{"id":4943,"date":"2026-06-03T09:11:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ask-for-a-raise-english-templates-taiwan-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T09:11:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:11:10","slug":"ask-for-a-raise-english-templates-taiwan-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/vi\/ask-for-a-raise-english-templates-taiwan-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587\uff1a5 Email Scripts to Ask for a Raise (2026) | Taiwan Pros"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587<\/strong> 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” \u2014 they ask for a raise<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n

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 \u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587 that decide whether you walk out with a new number or a polite deferral until Q4.<\/p>\n

\"Salary<\/p>\n

\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587 Starts Here: Why “Raise” Beats “Salary Increase”<\/h2>\n

In American English the standard noun is raise<\/strong>. In British English you’ll see pay rise<\/strong>. Both are correct. “Salary increase” exists, but native speakers reserve it for HR letters and internal documentation \u2014 not for the human-to-human conversation where the actual number gets agreed. If you write “I would like a salary increase,”<\/em> you sound like you’re reading from a translation app. Write “I’d like to discuss a raise”<\/em> instead and your boss will read you as fluent.<\/p>\n

A second trap: “adjust salary”<\/strong> (\u8abf\u85aa) translates word-for-word but lands awkwardly in English. The verb adjust<\/em> implies a correction in either direction \u2014 up or down. Bosses hear the ambiguity and feel free to interpret it as a flat cost-of-living bump. Use raise<\/em>, name a percentage, and the conversation moves forward instead of sideways.<\/p>\n

Timing Your \u52a0\u85aa Request: When Taiwan Pros Actually Get a “Yes”<\/h2>\n

The single best window in a Taiwan workplace is the four-to-six week stretch before<\/strong> your annual review \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 your boss now thinks of it as a team result.<\/p>\n

\"Performance<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 a few Taipei subsidiaries of US firms run on a July budget \u2014 anchor to that calendar instead.<\/p>\n

Email Template 1: The Annual Review \u52a0\u85aa\u4fe1\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n

This is the standard \u52a0\u85aa\u4fe1\u82f1\u6587<\/strong> \u2014 the safe, professional opener that fits 80% of Taiwan situations. Use it four to six weeks before your scheduled review.<\/p>\n

Subject: Request to Discuss Compensation Ahead of My Annual Review<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi [Manager],<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Could we find a time this week or next? Happy to send a short summary of accomplishments ahead of the meeting.<\/p>\n

Thanks,
[Your Name]<\/p>\n

Two details matter. First \u2014 “set aside 20 minutes” gives the request a defined shape, which a busy manager appreciates more than an open-ended “we should talk.” Second \u2014 naming a specific reason (“based on the scope I’m now covering”) signals you’re not asking out of feeling but out of fact.<\/p>\n

\"Drafting<\/p>\n

Email Template 2: \u8981\u6c42\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587 After a Major Win<\/h2>\n

When you’ve just delivered something measurable, the framing changes. You’re not asking for a review of the past \u2014 you’re asking for recognition of a recent, specific result. This is \u8981\u6c42\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587<\/strong> at its most effective.<\/p>\n

Subject: Quick Follow-Up on the [Project Name] Outcome<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi [Manager],<\/p>\n

Now that the [project] has shipped and the numbers are in \u2014 [specific result, e.g., 34% YoY revenue lift \/ NT$ 2.4M in new client billings] \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

Could we book 30 minutes this or next week to walk through what an adjustment to my base would look like?<\/p>\n

Best,
[Your Name]<\/p>\n

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” \u2014 which is a polite no in any language.<\/p>\n

Email Template 3: \u5347\u8077\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587 (Promotion + Raise Combo)<\/h2>\n

For \u5347\u8077\u52a0\u85aa\u82f1\u6587<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n

Subject: Career Path Conversation \u2014 Senior [Role] Track<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi [Manager],<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 [list 3 things that match the senior job description] \u2014 the work is already there. I’d like to align the title and salary band with what I’m actually doing.<\/p>\n

Could you let me know a good time in the next two weeks?<\/p>\n

Thanks,
[Your Name]<\/p>\n

\"Career<\/p>\n

Email Template 4: Counter-Offer Reply (Competing Job Offer)<\/h2>\n

If you have a real offer from another company, the power is yours \u2014 but only if you handle it without sounding like a threat. The phrase “a competing offer”<\/em> does the work that “I’m leaving”<\/em> cannot.<\/p>\n

Subject: Time-Sensitive \u2014 Need to Discuss My Role<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi [Manager],<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 the team, the work, and the trajectory here matter to me \u2014 but I can’t responsibly ignore the gap.<\/p>\n

Could we meet in the next 48 hours? I’d like to give you a chance to respond before I make a decision.<\/p>\n

Best,
[Your Name]<\/p>\n

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”<\/em> (signals real, not symbolic) and “give you a chance to respond”<\/em> (frames the boss as the decision-maker, not the loser).<\/p>\n

Email Template 5: The Polite Follow-Up<\/h2>\n

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

Subject: Re: Request to Discuss Compensation<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi [Manager],<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Thanks,
[Your Name]<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

10 Phrases for the In-Person \u52a0\u85aa Conversation<\/h2>\n

Email gets you in the room. The phrases below get you the number. Use the ones that fit your style \u2014 pick three, rehearse them out loud, and lean on them when the meeting feels awkward.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. “I’d like to revisit my base.”<\/strong> \u2014 Soft, professional opener.<\/li>\n
  2. “Looking at the market, comparable roles in Taipei are paying NT$ X to Y.”<\/strong> \u2014 Anchors with data.<\/li>\n
  3. “I’m not looking for cost-of-living \u2014 I’m looking for a recognition of scope.”<\/strong> \u2014 Separates raise from inflation bump.<\/li>\n
  4. “What would it take to get there?”<\/strong> \u2014 Turns a no into a roadmap.<\/li>\n
  5. “What’s the band for this role?”<\/strong> \u2014 Forces transparency about HR limits.<\/li>\n
  6. “Help me understand the timeline.”<\/strong> \u2014 Polite pressure when “we’ll see” appears.<\/li>\n
  7. “Is there flexibility on the bonus structure?”<\/strong> \u2014 Opens a second lever when base is frozen.<\/li>\n
  8. “I’d like to land on a number we both feel good about.”<\/strong> \u2014 Collaborative close.<\/li>\n
  9. “Can we put that in writing by Friday?”<\/strong> \u2014 Locks the verbal yes into a paper trail.<\/li>\n
  10. “Thank you \u2014 I appreciate the conversation.”<\/strong> \u2014 Always close with this, win or lose.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Boss<\/p>\n

    YouTube: How to Ask Your Boss for a Pay Rise in English<\/h2>\n

    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:<\/p>\n