{"id":5636,"date":"2026-06-20T09:09:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T09:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/meeting-english-taiwan-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T09:09:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T09:09:42","slug":"meeting-english-taiwan-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ko\/meeting-english-taiwan-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"\u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587: 40 Meeting Phrases Taiwan Pros Use (2026) | \u958b\u6703\u82f1\u6587\u5b8c\u6574\u6307\u5357"},"content":{"rendered":"

Forty percent of Taiwan professionals at foreign companies say their first English meeting was the most stressful day of the year \u2014 worse than the job interview that landed them the role. \u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587<\/strong> is the gap between knowing English and actually using it at work, and it shows up the second someone says “Let’s get started.” This guide is the cheat-sheet I wish my own Taiwanese colleagues had when they walked into their first call with HQ in California.<\/p>\n

Below you’ll find 40 essential meeting phrases organized by where they show up \u2014 scheduling, opening, chairing, disagreeing politely, video calls, closing, and the dreaded follow-up email. Every phrase is one you’ll actually hear in a real meeting, not the textbook English that makes you sound like a 1990s ESL tape.<\/p>\n

\"\u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587<\/p>\n

Mastering \u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587 starts with knowing the right phrases for every stage of a business meeting.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587\u6709\u54ea\u4e9b\uff1fThe 5 Meeting Types You Need to Know<\/h2>\n

Most Taiwan professionals translate every business gathering as “meeting,” and that’s where the trouble starts. English has five different words for what we casually call \u6703\u8b70 in Chinese, and using the wrong one can make you sound either too formal or too casual.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Meeting (\u6703\u8b70)<\/strong> \u2014 the default term. Small to medium, usually under 20 people, internal or with a client.<\/li>\n
  • Conference (\u5927\u578b\u6703\u8b70 \/ \u7814\u8a0e\u6703)<\/strong> \u2014 large, often multi-day, with speakers and an audience. Don’t call your Tuesday team sync a “conference.”<\/li>\n
  • Seminar (\u8b1b\u5ea7 \/ \u7814\u8a0e\u6703)<\/strong> \u2014 academic or training focused, one expert presenting to a group.<\/li>\n
  • Workshop (\u5de5\u4f5c\u574a)<\/strong> \u2014 hands-on, participatory, designed for skill-building.<\/li>\n
  • Stand-up (\u7ad9\u7acb\u6703\u8b70)<\/strong> \u2014 short daily team check-in, originally from software development, now everywhere. Usually under 15 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    And then there’s Con-call<\/strong> \u2014 short for conference call, which just means a phone or video meeting with multiple people. Your boss saying “I have a con-call at 3” almost always means a scheduled video meeting these days, not an actual phone call.<\/p>\n

    Before the Meeting: 8 \u958b\u6703\u82f1\u6587 Scheduling Phrases<\/h2>\n

    The meeting starts before anyone joins the call. Half of what makes Taiwan pros sound stiff in English meetings is the scheduling email or Slack message, which lands hours before the actual conversation.<\/p>\n

    The phrases that actually get used at Western companies are surprisingly informal \u2014 closer to chat than formal business writing. Notice how short and direct they are:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. “Can we set up a meeting to discuss this?”<\/strong> \u2014 most natural opener for proposing a meeting.<\/li>\n
    2. “I’d like to schedule a call for next week.”<\/strong> \u2014 slightly more formal, for clients.<\/li>\n
    3. “Does Tuesday at 3 work for you?”<\/strong> \u2014 natural way to propose a time. Not “Are you available at Tuesday 3pm?” \u2014 that’s textbook English nobody actually says.<\/li>\n
    4. “Let’s get this on the calendar.”<\/strong> \u2014 confirms commitment without sounding pushy.<\/li>\n
    5. “Can we push this to Thursday?”<\/strong> \u2014 to reschedule. “Push” sounds far more natural than “postpone.”<\/li>\n
    6. “I need to drop a few minutes early.”<\/strong> \u2014 letting people know you’ll leave the meeting before it ends.<\/li>\n
    7. “Could you send a calendar invite?”<\/strong> \u2014 asking the other person to schedule it formally.<\/li>\n
    8. “Let’s keep it to 30 minutes.”<\/strong> \u2014 setting a time limit upfront. This one signals professionalism \u2014 saying it cuts your meeting count in half within a quarter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \"meeting<\/p>\n

      A clean agenda in English is often the first thing foreign clients judge you on.<\/em><\/p>\n

      \u4e3b\u6301\u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587: 10 Phrases to Open and Chair a Meeting<\/h2>\n

      This is where most Taiwan professionals freeze. The chair (\u4e3b\u6301\u4eba) controls the room, and the language is more direct than most ESL textbooks teach. Bossy is bad, but soft and apologetic is worse \u2014 you sound unsure of why everyone is even in the meeting.<\/p>\n

