As an island, Taiwan is full of endemic species that are unique and nowhere to be found in other places. This week, we’ll learn how to name some of the most frequently seen endemic animals in Taiwan in Tâi-gí. 

●Words to Know:

1. 長尾山娘 tn̂g-bué-suann-niû (n.) Taiwan Blue Magpie

2. 臺灣烏熊 Tâi-uân-oo-hîm (n.) Formosan Black Bear

3. 烏雉雞 oo-thī-ke (n.) Mikado Pheasant

4. 台灣猴山仔 Tâi-uân-kâu-san-á (n.) Formosan Macaque

5. 阿里山塗龍 A-lí-san thôo-liông (n.) Alishan salamander

●Idiom of the week:

猴也會跋落樹跤。

Kâu iā ē pua̍h-lo̍h tshiū-kha.

(Even a monkey can fall from a tree.)

In Taiwan, tea is part of our everyday life. From morning oolong to late-night bubble tea, tea follows us through every part of the day. Tea is also how we treat our guests—we always make tea to show our welcome. This week, we’ll learn some Tâi-gí words and an idiom related to tea. So pour yourself a warm cup, take a deep breath, and let the fragrance guide us into today’s Tâi-gí lesson.

●Words to Know:

1. 茶米 tê-bí (n.) tea (leaves)

2. 啉茶 lim tê (v.) to drink tea

3. 紅茶 âng-tê (n.) black tea

4. 烏龍茶 oo-liông-tê (n.) Oolong tea

5. 泡茶 phàu tê (v.) to make tea

●Idiom of the week:

賣茶講茶芳，賣花講花紅。

Bē tê kóng tê phang, bē hue kóng hue âng.

(Those who sell tea praise its fragrance; those who sell flowers praise their redness.)

It's been raining dramatically in Taiwan! Every late spring here, the weather turns warm, humid, and rainy. Here comes the plum rain season! When cold and warm air masses meet and linger, we get weeks of steady drizzle. It’s called “plum rain” because it arrives right when plums ripen and fall. Today, let’s learn some Tâi-gí words and an idiom for this rainy time of year.

●Words to Know:

1. 黃酸雨 n̂g-sng-hōo / 梅仔雨 muê-á-hōo (n.) plum rain / East Asian rainy season

2. 春天 tshun-thinn (n.) spring 

3. 梅仔 muê-á (n.) plum

4. 雨傘 hōo-suànn (n.) umbrella

5. 落雨 lo̍h-hōo (v.) to rain

●Idiom of the week:

好天著存雨來糧。

Hó-thinn tio̍h tshûn hōo-lâi-niû

(On sunny days, store food for rainy days.)

5 April marks the Tomb Sweeping Day, or the Qingming Festival, in Taiwan this year! On this national holiday, families visit ancestral graves to clean tombs, offer food and incense, as well as burn joss paper to honour ancestors. This week, let’s learn some Tâi-gí words related to Tomb Sweeping Day.

●Words to Know:

1. 清明 tshing-bîng (n.) Tomb Sweeping Day

2. 墓仔埔 bōng-á-poo (n.) cemetery 

3. 培墓 puē-bōng (v.) to sweep the tomb

4. 墓紙 bōng-tsuá (n.) tomb paper

5. 祖先 tsóo-sian (n.) ancestor

●Idiom / Proverb of the week:

清明無轉厝，無祖；過年無轉厝，無某。

Tshing-bîng bô tńg tshù, bô tsóo; kuè-nî bô tńg tshù, bô bóo.

(If you don’t return home for Qingming, you have no ancestors; if you don’t return home for New Year, you have no wife.)

From 18 March till 10 April, 2014, hundreds of youngsters, mostly university students, ramped into Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. They occupy the space for one reason: to protest against the trade agreement between Taiwan and China signed in a black box.

The occupation became known as the Sunflower Movement, which changed Taiwan’s political scene tremendously. The movement gave birth to a new generation of Taiwanese politicians and activists, who have stronger Taiwanese identities, have less interest in ties with China, and aspire for a better democracy.

