Taiwan’s primary Chinese languages are Mandarin, Hokkien, and Hakka. However, they speak many other languages. Keep reading to learn more.
During my years in Taiwan, I’ve heard most people speak Mandarin, but various folks speak other languages specific to the country. I want to use this guide to show you all the languages so you know what to expect.
Table of Contents
Let’s Dive In.
Key Takeaways
- Taiwanese Mandarin is the main spoken language.
- Taiwan uses Taiwanese Sign Language (TSL) for the deaf community.
- Traditional Chinese characters are used for the writing system.
- Many older folks will mix Hakka and Taiwanese Hokkien with Taiwanese Mandarin.
What Languages Are Mostly Spoken in Taiwan?
Here are all the most used languages in Taiwan:
| Language | Usage | Use as a Second Language | Local Language Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin, Taiwanese | 66.4% | 30.4% | 國語; Guóyǔ |
| 中文; Zhōngwén | |||
| 汉语; Hànyǔ | |||
| Hokkien, Taiwanese | 31.7% | 54.3% | 臺語; Tái yǔ |
| Hakka, Taiwanese | 1.5% | 4.0% | 客家語; Kèjiā yǔ |
| Formosan Languages | 0.2% | 0.9% | 臺灣原住民族語; Táiwān yuánzhù mínzú yǔ |
| Taiwan Sign Language | 0.1% | 0% | 臺灣手語; Táiwān shǒuyǔ |
| Other | 0.2% | 10.4% | NA |
Notes:
- People will have their own ways to say the local language names. I typed what I typically hear people say.
- The majority of Taiwanese people (from my experience) say 中文 and not 國語.
- I seldom hear people use 汉语.
- The information on the table is from a 2020 census.
- Examples of “Other” languages include the Matsu and Wuqiu dialects.
And here’s this data visualized:
First off…
People in Taiwan speak Mandarin, not “Chinese.”
Mandarin is a type of Chinese. And Chinese is a group of languages.
Mandarin is the official language in Taiwan. People also speak it in China. Thus, people in China can understand people in Taiwan.
Taiwanese Mandarin has a different accent and is not the same. Some words are different, too.
For instance, the Taiwanese will use different phrases and slang than China.
If you’re American, think of it as the General American accent versus a Southern accent. The former has more of a neutral intonation versus the Southern one which has more distinct vowel sounds. Both also use different slang.
Anyway:
If you’re up north, the younger people you see, the more Mandarin you’ll see used. For instance, 83.8% of 25 – 34-year-olds use Mandarin as their primary language.
As you head south, you’ll find more people speaking a mixture of Hokkien (AKA Taiwanese) and Mandarin. 65.9% of folks aged 65 and over will mainly use Taiwanese. 15.5% of 25 – 34-year olds use it.
In areas with more Hakka people (e.g., Hsinchu), you’ll find more folks speaking primarily Hakka. Or a mixture of Hakka/Mandarin/Taiwanese. 4.8% of adults 65 years and older will mainly use Hakka. Whereas, 0.4% of 25 – 34-year-olds will use it.
Keep in mind that most of these languages — aside from Taiwanese Mandarin — have additional variants.
I won’t talk about those in this guide because I’m not a linguist.
My in-laws are Hakka and tend to mix all 3 languages frequently. This makes it difficult to listen in on what they’re saying.
Though I’m not fluent in any languages, I’ve learned how to differentiate which of the 3 are spoken. And for the most part, I’m right when I ask my wife, “Are they speaking Hakka/Taiwanese?”.
If you’re visiting or moving to Taiwan, almost all Taiwanese people will speak Mandarin or English to you.
I’ll get into English usage in a bit.
And before we go, here’s how to say “hello” in each of Taiwan’s main languages:
- Taiwanese: Lí-hó
- Mandarin: Nĭ hăo
- Hakka: Ngi ho
How you’d write out all 3 translations is the same, 你好.
What Formosan languages are there?
Indigenous Languages: Will You Often Hear Them?
Indigenous languages in Taiwan belong to the Austronesian language family.
There are currently 16 officially recognized indigenous groups and 42 distinct languages, including:
| Rukai | Saisiyat |
| Amis | Seediq |
| Atayal | Sakizaya |
| Bunun | Thao |
| Kanakanavu | Truku |
| Kavalan | Tsou |
| Puyuma | Saaroa |
| Paiwan | Tao (Malayo-Polynesian) |
Here’s the distribution of the different Taiwanese Indigenous tribes:
UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger and domestic assessments have identified 13 severely endangered languages in Taiwan.
These include Saisiyat, Kavalan, Thao, Rukai, Kanakanavu, and Bunun.
The remaining indigenous languages are classified as at least “vulnerable.”
The development of indigenous language writing systems has been a journey. It has passed through several stages:
- Romanization
- Chinese characters
- Katakana
- Zhuyin Fuhao (bopomofo)
- International Phonetic Alphabet
A significant milestone came in 2005. The Council of Indigenous Peoples and the Ministry of Education jointly established the “Indigenous Language Writing System.” This provided a unified standard for indigenous languages.
