Martial Arts

1. 我會使先練一工看覓無？

   Guá ē-sái sing liān tsi̍t-kang khuànn-māi bô?

   May I try training for just one day first?

   Usage

   How to ask for a single trial session. Traditional Taiwanese martial arts are taught at neighbourhood halls called "kok-su̍t-kuán", many of which double as bone-setting clinics. Older masters are more at home in Taiwanese, and opening in it closes the distance fast

   Grammar Note

   Adding "khuànn-māi" after a verb gives the sense of trying something out. The sentence-final "bô" forms a yes/no question, corresponding to Mandarin "ma"

2. 我會使先看恁練無？

   Guá ē-sái sing khuànn lín liān bô?

   May I watch you all train first?

   Usage

   For sizing a place up before committing. The taiji groups that gather in parks at dawn are open to onlookers and will often wave you in to follow along at the back. A "kok-su̍t-kuán" may have no visible sign at all, so a word at the door is the polite way in

   Grammar Note

   The pronouns are "guá" (I), "lí" (you), "i" (he/she); the plurals are "guán"/"lán" (we), "lín" (you), "in" (they). "Lán" is the inclusive we, taking in the listener

3. 有拳套通租無？

   Ū kûn-thò thang tsoo bô?

   Are there gloves available to rent?

   Usage

   Boxing and MMA gyms in Taipei and Taichung lend club gloves free or for a small fee, while wraps are sold at the desk rather than lent for hygiene reasons. A traditional "kok-su̍t-kuán" uses no gloves at all — you start with bare-handed forms

   Grammar Note

   The frame "ū + noun + thang + verb" means "there is something available to do X". The particle "thang" carries possibility or permission and has no single Mandarin equivalent

4. 我是新手，攏毋捌練過。

   Guá sī sin-tshiú, lóng m̄-bat liān--kuè.

   I am a beginner and have never trained at all.

   Usage

   Saying it up front gets you a lighter session. A "kok-su̍t-kuán" starts with standing posture and footwork, and it can be weeks before you touch a form. If you want practical movement straight away, a modern gym suits you better

   Grammar Note

   Lack of experience is "m̄-bat + verb + kuè". The verb "bat" means to know or to have experienced, matching Mandarin "céng"

5. 拜託，較細膩咧。

   Pài-thok, khah sè-jī--leh.

   Please, take it a bit more gently.

   Usage

   The shortest way to ask for less intensity. "Sè-jī" means careful and considerate, and is an everyday word in Taiwanese. For the opposite, say "khah iōng-la̍t--leh" (a bit harder)

   Grammar Note

   A comparative simply puts "khah" before the adjective. The sentence-final "--leh" softens the tone, turning a command into a gentle request

6. 我的跤頭趺咧疼，袂當踢。

   Guá ê kha-thâu-u leh thiànn, bē-tàng that.

   My knee hurts, so I cannot kick.

   Usage

   Say this before you start. Swap "kha-thâu-u" (knee) for "io" (lower back), "king-kah-thâu" (shoulder) or "tshiú-khiau" (elbow). Since many "kok-su̍t-kuán" also do bone-setting, mentioning a pain may get you looked at rather than turned away

   Grammar Note

   Taiwanese distinguishes "bē-tàng" (not allowed or not able) from "bē-hiáu" (not knowing how). Ongoing action is marked by "leh" before the verb

7. 一個月偌濟錢？

   Tsi̍t kò gue̍h guā-tsē tsînn?

   How much is it per month?

   Usage

   A monthly rate pays off if you are staying more than a week. Park taiji groups charge a few hundred NT dollars a month or nothing at all, while urban boxing and MMA gyms run into the thousands. Some gyms add a joining fee or a minimum contract, so check

   Grammar Note

   "Guā-tsē" asks about quantity or amount, matching Mandarin "duōshǎo". For counting, Taiwanese uses "kuí": "kuí-tiám" (what hour), "kuí-kang" (how many days)

8. 練一擺偌濟錢？

   Liān tsi̍t pái guā-tsē tsînn?

   How much is a single session?

   Usage

   The standard way to ask a drop-in rate. City gyms usually have a set price for a trial class. A traditional master may wave the first session away with "come back if you like it" — turning up with tea or a box of cakes is the way to answer that

   Grammar Note

   The classifier for occurrences is "pái", where Mandarin uses "cì". Taiwanese keeps many classifiers that differ from Mandarin, such as "tsiah", "tíng" and "niá"

9. 有查某人的班無？

   Ū tsa-bóo-lâng ê pan bô?

   Is there a class for women?

   Usage

   Women-oriented boxing-fitness classes are common in Taiwanese cities and female coaches are unremarkable. Park taiji groups often skew female outright. The temple martial troupes such as the "Sòng-kang-tīn" have traditionally been male, though women now take part in some of them

   Grammar Note

   "Tsa-bóo" (female) and "tsa-poo" (male) are native Taiwanese words bearing no resemblance to their Mandarin counterparts. The possessive particle is read "ê"

10. 練習幾點開始？

    Liān-si̍p kuí-tiám khai-sí?