The movement took the sunflower as its symbol because it is heliotropic. These young people were looking for the sun to rise in politics. And this value is clearly reflected in the movement’s anthem – Island’s Sunrise (島嶼天光).

This week, we’ll learn a few lines from the song, so that you can sing along to this powerful tune.

What is your favourite sport? Do you like watching sports? With professional leagues like baseball and basketball, Taiwan is an island that is so passionate about sports! In fact, Taiwan even participated in the World Baseball Classic, which just came to an end earlier this week, defeating Czech Republic and Korea. This week, let’s learn some Tâi-gí words related to sports.

●Words to Know:

1. 運動 ūn-tōng (n.) sport

2. 野球 iá-kiû (n.) baseball 

3. 籃球 nâ-kiû (n.) basketball

4. 跤球 kha-kiû (n.) football

5. 泅水 siû-tsuí (v.) swim

6. 比賽 pí-sài (n.) sport match

●Idiom of the week:

好額毋值得會食，好命毋值得勇健。

Hó-gia̍h m̄-ta̍t-tit ē tsia̍h, hó-miā m̄-ta̍t-tit ióng-kiānn.

(Being rich is not as valuable as being able to eat; having a good life is not as valuable as being healthy and strong.)

Are you a cinephile? As a film critic, watching films is one the things that Wanson loves to do in his free time. This week, let’s learn some Tâi-gí words related to going to the movies.

●Words to Know:

1. 電影 tiān-iánn (n.) film

2. 戲院 hì-īnn (n.) movie theatre 

3. 拍電影 phah-tiān-iánn (phr.) shoot a film

4. 主角 tsú-kak (n.) main character

5. 字幕 jī-bōo (n.) subtitles

●Idiom  of the week:

人生親像大舞台，苦齣笑詼攏公開。

Jîn-sing tshin-tshiūnn tuā bú-tâi, khóo-tshut tshiò-khue lóng kong-khai.

(Life is like a big stage – sad scenes and comedic scenes are all performed in public.)

Do you know that public transportation is so important to the cities of Taiwan? We rely on buses, metro, trains, and sometimes even high speed rail to commute to work! This week, let’s learn some Tâi-gí words related to public transportation in Taiwan.

●Words to Know:

1. 公車 kong-tshia (n.) bus

2. 捷運 tsia̍t-ūn (n.) metro 

3. 火車 hué-tshia (n.) train

4. 高鐵 ko-thih (n.) high speed rail

5. 買車票 bé tshia-phiò (phr.) buy a ticket 

6. 車頭 tshia-thâu (n.) train station

●Idiom  of the week:

狗吠火車。

Káu puī hué-tshia.

(A dog barks at a train.)

2026 marks the 79th anniversary of the February 28th incident. 

In 1947, Taiwanese people stood up against the Kuomintang’s nationalist government after a murder committed by the government’s tobacco investigator. This incident led to a wide clash between the Taiwanese locals and the newcomers from China. Soldiers fired upon the protesters and civilians across the island after the incident.

Two years after the incident, Taiwan entered the “White Terror” period, when the society was controlled by martial law. During the White Terror, countless Taiwanese civilians, mostly suspected leftists and intellectuals, were unjustly arrested and executed. The island was under an atmosphere of fear, surveillance, and self-censorship.

Last year, A Foggy Tale (大濛), Taiwanese filmmaker Chen Yu-hsun’s latest feature on the White Terror, took the top prize at the Golden Horse Awards in Taipei. It is a moving take on how people find courage in a foggy, authoritarian era. 

This week, we’ll learn a few lines from “A Foggy Midnight” (大濛的暗眠), the film’s theme song, so that you can sing along to this beautiful tune.

Welcome to the New Year of the Horse! If you are in Taiwan, you might still be enjoying the holidays. However, do you have any plans for the future, or any new year resolutions?

Recently, I found a Tâi-gí song that is so catchy, 寫予未來的情歌 (Love song to the future), by 張語噥 Sammy. It is a letter dedicated to those still grinding through the day, and those who struggle with doubt but refuse to give up. With an upbeat melody, the song reminds us that our hopes for life and our visions for the future belong to us.

This week, we’ll learn a few lines from its lyrics, so that you can sing along to this beautiful tune.