In 2017, the “Indigenous Languages Development Act” was enacted.
This legislation strengthened the legal status of indigenous writing systems. Now, these systems are widely used. You can find them in language textbooks, literature, databases, and certifications.
Even indigenous church materials incorporate them.
The Act goes further.
It mandates bilingual use of indigenous languages in government documents.
Public signage in indigenous areas must also be bilingual.
These measures aim to preserve and promote indigenous languages in everyday life.
What would the writing on these documents look like?
Taiwan’s Writing System
Taiwan uses traditional Chinese characters, unlike China’s simplified Chinese. The Zhuyin (Bopomofo) system is primarily for pronunciation, though romanization is also used inconsistently.
This writing system is shared with Hong Kong and Macau.
Textbooks in Taiwan will use a mixture of the Latin alphabet and traditional Chinese characters for Hakka and Taiwanese.
Here are examples of inconsistent romanization that I’ve seen.
For instance, for Banqiao District in New Taipei City, I’ll sometimes see “Banciao” instead of the former. Or for Ximending, I’ll see “Shi Men” or “Shi Men Ting.”
Here’s what different characters will look like:
- Zhuyin: ㄅ
- Traditional Chinese: 語
- Simplified Chinese: 语
The simplified and traditional Chinese characters are the same words.
Taiwanese will use simplified characters in many scenarios.
For instance, many write the “Tai” part of the country’s unofficial name as a simplified character “台”. The traditional version of “Tai” is “臺”.
Here’s the logo for Taiwan’s most popular beer brand that uses the simplified variation:
Actually, it appears the entire word “Taiwan” uses simplified characters — in the logo only. The rest of their branding uses the traditional character for “Wan”.
I kind of understand why they made this choice with the logo from a design perspective.
Anyway:
Bank of Taiwan uses the traditional character:
They don’t use the simplified version of “Wan” (湾) for the most part. They stick with the traditional variation (灣).
Other Languages Spoken in Taiwan (Including English)
Here are the other popular languages that people speak in Taiwan [1]:
- English: Around 28.5% of Taiwan’s population speaks basic English.
- Indonesian: More than 294,033 Indonesians live in Taiwan as of 2024 and use the language.
- Vietnamese: Around 265,129 Vietnamese people live in Taiwan and use the language.
- Tagalog. 163,193 Filipinos live in Taiwan, and most of them use Tagalog.
- Japanese: In 1943, more than 80% of Taiwanese spoke Japanese.
Due to the high(ish) number of Malaysians here, a good number of people speak Malaysian. However, there are only around 20,000 Malaysian expats here, so I didn’t include them.
In 1895, Taiwan became under Japanese rule, resulting in around 80% of Taiwanese learning the language.
Nowadays, the majority of Taiwanese don’t speak Japanese, and there are no regions in Taiwan where It is prevalent.
After Japan’s surrender in World War II and the subsequent period of Kuomintang rule, a deliberate effort was made to suppress Japanese language and culture. This was part of a broader policy to solidify Chinese identity and rule.
The passage of time has also contributed to the decline of Japanese language proficiency. The generation that grew up under Japanese rule is aging, and younger generations have had less exposure to the language.
While there are still some older Taiwanese people who can speak Japanese, it’s not as widespread as it once was due to the historical and social factors mentioned above.
The Dutch and the Spanish occupied parts of Taiwan during the 1600s. A period in which some people learned both countries’ languages.
However:
This is the most information I could find regarding the use of both languages in Taiwan. Once both countries withdrew, the use of their languages vanished.
In 1895, Taiwan came under Japanese rule.
This led to around 80% of Taiwanese learning the Japanese language.
Today, the majority of Taiwanese no longer speak Japanese And there are no regions in Taiwan where it is widely used.
After Japan’s defeat in World War II and the subsequent Kuomintang government, steps were taken to limit the Japanese language and culture. This was part of a broader effort to strengthen Chinese identity and rule.
Over time, fewer people in Taiwan have become proficient in Japanese.
The generation that grew up under Japanese control is getting older, and younger people have had less exposure to the language.
While some older Taiwanese people can still speak Japanese, it is not as common as it once was. Due to the historical and social changes.
The Dutch and Spanish occupied parts of Taiwan in the 1600s.
During this period, some people learned the languages of these countries.
However, once the Dutch and Spanish left Taiwan, the use of their languages disappeared.
This is the most information I could find about the use of these other languages in Taiwan.
FAQs
Can Taiwanese Speak English?
Many Taiwanese can speak English, especially in cities and tourist areas. About 28.5% of the population speaks English as a second language. English proficiency varies, but basic communication is often possible in popular spots.
Sources
- Statistics. National Immigration Agency, TW. 07/26/2024
