Night market Mandarin phrases for Taiwan
Order at a Taiwanese night market in Mandarin: the classic street food, spice levels, queues and portions, for here or to go, and the game stalls — with pinyin and audio practice.
A night market stall gives you about five seconds of the vendor's attention, so the phrases that matter are short: what you want, how many portions, and whether it's spicy. yí fèn duōshǎo qián asks the price of one portion, and yào jiā là ma — do you want it spicy — is the question you'll be asked most often. The answer búyào là or xiǎo là is enough.
Bring cash, expect queues at the good stalls, and don't be alarmed when a vendor barks hǎo le at you — that means your food is ready, not that you've done something wrong. Between the food stalls you'll find the games: claw machines, ring toss and balloon shooting, all of which run on coins, which is why wǒ yào huàn língqián is in this deck.
26 phrases for night market & street food
| What you say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Salt-and-pepper fried chicken bites. | yánsūjī | 鹽酥雞 |
| Giant fried chicken cutlet. | jīpái | 雞排 |
| Stinky tofu. | chòudòufu | 臭豆腐 |
| Taiwanese sausage in a rice sausage bun. | dàcháng bāo xiǎocháng | 大腸包小腸 |
| Oyster omelette. | ézǎijiān | 蚵仔煎 |
| Mango shaved ice. | mángguǒ bīng | 芒果冰 |
| Boba milk tea (the big pearls). | bōbà nǎichá | 波霸奶茶 |
| Add pearls. | jiā zhēnzhū | 加珍珠 |
| The large one, please. | dà bēi de | 大杯的 |
| Add a bit more chili. | duō jiā yìdiǎn là | 多加一點辣 |
| You have to line up. | yào páiduì ō. | 要排隊喔。 |
| The line is so long. | duìwǔ hǎo cháng. | 隊伍好長。 |
| How much for one portion? | yí fèn duōshǎo qián? | 一份多少錢？ |
| I'd like two portions. | wǒ yào liǎng fèn. | 我要兩份。 |
| Is this good? | zhège hǎochī ma? | 這個好吃嗎？ |
| Super tasty! | chāo hǎochī! | 超好吃！ |
| Can I try a sample? | kěyǐ shìchī ma? | 可以試吃嗎？ |
| What is this? | zhè shì shénme? | 這是什麼？ |
| It's too greasy. | tài yóu le. | 太油了。 |
| Is it made fresh to order? | xiàn zuò de ma? | 現做的嗎？ |
| Claw machine. | jiá wáwa jī | 夾娃娃機 |
| I need to get coins / change. | wǒ yào huàn língqián. | 我要換零錢。 |
| Balloon shooting (the dart game stall). | shè qìqiú | 射氣球 |
What you'll hear back
The other half of the conversation — what the vendor, clerk or nurse says to you. Understanding these is usually harder than speaking.
| What they say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Do you want it spicy? | yào jiā là ma? | 要加辣嗎？ |
| For here or to go? | nèiyòng háishì wàidài? | 內用還是外帶？ |
| Ready — here you go! | hǎo le! | 好了！ |
Questions people ask
Do night market stalls take cards?
Almost never. Bring cash in small notes and coins — and note that the games run on coins specifically.
How do I ask for something not spicy?
búyào là. If you want a little, xiǎo là. Vendors ask yào jiā là ma before cooking, so listen for it and answer straight away.
What should I try first?
yánsūjī (salt-and-pepper fried chicken bites) is the safe, universally loved starting point. jīpái is the giant chicken cutlet, dàcháng bāo xiǎocháng is a sausage in a rice sausage bun, and chòudòufu is the one you'll smell before you see.
When do night markets open?
Evening — most come alive after dark and run late, though some larger markets have stalls trading earlier. Individual stalls also take their own days off.