Meeting Phrases in Chinese: 10 Essential Lines for Taiwan Offices

These meeting phrases in Chinese will help you follow almost any meeting in a Taiwan office. Meetings in Taiwan follow a pattern: someone opens, people add points, the group decides (or doesn’t), and someone wraps up. Learn the 10 phrases below and you can follow almost any meeting, and join in.

Each phrase is marked formal (正式 zhèngshì) or casual (口語 kǒuyǔ). In a Taiwan office, most meetings mix both.

Starting the meeting

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Use it when
我們開始吧。	Wǒmen kāishǐ ba.	Let’s get started.	Casual. The organizer says this once people sit down.
今天的議程是……	Jīntiān de yìchéng shì…	Today’s agenda is…	Formal. Larger meetings, or with clients.

Discussing

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Use it when
我補充一下。	Wǒ bǔchōng yíxià.	Let me add something.	The polite way to jump in.
你的意思是……嗎？	Nǐ de yìsi shì… ma?	So you mean…?	Checking you understood. Very useful for learners.
我有一個問題。	Wǒ yǒu yí ge wèntí.	I have a question.	Any meeting.

Deciding

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Use it when
我覺得可以。	Wǒ juéde kěyǐ.	I think it works.	Casual agreement.
我們需要再確認一下。	Wǒmen xūyào zài quèrèn yíxià.	We need to double-check.	Formal. Buys time without saying no.
這個我們再討論。	Zhège wǒmen zài tǎolùn.	Let’s talk about this later.	Casual. Often a soft “not now”.

Wrapping up

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Use it when
今天先到這邊。	Jīntiān xiān dào zhèbiān.	Let’s stop here for today.	The most Taiwanese way to end a meeting.
會後我再寄會議紀錄給大家。	Huì hòu wǒ zài jì huìyì jìlù gěi dàjiā.	I’ll send everyone the minutes after the meeting.	Formal. Whoever takes notes says this.

What 這個我們再討論 really means

In many Taiwan offices, 這個我們再討論 is a polite way to park an idea. It does not always mean a second meeting is coming. If you want a real follow-up, ask: 那我們什麼時候再討論？ Nà wǒmen shénme shíhou zài tǎolùn? (So when should we discuss it?)

What my students get wrong

1. Saying 我不同意 straight out. 我不同意 Wǒ bù tóngyì means “I disagree”, and in a Taiwan meeting it sounds too blunt. Taiwanese coworkers soften it first:

• 我有一個不同的想法。 Wǒ yǒu yí ge bùtóng de xiǎngfǎ. (I have a different idea.)
• 這個想法不錯，不過…… Zhège xiǎngfǎ búcuò, búguò… (That’s a good idea, but…)

2. Hearing 這邊 as a place. When the boss says 今天先到這邊, some students look around, wondering where they should go. Here 這邊 zhèbiān means “this point”, not “over here”. The meeting is simply over.

Taiwan vs Mainland

Meaning	Taiwan	Mainland
Let’s stop here	今天先到這邊	今天就到这儿
Meeting minutes	會議紀錄	会议记录 / 会议纪要

How to practise meeting phrases in Chinese

Reading meeting phrases in Chinese is one thing; saying them under pressure is another. Pick two phrases a week, like 我補充一下 and 今天先到這邊, and use them in every meeting, even if the rest of the meeting is in English. Taiwanese coworkers notice the effort and usually reply in Chinese, which gives you free listening practice.

Before a meeting, look at the agenda and guess which meeting phrases in Chinese you’ll need. After the meeting, write down one new phrase you heard and look it up. In a month you’ll have a list of phrases from your own office, which beats any textbook.

Quick quiz

Your boss says 今天先到這邊. What does she mean?
A. Let’s go over there
B. Let’s stop here for today
C. Come here first

Answer: B. 這邊 zhèbiān literally means “this side”, but here it means “this point”.

FAQ: meeting phrases in Chinese

How do you say “meeting” in Chinese?
開會 kāihuì is “to have a meeting”. The meeting itself is 會議 huìyì.

Is business Chinese in Taiwan different from China?
The grammar is the same, but word choice, politeness and writing (Traditional characters) differ. Most formal work communication in Taiwan still happens by email, with LINE groups for quick team chat.

How long does it take to follow a meeting in Chinese?
In my experience, with AI tools helping you (live captions or translation), most learners can follow the main points of a meeting within two weeks to a month. Joining in confidently takes longer, and phrases like the ones above are the shortcut.

Practise these meeting phrases in Chinese out loud before your next meeting. Next, learn how to start and end a work email in Chinese, or see how lessons with me work.