加薪英文：5 Email Scripts to Ask for a Raise (2026) | Taiwan Pros

加薪英文 trips up more Taiwan professionals than almost any other workplace phrase. Type “salary increase” into Google Translate, paste it into an email to your boss, and you’ve already lost the conversation. Native English speakers don’t ask for a “salary increase” — they ask for a raise. The five-letter word carries the entire negotiation, and using anything else marks you as someone translating word-by-word instead of speaking the language.

This guide is built for the Taipei pro who has been quietly outperforming their pay band for 18 months and finally wants the conversation, in writing, on the boss’s calendar. Below are five copy-and-adapt email templates, the in-person phrases that go with them, and the small differences in 加薪英文 that decide whether you walk out with a new number or a polite deferral until Q4.

加薪英文 Starts Here: Why “Raise” Beats “Salary Increase”

In American English the standard noun is raise. In British English you’ll see pay rise. Both are correct. “Salary increase” exists, but native speakers reserve it for HR letters and internal documentation — not for the human-to-human conversation where the actual number gets agreed. If you write “I would like a salary increase,” you sound like you’re reading from a translation app. Write “I’d like to discuss a raise” instead and your boss will read you as fluent.

A second trap: “adjust salary” (調薪) translates word-for-word but lands awkwardly in English. The verb adjust implies a correction in either direction — up or down. Bosses hear the ambiguity and feel free to interpret it as a flat cost-of-living bump. Use raise, name a percentage, and the conversation moves forward instead of sideways.

Timing Your 加薪 Request: When Taiwan Pros Actually Get a “Yes”

The single best window in a Taiwan workplace is the four-to-six week stretch before your annual review — not during it, and definitely not after. By the time the review meeting starts, your manager has already submitted budget numbers to HR. Asking on the day itself means you’re negotiating against a number that was locked in two weeks earlier.

The second-best window is the week after you’ve closed a measurable win: a new client, a launched product, a cost saving that someone in finance noticed. Send the email within seven days, while the credit is still visibly yours. Wait three months and the team has absorbed it — your boss now thinks of it as a team result.

Avoid Q1 in Taiwan unless you started the year with a documented promise. Most TW companies finalize budgets in January, so requests landing in February or March compete against numbers that are already spent. If your fiscal year runs differently — a few Taipei subsidiaries of US firms run on a July budget — anchor to that calendar instead.

Email Template 1: The Annual Review 加薪信英文

This is the standard 加薪信英文 — the safe, professional opener that fits 80% of Taiwan situations. Use it four to six weeks before your scheduled review.

Subject: Request to Discuss Compensation Ahead of My Annual Review

Hi [Manager],

With my annual review coming up in [Month], I’d like to set aside 20 minutes to discuss my compensation. Over the past 12 months I’ve [led X project / grown Y by Z% / saved NT$ ABC]. Based on the scope I’m now covering and market data for comparable roles in Taipei, I’d like to discuss a raise to bring my base in line with the role.

Could we find a time this week or next? Happy to send a short summary of accomplishments ahead of the meeting.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Two details matter. First — “set aside 20 minutes” gives the request a defined shape, which a busy manager appreciates more than an open-ended “we should talk.” Second — naming a specific reason (“based on the scope I’m now covering”) signals you’re not asking out of feeling but out of fact.

Email Template 2: 要求加薪英文 After a Major Win

When you’ve just delivered something measurable, the framing changes. You’re not asking for a review of the past — you’re asking for recognition of a recent, specific result. This is 要求加薪英文 at its most effective.

Subject: Quick Follow-Up on the [Project Name] Outcome

Hi [Manager],

Now that the [project] has shipped and the numbers are in — [specific result, e.g., 34% YoY revenue lift / NT$ 2.4M in new client billings] — I wanted to flag that I’d like to revisit my compensation. The role I’ve been delivering on for the last two quarters is meaningfully different from the one in my original offer letter.

Could we book 30 minutes this or next week to walk through what an adjustment to my base would look like?

Best,
[Your Name]

Notice what’s missing: an exact number. You don’t pitch the number in writing. You earn the meeting in writing, then negotiate the number in the room. Putting a percentage in the email gives your manager a chance to say “let me think about it” — which is a polite no in any language.

Email Template 3: 升職加薪英文 (Promotion + Raise Combo)

For 升職加薪英文, the trick is to lead with title and let salary follow. Bosses approve promotions through HR, and HR pegs salary bands to titles. Get the title locked first; the raise comes attached.

Subject: Career Path Conversation — Senior [Role] Track

Hi [Manager],

I’d like to schedule a conversation about moving into a Senior [Role] title in the next quarter. Looking at the responsibilities I’ve been handling — [list 3 things that match the senior job description] — the work is already there. I’d like to align the title and salary band with what I’m actually doing.

Could you let me know a good time in the next two weeks?

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Email Template 4: Counter-Offer Reply (Competing Job Offer)

If you have a real offer from another company, the power is yours — but only if you handle it without sounding like a threat. The phrase “a competing offer” does the work that “I’m leaving” cannot.

Subject: Time-Sensitive — Need to Discuss My Role

Hi [Manager],

I want to be straightforward with you. I’ve received a competing offer that’s materially higher than my current compensation. My preference is to stay — the team, the work, and the trajectory here matter to me — but I can’t responsibly ignore the gap.

Could we meet in the next 48 hours? I’d like to give you a chance to respond before I make a decision.

