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Even with relatively fluent Mandarin, it can be easy to stumble in seemingly simple situations, buying train tickets, ordering coffee, or understanding a fast-food clerk if you’re not sure what to expect.
Recently, I visited the doctor in Taipei for the first time. As I walked up to the receptionist, she fired off a few quick questions about health insurance, payment methods, and my medical history.
I knew that the moment I hesitated during this period of rapid-fire questions, the receptionist would lose faith in my Chinese and switch to English. This often happens in Taiwan, as locals want to make foreigners feel as comfortable as possible.
So I did a little prep with AI beforehand, ensuring I knew exactly what to expect. I answered confidently, and her reaction said it all: genuine surprise and praise for my Chinese.
From that moment on, the whole interaction and my appointment stayed in Mandarin, just the way I wanted it.
In this episode, I talk about how I prompt AI tools like Deepseek or Chatgpt to anticipate everyday conversations has been a game-changer for navigating everyday transactional interactions in Chinese-speaking countries.
Tune in to hear more!