The de facto and most widely spoken language in Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese. According to the 2020 Taiwan census, 66.4% of resident nationals spoke Mandarin Chinese as their primary language. Taiwan’s largest heritage language—Taiwanese—comes in second place at 31.7%.
The balance between Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese highlights the way Taiwan delicately straddles the line between its relationship to Mainland China and its role as a nation that represents itself on the international stage (like its Olympic athletes being part of the special Chinese Taipei team). While both languages belong to the Chinese macrolanguage, they are distinct from each other, and both play a key role in Taiwan’s linguistic landscape.
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What is the official language of Taiwan?
Taiwan does not explicitly have an official language laid out in the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan), but the de facto Taiwan official language for government purposes is Mandarin Chinese. In addition to that, the 2019 Development of National Languages Act stipulated that all of Taiwan’s natural languages and sign languages be legally recognized as languages of Taiwan (specifically “all national languages shall be equal”).
Most of Taiwan’s 23.6 million people speak Mandarin Chinese as well as the most widely spoken heritage language, Taiwanese. With the primary and secondary language speakers combined, according to the 2020 Taiwan census, approximately 96.8% of Taiwanese nationals speak Mandarin Chinese and 86.0% speak Taiwanese.
How many languages are spoken in Taiwan?
21 languages are recognized as national languages in Taiwan, including 16 indigenous Formosan languages:
- Mandarin Chinese
- Taiwanese (also known as Hokkien, Minnan, or Tâi-gí)
- Hakka
- Matsu
- Taiwan Sign Language
- 16 Taiwan Indigenous Languages (also known as Formosan Languages)
Some people in Taiwan also speak English or Japanese. Given how many people speak English around the world, English in Taiwan is encouraged to distinguish itself on a global scale. Since 2005, English study has been compulsory starting in the third grade, and policies such as the Bilingual 2030 policy aim to increase English education in Taiwanese schools.
Japan controlled Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, and the Japanese language was used for official matters. As a result, some older residents of Taiwan still know Japanese from their time living under Japanese rule. Nowadays, Taiwan is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, so you can still see Japanese used in tourism materials (like museums).
Top 3 languages in Taiwan
All three of the most widely spoken languages in Taiwan (Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Hakka) are from the Chinese macrolanguage. Although they share many similarities, it’s easier to think of them as separate languages than dialects of Chinese. You could compare them to Romance languages like Spanish and Portuguese, which have common traits but are not mutually intelligible.
Mandarin Chinese
In total, 96.8% of the resident nationals in Taiwan speak Mandarin Chinese (2020 Taiwan census). That comes from roughly two thirds (66.4%) of the Taiwanese population speaking Mandarin Chinese as their primary language, and another 30.4% speaking it as their secondary language. Mandarin Chinese is also one of the most spoken languages in the world.
However, the Mandarin Chinese spoken in Taiwan is a different dialect than the Mandarin Chinese spoken in Mainland China. A speaker of one dialect can understand the other, but the dialects are distinct enough that a fluent speaker of Mandarin can identify where the other person is from (or where they learned Mandarin).
Mandarin is spoken in all parts of Taiwan (including the main island and the smaller surrounding ones), but usage is concentrated on the north and east sides of the main island and the surrounding islands. It’s the primary language in Taiwan’s three largest cities: Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung.
Taiwanese
Roughly 86.0% of resident nationals speak Taiwanese (2020 Taiwan census) between those that speak it as a primary language (31.7%) and a secondary language (54.3%).
Taiwanese is also known as Hokkien, Minnan, or Tâi-gí (Taigi). Prior to 1945 (when control of the land began transitioning from Japan to China), it was the most widely spoken language in Taiwan. Protecting heritage languages like Taiwanese has been a longstanding effort that continues today.
Taiwanese is the primary language on the west and south sides of the main island of Taiwan, namely:
- Tainan City
- Changhua County
- Yunlin County
- Chiayi County
- Nantou County
- Pingtung County
Hakka
Compared to Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, Hakka speakers make up a very small percentage of the population. A total of about 5.5% of Taiwan’s population speaks it as a primary (1.5%) or a secondary (4.0%) language.
People who speak Hakka as either a primary or secondary language are concentrated on the northwest side of the island and a few other counties:
- Taoyuan City
- Hsinchu City
- Hsinchu County
- Miaoli County
- Hualien County
- Pingtung County
Indigenous languages spoken in Taiwan
Taiwan’s indigenous languages are also known as the Formosan languages (after Taiwan’s former name, Formosa) and they are part of the Austronesian language family. There are currently 16 living indigenous languages (some more endangered than others), and all are recognized national languages:
- Amis (Ami)
- Atayal (Tayal)
- Bunun
- Kanakanavu
- Kavalan
- Paiwan
- Puyuma
- Rukai
- Saaroa
- Saisiyat
- Sakizaya
- Seediq
- Thao
- Truku
- Tsou
- Yami/Tao
The official Taiwan census groups them as one category (“indigenous”), and the majority of people using an indigenous language as a primary or secondary language live on the east side of the main island.