Best,
[Your Name]

Only send this if you genuinely have the offer and are genuinely willing to leave. Bluffing here ends careers in Taipei’s small expat circles. Two phrases do the heavy lifting: “materially higher” (signals real, not symbolic) and “give you a chance to respond” (frames the boss as the decision-maker, not the loser).

Email Template 5: The Polite Follow-Up

If your first email gets read but not answered within five business days, follow up once. After that, switch to in-person.

Subject: Re: Request to Discuss Compensation

Hi [Manager],

Just floating this one back to the top of your inbox. I know your week is full. Even a tentative time next week would help me plan around it.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

“Floating this one back to the top” is a casual American idiom that softens the chase. It tells the boss you understand they’re busy without making them feel chased.

10 Phrases for the In-Person 加薪 Conversation

Email gets you in the room. The phrases below get you the number. Use the ones that fit your style — pick three, rehearse them out loud, and lean on them when the meeting feels awkward.

1. “I’d like to revisit my base.” — Soft, professional opener.
2. “Looking at the market, comparable roles in Taipei are paying NT$ X to Y.” — Anchors with data.
3. “I’m not looking for cost-of-living — I’m looking for a recognition of scope.” — Separates raise from inflation bump.
4. “What would it take to get there?” — Turns a no into a roadmap.
5. “What’s the band for this role?” — Forces transparency about HR limits.
6. “Help me understand the timeline.” — Polite pressure when “we’ll see” appears.
7. “Is there flexibility on the bonus structure?” — Opens a second lever when base is frozen.
8. “I’d like to land on a number we both feel good about.” — Collaborative close.
9. “Can we put that in writing by Friday?” — Locks the verbal yes into a paper trail.
10. “Thank you — I appreciate the conversation.” — Always close with this, win or lose.

YouTube: How to Ask Your Boss for a Pay Rise in English

Derek Callan, a Berlin-based English-for-professionals teacher, walks through the exact phrases native speakers use in a pay-rise conversation. The accent is European but the language is identical to what you’d hear in any US or UK office:

How to Reply If Your 加薪 Request Gets Denied

The most underrated skill in 加薪英文 isn’t asking — it’s responding to a no without burning the bridge. A flat denial is rarely a final answer in Taiwan. It usually means “not this quarter” or “not from this budget line.” Your reply should keep the door open without sounding like you’ve given up.

Hi [Manager],

Thanks for being honest with me. I understand the constraints. Could we agree on a checkpoint in three months and a clear set of milestones I’d need to hit to revisit this? I want to make sure we’re aligned on what “ready” looks like.

Best,
[Your Name]

Three sentences do real work here. “Thanks for being honest” rewards the boss for telling you the truth instead of stalling. “A checkpoint in three months” converts a vague no into a scheduled future yes. “What ‘ready’ looks like” forces the boss to define the bar so you can clear it before the next conversation.

獎金 & 年度調薪: The Other Money Words Taiwan Bosses Use

Three other money terms come up constantly in Taiwan workplaces, and the English equivalents aren’t direct translations.

• 獎金 (Bonus): Native English uses bonus. A year-end bonus is a year-end bonus or annual bonus. Don’t translate to “rewards money” or “incentive money” — they sound textbook.
• 年度調薪 (Annual Salary Adjustment): The right phrase is annual merit increase. Some Taipei HR departments call it a COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) in writing. Both are correct; merit increase is more flattering to the receiver.
• 職務加給 (Role-Based Allowance): Native English speakers say role differential or stipend. In Taiwan you’ll often see this added on top of base — clarify in writing whether the figure your boss quotes is base salary or total comp.

The distinction matters most at offer time. A NT$ 1.5M number might be base plus 40K stipend plus two months of guaranteed bonus — which is structurally different from a flat NT$ 1.5M base. Always ask “Is that base, or total?” before signing.

5 Mistakes Taiwan Pros Make Asking for a 加薪

After two decades of watching Taipei professionals handle this conversation in English, the same five errors come up over and over.

1. Apologizing for asking. Lines like “Sorry to bother you with this” hand your boss permission to delay. Native English negotiators don’t apologize for raises — they treat the ask as a normal business conversation.
2. Naming the number first. Whoever names the number first usually loses ground. Get the boss to name a range, then negotiate inside it.
3. Citing personal expenses. Rent, school fees, and family obligations are real, but they aren’t business arguments. Tie the ask to value delivered, not personal need.
4. Confusing 調薪 with raise. If your boss says “we did a 調薪 in March,” that was the company-wide cost-of-living bump. It is not the same as a raise tied to your performance. Make the distinction clear.
5. Accepting the verbal yes without paper. A spoken “yes” in Taipei rarely survives an HR pushback. Get it in email before the week ends, with the effective date written out.

One Last Piece of 加薪英文 Advice

Save the templates above into a draft folder before you need them. The hardest part of asking for a raise isn’t the language — it’s the moment of deciding to send the email. Pre-written drafts cut the friction by 80%. When the right window opens, you fill in three blanks and press send.

If you’re rebuilding your wider business English while you’re at it, pair this with our guides on presentation English for Taiwan pros, how to say no politely in English, and writing meeting minutes in English. Compensation is one conversation. Your career is built on every other one around it.

Sources

1. Harvard Business Review — How to Ask for a Raise — Negotiation framing and timing research.
2. Indeed Career Guide — How to Ask for a Raise — Practical scripts and step-by-step process.
3. Cambridge Dictionary — “raise” (noun) — Authoritative definition and usage examples.
4. Derek Callan — How to Ask Your Boss for a Pay Rise in English — Video walkthrough of native phrases.