      The chair’s job in English meetings is to keep things moving. Here are the phrases native speakers actually use:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. “Thanks everyone for joining. Let’s get started.”<\/strong> \u2014 the universal opener. Don’t overthink it.<\/li>\n
      2. “I’ll keep this brief.”<\/strong> \u2014 sets expectations, signals respect for time.<\/li>\n
      3. “The goal of today’s meeting is X.”<\/strong> \u2014 state the purpose. Critical for Taiwan-style meetings that drift.<\/li>\n
      4. “Let’s walk through the agenda.”<\/strong> \u2014 “walk through” is the right verb \u2014 not “go over” or “read.”<\/li>\n
      5. “Sarah, would you like to kick us off?”<\/strong> \u2014 handing off to the first speaker. “Kick off” is a sports metaphor used universally in business.<\/li>\n
      6. “Let’s hear from David next.”<\/strong> \u2014 transitioning to the next speaker without being abrupt.<\/li>\n
      7. “Can we park that for now and come back to it?”<\/strong> \u2014 when a tangent threatens to derail the meeting. “Park” is the magic verb here.<\/li>\n
      8. “Let’s stay on topic.”<\/strong> \u2014 direct but not rude when someone wanders.<\/li>\n
      9. “In the interest of time, let’s move on.”<\/strong> \u2014 polite but firm, perfect for cutting off a long-winded speaker.<\/li>\n
      10. “Before we wrap up, does anyone have anything to add?”<\/strong> \u2014 opens the floor without committing to another 30 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"Business<\/p>\n

        A small team meeting uses different English than a large conference.<\/em><\/p>\n

        How to Disagree Politely in \u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587 (Without Sounding Rude)<\/h2>\n

        This is the section every other meeting English guide skips, and it’s the most important one for Taiwanese speakers. The cultural default in Taiwan is to avoid direct disagreement \u2014 “I think maybe perhaps we could possibly consider another option” \u2014 which in English sounds either weak or sarcastic.<\/p>\n

        Native English speakers in business meetings disagree directly, but they use specific softening phrases that signal respect without giving up the point. The trick is to validate the other person first, then state your view clearly.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. “I see your point, but I’d push back on that.”<\/strong> \u2014 the gold standard. Acknowledges, then opposes.<\/li>\n
        2. “I hear you, but I’m not sure I agree.”<\/strong> \u2014 gentler, still clear.<\/li>\n
        3. “That’s a fair point. Have we considered X?”<\/strong> \u2014 disagrees by introducing new information.<\/li>\n
        4. “Can I play devil’s advocate for a second?”<\/strong> \u2014 invents a buffer so the disagreement feels less personal.<\/li>\n
        5. “I’d respectfully disagree.”<\/strong> \u2014 formal, for higher-stakes meetings.<\/li>\n
        6. “I’m not convinced that solves the actual problem.”<\/strong> \u2014 strong, attacks the idea not the person.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          The phrase that ruins Taiwanese professionals in English meetings is “I think you are wrong” \u2014 translated directly from \u6211\u89ba\u5f97\u4f60\u932f\u4e86. It works in Mandarin in some contexts; it never works in English. Replace it permanently with “I see this differently.”<\/p>\n

          How to Interrupt Politely<\/h2>\n

          Interrupting is acceptable in English business meetings \u2014 even expected \u2014 but only with the right phrase to signal you’re not being rude. Silence is read as agreement, so staying quiet because you don’t want to interrupt is often the worse choice.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. “Sorry to jump in, but…”<\/strong> \u2014 the most common polite interrupt. “Jump in” is the natural verb.<\/li>\n
          2. “Can I add something here?”<\/strong> \u2014 softer, requests permission.<\/li>\n
          3. “Quick question on that \u2014”<\/strong> \u2014 interrupts while signaling you’ll be brief.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            \"office<\/p>\n

            Polite disagreement in English is a skill most Taiwanese professionals never get taught.<\/em><\/p>\n

            \u8996\u8a0a\u6703\u8b70\u82f1\u6587: Video Meeting Vocabulary for Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet<\/h2>\n

            Video meetings now make up the majority of business meetings in Taiwan, especially for anyone working with foreign clients or remote teams. The vocabulary is its own world \u2014 and using it wrong sounds amateur fast.<\/p>\n

            What every Taiwanese professional should know cold:<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. “Can everyone hear me?”<\/strong> \u2014 the opening test. Universally said at the start of every video call.<\/li>\n
            2. “You’re on mute.”<\/strong> \u2014 the most-said phrase of the post-pandemic world. Tell people kindly.<\/li>\n
            3. “Sorry, I was on mute.”<\/strong> \u2014 your response when you’ve been talking to nothing.<\/li>\n
            4. “Can you turn on your camera?”<\/strong> \u2014 direct request, perfectly fine in Western workplaces.<\/li>\n
            5. “My internet is laggy \u2014 let me drop and rejoin.”<\/strong> \u2014 “laggy” and “drop” are the natural verbs.<\/li>\n
            6. “Let me share my screen.”<\/strong> \u2014 “share my screen,” not “show my screen.”<\/li>\n
            7. “Can you see the slides?”<\/strong> \u2014 confirms others can see your shared screen.<\/li>\n
            8. “I’ll drop the link in the chat.”<\/strong> \u2014 referring to the chat panel inside the video tool.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              \"video<\/p>\n

              Video meeting vocabulary differs from in-person \u2014 and getting it wrong sounds amateur fast.<\/em><\/p>\n

              Watch this video for a complete walk-through of how to chair a meeting in English \u2014 it’s the highest-ranked video on the topic in Taiwan search:<\/p>\n