | How much does one dish cost? |
| Tsi̍t puânn tshài ài tsi̍t-nn̄g-pah khoo. | One dish is about one-to-two hundred Taiwanese dollars. |
| tsa̍p-tshit-peh huè | 17 or 18 years old
Here’s the classic song Alan was singing from that has “tsa̍p-tshit-peh huè” in its lyrics: |
| Tsi̍t ê lâng ài guā-tsē tsînn? | How much money does each person need to pay? |
| Kuí khoo? / Kuí khoo gîn? | How many dollars is it? |
| Ū kuí ê lâng? / Ū guā-tsē lâng? | How many people are there? |
| Guá tsin ài tsia̍h “hê-jîn ông-lâi”. | I really like to eat “fried shrimp balls with pineapple”. |
| Guá tsin ài tsia̍h “tshài-póo-nn̄g”. | I really like to eat “omelet with pickled radish”. |
| tshài-póo | pickled radish/daikon |
| tshài-thâu | white daikon radish |
| nn̄g | egg |
| Guá mā tsin ài tsia̍h “ô-á-soo”. | I also really like to eat deep-fried oysters. |
| mā | also, too |
| ô-á | oysters |
| ô-á-tsian | oyster pancakes |
| soo | crispy, crunchy, flaky |
| ông-lâi-soo | pineapple cake |
| káu-tsàn-thah | basil, basil leaves |
| hôo-tsio-iâm | pepper and salt |
| be̍h-á-tsiú / bì-luh | beer |
| Kan--lah! / Hōo ta--lah! | Cheers! Bottoms up!
(literally: “Make it dry!” or “Let it be dry!”) For more on giving toasts in Taiwanese, check out "Episode 12: Let's make a toast!" of our Elementary Podcast. |
| Hó-tsia̍h! | Delicious! (when talking about something you eat) |
| Hó-lim! | Delicious! (when talking about something you drink) |
| Tse tsin hó-tsia̍h! / Tse tsin hó-lim! | This is delicious! |
*Syllables that have been greyed out require tone changes.
For more about eating, drinking and the grammar points we talked about in this episode, go check out our downloadable workbook! You’ll also find additional vocabulary with characters, pronunciation and culture notes, and fun exercises to help your practice.
Music Credit: TeknoAXE