Greater Taipei

Tâi-pak îⁿ-kôan

Take a shortcut

Kiâⁿ té-lō•

Literally: “Walk the short road”

Rush Hour

Siōng-hā-pan sî-kan

Literally: “the going-to-and-getting-off-work time”

Multiple-entry visa

To-chhù ji̍p8-kéng chhiam-chèng

————–

He̍k8-hoat gō·-nî ê tn̂g-kî to-chhù ji̍p8-kéng chhiam-chèng

Approve a five-year, multiple-entry visa

Stop over for four hours

Thêng-lîu  sì sío-sî

Keep the change

M̄-bían chāu.

Courtesy seat

Phok-ài-chō

This is one name for the seats on buses and trains in Taiwan that are supposed to be given up for the elderly, injured, pregnant, etc. 博愛座 in Mandarin.

A note about yesterday’s cartoon

In the second frame, the father says:

Chiūⁿ-kiā ū-kàu thiám-thâu… (Going uphill is really tiring)

This sounds a little strange to me (and most people I’ve asked).  It’s much more common to hear peh for “go up” instead of chiūⁿ, as in peh soaⁿ (go up/climb the mountain) or peh kiā /peh khiā (go uphill).

Chiūⁿ, on the other hand, turns up more in expressions like “get on the bus/get in the car” (chiūⁿ chhia) or “get up on stage” (chiūⁿ-tâi).

Maglev train

Chû-phû lia̍t8-chhia

MTV, pimp my ride!

MTV, kái-chō góa ê aì-chhia.