Spare, extra

Iò-pì ê (from the Japanese 予備[よび])

Ī-pī ê

Update: Some native speakers have insisted to me it’s ió-pì, not iò-pì.

Winner-take-all

Iâⁿ-chía chôan the̍h8

or:

Iâⁿ-chía thong chi̍ah8

———

Bí-kok ê sóan-kí chè-tō∙ sī iâⁿ-chía chôan the̍h8 ê.

The U.S. election system is winner-take-all.

 

 

 

 

 

Guess, figure out

Ioh-ē-chhut

———–

Siang-hong iáu ioh-ē-chhut tuì-hong ê ì-sù

Both sides are still able to guess the other side’s meaning

 

Before you came to Taiwan …

Lí iáu bōe lâi Tâi-ôan í-chêng …

[Pay close attention to the grammar pattern here.  For English speakers, it can be a bit confusing to add "(not) yet" (iáu) to a sentence including "before" (í-chêng). At least it is for me.]

Neither intentionally nor unintentionally; seems it might be on purpose, but unclear

Iú-ì bô-ì

Even an idiot knows that.

Iōng tō·-châi siūⁿ mā chai

[Literally: Even one who uses his belly-button to think knows]

Or:

Iong kha-thâu-u siūⁿ mā chai

[Literally: Even one who uses his knee to think knows]

Have a mistaken impression about …

Tùi … ū gō•-kái ê ìn-siōng

Î-chhî-hiān-chōng-phài

“Status-quo-ists” , the group in favor of maintaining the current situation

Io sok leng phok

(Of a woman) have a good figure, curvy

Í khai-hoat kok-ka

Developed country