It's 8pm, the streets are packed, something is sizzling on a grill right next to you, someone is shouting an order over the noise, and you're trying to decide whether you have enough cash to buy one more snack.
That's the setting for this episode of Mandarin Zest, which takes you into one of Taiwan's most iconic everyday experiences: 逛夜市, "wandering around a night market."
This episode is a little different from a typical textbook dialogue. Antoine and Dorota play both sides of the conversation themselves, switching between customer and vendor as they work through a very real night-market interaction — ordering food, asking about spice, trying a sample, and paying in cash.
Along the way, you'll pick up some genuinely useful vocabulary and a grammar structure you'll hear constantly: 又...又..., meaning "both...and..." — as in 又便宜又好吃, "both cheap and delicious."
The Dialogue
Antoine：老板，这个多少钱？
(Lǎobǎn, zhège duōshǎo qián?)
Boss, how much is this?
老板：五十块一份，要不要辣？
(Wǔshí kuài yí fèn, yào bú yào là?)
Fifty dollars a portion. Do you want it spicy?
Antoine：一点点辣就好。可以试吃吗？
(Yìdiǎndiǎn là jiù hǎo. Kěyǐ shìchī ma?)
Just a little spicy is fine. Can I try a sample?
老板：当然可以，来，你尝尝看。
(Dāngrán kěyǐ, lái, nǐ chángchang kàn.)
Of course. Here, give it a taste.
Antoine：哇，又便宜又好吃！我要一份。
(Wa, yòu piányi yòu hǎochī! Wǒ yào yí fèn.)
Wow, it's both cheap and delicious! I'll have one.
老板：好，不好意思，只收现金喔。
(Hǎo, bù hǎoyìsi, zhǐ shōu xiànjīn ō.)
Okay. Sorry, we only accept cash.
Antoine：没问题，我有现金。
(Méi wèntí, wǒ yǒu xiànjīn.)
No problem, I have cash.
A few small patterns are worth flagging as you go. 要不要 is a very common way to ask a quick yes/no question: literally, "want or don't want?" You'll hear it everywhere from restaurants to shops. 可以...吗? is another essential pattern for asking whether something is allowed or possible.
And then there's 尝尝看, literally something like "taste a little and see." Chinese often doubles short verbs like 尝尝 to make them sound lighter and more casual, especially when suggesting that someone try something.
Vocab List
| Simplified | Traditional | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夜市 | 夜市 | yèshì | night market |
| 老板 | 老闆 | lǎobǎn | boss; vendor/shopkeeper |
| 多少钱 | 多少錢 | duōshǎo qián | how much? |
| 一份 | 一份 | yí fèn | one portion/order |
| 辣 | 辣 | là | spicy |
| 一点点 | 一點點 | yìdiǎndiǎn | a little bit |
| 试吃 | 試吃 | shìchī | to sample food |
| 尝尝 | 嚐嚐 | chángchang | to have a taste; try a little |
| 便宜 | 便宜 | piányi | cheap; inexpensive |
| 好吃 | 好吃 | hǎochī | tasty; delicious |
| 现金 | 現金 | xiànjīn | cash |
| 只收 | 只收 | zhǐ shōu | only accept |
| 没问题 | 沒問題 | méi wèntí | no problem |
| 热闹 | 熱鬧 | rènào | lively; bustling |
Grammar Spotlight: 又...又...
又...又... (yòu...yòu...) means "both...and..." and is used to describe two qualities or states that apply to the same person, thing, or situation.
Structure: 又 + adjective/verb + 又 + adjective/verb
Our dialogue gives you a very useful example:
又便宜又好吃。
(Yòu piányi yòu hǎochī.)
It's both cheap and delicious.
Instead of describing the two qualities separately, Chinese can stack them together with 又...又....
Here are a few more examples:
- 这个夜市又大又热闹。— This night market is both big and lively.
- 我又累又饿。— I'm both tired and hungry.
- 这杯饮料又甜又冰。— This drink is both sweet and cold.
- 这家店又方便又便宜。— This shop is both convenient and inexpensive.
The structure is particularly common with adjectives describing physical characteristics, feelings, food, places, and everyday experiences.
It's also a nice way to make your Chinese sound more natural. Instead of saying "It's cheap, and it's delicious" as two separate statements, 又便宜又好吃 packages the two qualities together into one punchy description.
And once you start listening for it, you'll hear 又...又... everywhere.
A Small Cultural Note
逛夜市 literally means "to stroll around the night market," but it's more than simply going somewhere to buy dinner.
Taiwanese night markets are as much about wandering, browsing, snacking, and socialising as they are about eating. Rather than sitting down for one large meal, people often buy small portions from several different stalls and keep moving.
There are also a few practical things worth knowing if you're visiting one for the first time.
First, cash is still useful. Our dialogue includes 只收现金, "cash only," and while payment options vary between markets and stalls, carrying some cash, especially smaller bills, is a good idea.
Second, don't be surprised if you share a table with strangers at a food stall. At busy night markets, space can be limited, and sharing tables is perfectly normal.
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And finally, pay attention to the flow of people. Night markets can get extremely busy, so after ordering, it's often better to move aside rather than standing directly in front of the stall while you eat or decide what to order next.
Most importantly, don't feel like you need to order one enormous meal. One of the best parts of 逛夜市 is trying a little bit of everything.
After all, if something is 又便宜又好吃, why stop at one?
Want to learn more practical Chinese for everyday life in Taiwan? Our HSK 2 materials are designed around exactly these kinds of situations, with dialogues, vocabulary, grammar explanations, and practical cultural context.