The three largest indigenous groups as of January 2020 are Amis, Atayal, and Paiwan. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how many individuals in each ethnic group speak the language of their people, but the size of their community gives a general idea in the greater context of Taiwan’s linguistic landscape.
Amis
The Amis (阿美) ethnic group has the largest indigenous population at 213,514 people as of 2020, and its language is the most widely spoken Austronesian language in Taiwan. The Amis language is an oral language, without any written records.
Speakers primarily live in the Hualien, Taitung, and Pingtun Counties on the east side of Taiwan. The Amis are further divided into the Nanshi, Xiuguluan, Coastal, Taitung, and Hengchun tribes, which each have their own dialect and customs.
Atayal
The name “Atayal” means “people.” The Atayal (泰雅) population stands at about 92,084 as of 2020, and they’re spread out along the north side of the main island across seven administrative regions.
Paiwan
The Paiwan (排灣) people live primarily on the southeastern edge of the main island of Taiwan (Taitung and Pingtung Counties), and the population was around 102,730 people as of 2020. They’re split into two main groups: the Ravar and the Butsul.
Taiwanese Mandarin vs. Mainland Taiwanese
Mandarin Chinese (the most spoken language in Asia) is spoken in Taiwan and in Mainland China, but the dialects are different enough that people in Taiwan will notice which one you’re using. A speaker of one dialect can reasonably understand the other (especially in writing), but there are key differences that set them apart. This is the result of a few influences:
- Isolation between the island of Taiwan and Mainland China
- Japanese language loanwords
- Taiwanese Hokkien language loanwords
- Different translations of words from other languages
Writing system
Both dialects of Mandarin use the same Chinese writing system, but Taiwan uses the older, traditional versions of the characters while Mainland China uses some modern, simplified characters. The meaning is the same regardless of whether they’re traditional or simplified, but being able to identify the opposite version of what you’re used to takes some study.
| Taiwan (Traditional) | Mainland China (Simplified) | English Meaning |
| 語 | 语 | language |
| 葉 | 叶 | leaf |
| 頭 | 头 | head |
Pronunciation
Certain sounds (especially consonants) in Taiwanese Mandarin are softer than their counterparts in Mainland Mandarin. For example, the “zh” sound will sound closer to “z.”
The other major difference is the usage of érhuà (兒化 or 儿化), which is a final, rhotacized “r” sound used at the end of some words in Mandarin Chinese. Mainland Mandarin uses it often, while Taiwanese Mandarin rarely does. For example, someone in Mainland China would say hǎowánr (好玩兒) for the word “fun,” while someone in Taiwan would say hǎowán (好玩).
Vocabulary
Taiwanese Mandarin and Mainland Mandarin have a few vocabulary differences, too. This is similar to how an American English term might mean something different in British English, or vice versa (e.g., “bonnet” meaning the hood of a car in British English).
| Taiwan | Mainland China | English Meaning |
| 腳踏車 jiǎotàchē | 自行車zìxíngchē | bicycle |
| 優格 yōugé | 酸奶 suānnǎi | yogurt |
| 部落格 bùluògé | 博客 bókè | blog |
You might even see some words that are spelled with the same characters, but mean different things! For example, àiren (愛人 with traditional characters or 爱人 with simplified characters) means “spouse” in Mainland China, but it means “lover” in Taiwan.
FAQs about what language is spoken in Taiwan
Finding out what language is spoken in Taiwan before you visit will make sure you’re prepared to navigate and make the most of your trip. Use these frequently asked questions to help you narrow down what you need to know.
Is English spoken in Taiwan?
Yes, some people speak English in Taiwan. However, it’s not an official language, nor is it the primary or secondary language of most people living in Taiwan. If you visit major cities like Taipei, you’ll be able to find signs, directions, and announcements in English fairly easily, but you may not be able to converse with many people in English.
What are the top three languages spoken in Taiwan?
The top three most widely spoken languages in Taiwan are Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese (also known as Hokkien, Minnan, or Tâi-gí), and Hakka. Most people in Taiwan speak Mandarin Chinese or Taiwanese (or both), while Hakka is spoken by only about 5.5% of the population.
Are Taiwanese and Chinese the same language?
Chinese is a macrolanguage (a group of related languages), and Taiwanese is one of the Chinese languages. Taiwanese is a different language than Mandarin Chinese, which is the most widely spoken Chinese language.
How do you say ‘hello’ in Taiwan?
You can say “hello” in Taiwan by using either Taiwanese or Mandarin Chinese. “Hello” in Taiwanese is lí hó (你好). In Mandarin Chinese, you can either use nǐ hǎo (你好) or hā luō (哈囉).
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