One of the official languages of Taiwan is Mandarin, which is the same as in Mainland China, except for differences in the Romanised spelling of words. Taiwanese is the other official language which is commonly spoken and more favored the further south of the island you head.

The phrases below are written with the Mainland Chinese spelling, but will be understood in Taiwan.

The most difficult thing about speaking Chinese is the pronunciation because the language has four different tones. The tone in which you say a word can change the whole meaning of the word. There is a neutral tone, rising, falling and rising tone together as well as a falling tone.