    What time does training start?

    Usage

    Taiwanese martial arts split between early and late. Park taiji runs from about 05:30 to 07:00, just after sunrise, while halls and modern gyms fill up after 19:00. Temple troupes train nightly in the run-up to a festival, so the hours shift with the calendar

    Grammar Note

    Question words stay in the same slot as the corresponding statement word. Taiwanese has seven tones and undergoes tone sandhi, so the tone written on a syllable is not the one you hear when it is followed by another

11. 拜託教我按怎縛手。

    Pài-thok kà guá án-tsuánn pa̍k tshiú.

    Please teach me how to wrap my hands.

    Usage

    Gloves without wraps put your knuckles and wrist at risk. A Taiwanese coach will usually wrap you the first time and expect you to manage after that. In the traditional halls a cloth wrapped round the wrist serves a similar purpose

    Grammar Note

    The frame "kà + person + án-tsuánn + verb" means "teach someone how to do X". "Án-tsuánn" corresponds to Mandarin "zěnme" and also asks "what is the matter?"

12. 我當時才會使佮人對練？

    Guá tang-sî tsiah ē-sái kah lâng tuì-liān?

    When will I be able to train with a partner?

    Usage

    Paired work and sparring are gated behind the coach's approval because of injury risk. In the traditional arts, "pushing hands" is the doorway into partner practice. Building the basics first is the faster route in the end

    Grammar Note

    "Tang-sî" is the question word "when", equivalent to Mandarin "shénme shíhòu". The adverb "tsiah" marks something that happens only once a condition is met

13. 遮敢有通洗身軀？

    Tsia kám ū thang sé-sin-khu?

    Is there somewhere to shower here?

    Usage

    Membership gyms in the cities have showers and lockers; a "kok-su̍t-kuán" or a park session has nothing of the sort. Taiwanese summers are humid and you will sweat, so carry a towel and a change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    Placing "kám" before the verb forms a question without needing the final "bô". "Sin-khu" is the Taiwanese word for the body, distinct in form from Mandarin "shēntǐ"

14. 比賽攏佇佗位辦？

    Pí-sài lóng tī tó-uī pān?

    Where are the matches held?

    Usage

    In Taiwan you are more likely to watch than to train. Temple festivals bring out martial troupes such as the "Sòng-kang-tīn" in the processions, the festival at Neimen in Kaohsiung being the biggest of them. Modern combat sports events turn up now and then at arenas and sports halls in Taipei

    Grammar Note

    "Tī" is the locative preposition "at, in", and "tó-uī" means "where"; together they form the standard way to ask about a place

15. 手攑懸，面顧予好！

    Tshiú gia̍h-kuân, bīn kòo hōo hó!

    Hands up, keep your face well guarded!

    Usage

    Said by the coach — the most frequent cue during pad work and partner drills. City gyms mostly call it in Mandarin, but older masters bark it in Taiwanese. It comes out short and sharp with no rudeness intended

    Grammar Note

    "Kuân" is the Taiwanese word for high, written and pronounced unlike Mandarin "gāo". The frame "verb + hōo + adjective" expresses a resulting state, so "kòo hōo hó" is "guard it into a good state"

16. 用力拍，莫驚！

    Iōng-la̍t phah, mài kiann!

    Hit with power, do not be afraid!

    Usage

    Said by the coach holding the pads when he wants full power. Half-committed punches are harder on your wrist than full ones, so take it as permission to let go

    Grammar Note

    A prohibition puts "mài" before the verb. "Phah" is the general Taiwanese verb for striking and stretches far: "phah-kiû" (to play ball), "phah tiān-uē" (to make a phone call)

17. 歇五分鐘，去啉水。

    Hioh gōo hun-tsing, khì lim tsuí.

    Take five minutes and go drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Taiwanese summers are muggy and plenty of training spaces have no air conditioning, so water calls punctuate the rounds. Most gyms keep a water dispenser, so a bottle gets you free refills

    Grammar Note

    "Lim" is the Taiwanese verb for drinking, unrelated in form to Mandarin "hē". "Hioh" means to rest, and doubled as "hioh-khùn" it covers a break or a day off

18. 今仔日到遮，你真𠢕！

    Kin-á-ji̍t kàu tsia, lí tsin gâu!

    That is it for today — you did really well!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line; "to-siā" (thank you) is all you need in reply. Traditional halls end with a bow to the master before you leave, sometimes with the fist-and-palm salute exchanged between students

    Grammar Note

    "𠢕 (gâu)" praises someone as capable or skilled and has no single Mandarin adjective to match it. The intensifier "tsin" corresponds to Mandarin "hěn".

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