Differences between Mainland Mandarin & Taiwanese Mandarin

A.S.C.M.   Sunday, October 05, 2003, 20:41 GMT
Hello, everybody:

I've just read the forum rules and I found out that we are allowed to talk about learning other languages here. Therefore, I would like to start a discussion on differences between Mainland Chinese Mandarin and Taiwanese Mandarin

I am not Chinese but my mother is Chinese and she has taught me some Mandarin. I am interested in learning more Chinese words but I realise that there are many differences between the two significantly different types of Mandarin. I am trying to learn pure Mainland Mandarin because I want to go to China to do business in the future.

I have a Simplified Chinese dictionary with hanyu pinyin so I can look up Mainland pronunciation and writing on my own. However, I don't have the time to flip through the dictionary trying to filter out Taiwanese Mandarin vocabulary from Mainland Mandarin vocabulary.

Therefore, can some of you Chinese on this forum please contribute a few vocab differences between Mandarin on the Mainland and in Taiwan? Please use hanyu pinyin because Chinese characters don't appear properly on this website.
wingyellow   Monday, October 06, 2003, 04:16 GMT
If you don't have any connection in Mainland China, forget about working there.

The main difference is the frequency of curling your tongue.
A.S.C.M.   Tuesday, October 07, 2003, 06:06 GMT
I have an aunt on my mother's side who lives in Ningbo, Hangzhou, which is south of Shanghai. I also know that Northern Chinese tend to curl their tongue more. Anyway, thanks for bringing up those points, Wingyellow.

What I really want to know are vocab differences. I already found one: zi xing che (bicycle, mainland) vs. jiao ta che (Taiwan). Can I please have some more?
wingyellow   Tuesday, October 07, 2003, 09:29 GMT
The main difference is that Taiwan Chinese is influenced by Japanese and Mainland Chinese is influenced by Mongolian and other languages.

I meant that you have to have some real connection.
Fly   Tuesday, October 07, 2003, 14:21 GMT
wingyellow,

It seems that you are not really answering ASCM question. I am just impressed by his enthusiasm to learn more about chinese language. If you can, just give him some solid advice, and cut all those craps about connection. He is not going to do business in china tomorrow.
A.S.C.M.   Wednesday, October 08, 2003, 00:04 GMT
Aye, thank you, Fly.
Wingyellow   Wednesday, October 08, 2003, 05:33 GMT
"I am not Chinese but my mother is Chinese and she has taught me some Mandarin."

With this frame of mind, he can never be successful in China. I just want to save his time if he does not want to change.

You should always say that you are half Chinese or even Chinese, even if you don't believe.
A.S.C.M.   Wednesday, October 08, 2003, 15:01 GMT
What do Wingyellow and Sagason have in common?
They discourage people to learn their language because of social and other factors instead of encouraging people to learn for interest. They are too interested in practical results instead of linguistic enlightenment.
Fly   Wednesday, October 08, 2003, 15:30 GMT
Words... :)