Five Mandarin phrases I've learned navigating daily life in Taiwan

1. 甜筒
Pinyin: tián tǒng
English: Ice cream cone

• 甜 = sweet

• 筒 = tube/cone (refers to the cone shape)

• Together, this means an ice cream cone.

  
  

2. 中焙 / 中深焙 (used in the context of coffee roasting)

• 中焙
  Pinyin: zhōng bèi
  English: Medium roast

  • 中 = middle / medium

  • 焙 = to roast (especially coffee or tea)

  • This is a medium roast — a balanced roast level often used for drip coffee.

    
    

3. 原路折返
Pinyin: yuán lù zhé fǎn
English: To return by the original route / retrace one’s steps

• 原路 = original path / the same road

• 折返 = to turn back / go back

• Often used in navigation, or metaphorically in life to mean going back the way you came.

  
  

4. 知难而退
Pinyin: zhī nán ér tuì
English: To retreat in the face of difficulties / to back off when realizing something is too hard

• 知 = to know

• 难 = difficulty

• 而 = and / yet / but (classical-style connector)

• 退 = to retreat / withdraw

• Refers to making a wise decision to step back after recognizing a challenge is too tough to overcome. Sometimes used to describe prudence, sometimes cowardice, depending on context.

  
  

5. 隐眼 (shortened form of 隐形眼镜)
Pinyin: yǐn yǎn
English: Contact lenses

• 隐 = hidden

• 眼 = eye

• Short for 隐形眼镜 (yǐn xíng yǎn jìng) = invisible (contact) lenses

• Colloquial and very commonly used in Taiwan and among young people.