The Drama Dojo

Hey everyone!

In an earlier post, I mentioned my twin passions: Asian dramas and diving headfirst into new languages. Sometimes, these two passions collide in the most delightful ways and that is exactly what happened with my recent binge-watch of the Taiwanese drama, Unknown (seriously, check it out if you haven’t already – you’re missing out!).

Unknown totally captivated me. For a while there, it consumed my thoughts 24/7 – the plot, the characters, the actors, the soundtrack. It also sparked a realization: There’s more to Mandarin than meets the ear (or the eye!). As I did a deep dive into the show, the country, and the culture, I noticed there are some key differences between the Mandarin spoken in Taiwan and the Mandarin spoken in mainland China.

I recalled that my first ever Mandarin teacher was Taiwanese! I know, I know, it is not exactly related, but it was a connection that I was happy to make. The memory came flooding back as I noticed the subtle differences in accent and vocabulary used in Unknown. The way the characters spoke was different compared to what you hear in mainland Chinese dramas.

This little language lesson didn’t end there though. I was in for a pleasant surprise when I found out actor Kim Jae-Hoon, who played the role of San Pang, is Korean. I wouldn’t have guessed it from his fluent dialogue delivery, capturing all the inflections and nuances of Taiwanese Mandarin. He shifted bases to Taiwan in 2015 and has worked hard on improving his Mandarin. He mentioned it in an old interview.

Reading about his dedication totally rekindled my own motivation to keep learning and expanding my skills. Maybe in the next 10 years, if I can be half as fluent as him with some serious effort, I will consider it a win.

Written Characters: A World of Difference

We can’t talk about language without diving into the writing system, especially when it comes to Chinese! Taiwan uses Traditional Chinese characters while Mainland China primarily uses Simplified Chinese characters. While both systems convey the same meaning, Simplified Chinese characters are generally less complex with fewer strokes.

Pronunciation Puzzles

Another interesting difference exists with the pronunciation. Take the word “shuō” (说 shuō) for example, which means “to say” in Mandarin. In mainland Mandarin, the “sh” is pronounced as we do it in the word “shirt”. In Taiwanese Mandarin, however, the “sh” sound is often simplified to just an “s” sound. So, “shuō” (说 shuō) might sound more like “suō” in Taiwanese Mandarin. There are other pronunciation variations as well, so don’t be surprised if some words sound a little different than what you’re used to in mainland Mandarin. Here’s a video that you can check out to learn more about it.

Expanding Your Vocabulary: Taiwan vs. Mainland China

Just as there are pronunciation differences, you will find that the vocabulary offers some interesting twists as well. While some words share the same meaning, they might have different terms in Taiwan and mainland China. Check out some examples below:

I’m sure there is so much more to discover and learn, but this gives you a taste of the unique linguistic landscape of Taiwan. You can read this amazing and informative post to learn more in detail about the differences between Taiwanese Mandarin and Standard Mandarin.

Learning a language is a journey, and sometimes the most unexpected experiences can guide and motivate you. For me, a Taiwanese drama became a gateway to exploring the fascinating world of Taiwanese Mandarin. So who knows? Maybe your next favourite drama will be your new language teacher!

P.S. If you’re looking for a fantastic drama with a well-written storyline, great acting, soundtrack, themes of life, family, relationships, and perseverance, I highly recommend Unknown. It’s easily one of my top favourites of the year!

Let me know in the comments below if you have any favourite Taiwanese dramas or interesting language learning experiences. Now, on to find my next drama obsession!