慢慢學 mànmàn xuéTaiwanese Mandarin shopping phrases
How to shop in Taiwan in Mandarin: asking prices, bargaining, paying by card or LINE Pay, getting your fapiao receipt, and asking for help — with pinyin and audio practice.
Most shopping Mandarin is four phrases: getting someone's attention, asking the price, saying which one you want, and paying. The opener is bù hǎo yìsi — not nǐ hǎo — and it covers everything from flagging a shop assistant to squeezing past someone in an aisle. If you don't catch the reply, wǒ tīng bù dǒng and qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn are worth more than any amount of vocabulary.
Two things surprise newcomers. Shops ask whether you want a bag because bags are chargeable, so the default is no bag unless you ask. And your receipt is a fāpiào — a government uniform invoice with a lottery number on it, drawn on a fixed schedule — which is why the cashier will ask whether you want it and why people keep them in a drawer instead of binning them.
33 phrases for shopping & paying
| What you say | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Do you have… ? | yǒu méi yǒu … ? | 有沒有……？ |
| How much is this? | zhège duōshǎo qián? | 這個多少錢？ |
| Too expensive! | tài guì le! | 太貴了！ |
| Can you make it a bit cheaper? | kěyǐ suàn piányí yìdiǎn ma? | 可以算便宜一點嗎？ |
| I'm just looking. | wǒ zhǐshì kànkàn. | 我只是看看。 |
| I'll take this one. | wǒ yào zhège. | 我要這個。 |
| Can I pay by card? | kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? | 可以刷卡嗎？ |
| I'll pay cash. | wǒ fù xiànjīn. | 我付現金。 |
| Can I use LINE Pay? | kěyǐ yòng LINE Pay ma? | 可以用 LINE Pay 嗎？ |
| I don't need a bag. | wǒ búyòng dàizi. | 我不用袋子。 |
| I want the receipt (fapiao). | wǒ yào fāpiào. | 我要發票。 |
| Where is the … ? | … zài nǎlǐ? | ……在哪裡？ |
| Where's the restroom? | cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? | 廁所在哪裡？ |
| Do you have a bigger one? | yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma? | 有大一點的嗎？ |
| Do you have a smaller one? | yǒu xiǎo yìdiǎn de ma? | 有小一點的嗎？ |
| Can I try it on? | kěyǐ shìchuān ma? | 可以試穿嗎？ |
| What time do you close? | nǐmen jǐ diǎn guānmén? | 你們幾點關門？ |
| I want to mail this. | wǒ yào jì zhège. | 我要寄這個。 |
| Excuse me… (getting attention) | bù hǎo yìsi | 不好意思 |
| Can you help me? | kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma? | 可以幫我嗎？ |
| I don't understand (by ear). | wǒ tīng bù dǒng. | 我聽不懂。 |
| Please say it again. | qǐng zài shuō yícì. | 請再說一次。 |
| Please speak a bit slower. | qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn. | 請說慢一點。 |
| That's all, thanks. (very Taiwanese) | zhèyàng jiù hǎo. | 這樣就好。 |
| I'll use my phone barcode. | wǒ yòng shǒujī tiáomǎ. | 我用手機條碼。 |
| Is there a discount? | yǒu dǎzhé ma? | 有打折嗎？ |
| Buy one, get one free. | mǎi yī sòng yī | 買一送一 |
| Can I return this? | kěyǐ tuìhuò ma? | 可以退貨嗎？ |
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 need a bag? | xūyào dàizi ma? | 需要袋子嗎？ |
| I'll ring you up. | wǒ bāng nín jiézhàng. | 我幫您結帳。 |
| Fifty dollars change. | zhǎo nín wǔshí yuán. | 找您五十元。 |
| Do you have a carrier? (to store the e-receipt) | yǒu zàijù ma? | 有載具嗎？ |
| Are you a member? | yǒu huìyuán ma? | 有會員嗎？ |
Questions people ask
Why does the cashier always ask if I want a bag?
Plastic bags are chargeable at most retailers in Taiwan, so staff have to ask rather than assume. wǒ búyòng dàizi means you don't need one; most people carry their own.
What is a 發票 and should I keep it?
It's Taiwan's uniform invoice — the official receipt, printed with a number entered into a regular public lottery. Keeping them costs nothing and people do win, which is why you'll be asked if you want yours.
Can I pay by card everywhere?
In chains and department stores, yes, and LINE Pay is widely accepted. Small shops, market stalls and older eateries are cash-first, so it's worth asking kěyǐ shuākǎ ma before you commit to a big basket.
How do I get a shop assistant's attention politely?
bù hǎo yìsi, said at normal volume. It's the all-purpose 'excuse me' — for getting attention, apologising, and interrupting — and it's the single most useful phrase in this deck.
