Bank Related Words — A Foreigner’s Vocabulary Guide
OneDotDot Chinese · Vocabulary Guide
Bank Related Words銀行相關用語银行相关用语
Opening an account, moving money, and reading a card statement — the vocabulary for a Taiwanese bank counter, with what to expect as a foreigner.
Most of a bank visit is paperwork and a short conversation at the counter — knowing a dozen key phrases gets you through almost all of it.
01
Open an account開戶开户
Taiwanese ID holders — a personal ID card plus a second form of ID, such as a driving license.
Foreigners — your Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and passport.
Sometimes required — a personal seal (印章) — not every bank asks for one, but it’s worth asking in advance.
銀行
Yínháng
Bank
櫃檯柜台
Guìtái
Counter
開戶开户
Kāihù
Open an account
帳戶帐户
Zhànghù
Account
護照护照
Hùzhào
Passport
身份證身份证
Shēnfènzhèng
ID card
印章
Yìnzhāng
Personal seal / chop
Types of accounts
General account一般帳戶一般帐户yībān zhànghù
Foreign currency account外幣帳戶外币帐户wàibì zhànghù
Savings account儲蓄帳戶储蓄帐户chúxù zhànghù
Current / demand deposit活存帳戶活存帐户huócún zhànghù
Fixed / time deposit定存帳戶定存帐户dìngcún zhànghù
Sentences you may hear
Staff says
你想開什麼樣的帳戶?你想开什么样的帐户?
What kind of account would you like to open?
Staff says
我可以看一下你的證件嗎?我可以看一下你的证件吗?
Do you have any ID with you?
Staff says
我需要你的印章。我需要你的印章。
I need your seal, please.
Staff says
麻煩先填寫這張表格。麻烦先填写这张表单。
Please fill in this form first.
Staff says
你要提款卡跟支票簿嗎?你要提款卡跟支票簿吗?
Would you like to have an ATM card and a checkbook?
Staff says
儲蓄帳戶需要最低1,000元的存款。储蓄帐户需要最低1,000元的存款。
The minimum deposit is NT$1,000 for a savings account.
Note — Taiwan and mainland China use two different words for “form” here: Taiwan says 表格 (biǎogé), mainland China says 表单 (biǎodān) — not just a script difference, a genuinely different word.
Sentences you may need
You say
我想在你們銀行開戶。我想在你们银行开户。
I’d like to open an account at your bank.
You ask
每次提領有沒有手續費?每次提领有没有手续费?
Is there a transaction fee every time I withdraw?
You ask
你們的活期存款利率是多少?你们的活期存款利率是多少?
What’s your interest rate for a checking account?
Transaction fee手續費手续费shǒuxù fèi
Interest rate利率lìlǜ
Compound interest複利复利fùlì
02
Deposit, withdraw and transfer存款、提款、轉帳存款、提款、转帐
存錢存钱 / 存款
Cún qián / cúnkuǎn
Deposit
提錢提钱 / 提款
Tí qián / tí kuǎn
Withdraw
餘額余额
Yú’é
Balance
轉帳转帐 / 匯款汇款
Zhuǎnzhàng / huìkuǎn
Wire transfer
提款機提款机
Tíkuǎn jī
ATM
提款密碼提款密码
Tíkuǎn mìmǎ
PIN number
存摺存折
Cúnzhé
Passbook
支票
Zhīpiào
Check
兌現兑现支票
Duìxiàn zhīpiào
Cash the check
旅行支票
Lǚxíng zhīpiào
Traveler’s check
Sentences you may hear
Staff says
我們酌收200元匯款手續費。我们酌收200元汇款手续费。
There is a service charge of NT$200 for wiring the money.
Staff says
你要什麼面額?你要什么面额?
How would you like that? (e.g. two NT$100 bills or four NT$50s)
Note —面額面额 (miàn’é) means “denomination” — which bill sizes you want your cash broken into.
Sentences you may need
You ask
你們有跨行轉帳的服務嗎?你们有跨行转帐的服务吗?
Do you offer an interbank transfer service?
You say
我要匯款到台灣。我要汇款到台湾。
I would like to make a remittance to Taiwan.
You say
我要存錢。我要存钱。
I’d like to make a deposit.
You say
我要從我存款帳戶提1000元。我要从我存款帐户提1000元。
I would like to withdraw NT$1,000 from my savings account.
03
Exchange money換匯换汇
Exchange rate匯率汇率Huìlǜ
Sentences you may hear
Staff asks
請問你要兌換甚麼貨幣?请问你要兑换什么货币?
What would you like to exchange?
Sentences you may need
You ask
你能幫我將新台幣換成美金嗎?你能帮我将新台币换成美金吗?
Could you exchange NTD for US dollars?
You ask
今天的匯率是多少?今天的汇率是多少?
What’s the exchange rate today?
04
Credit card信用卡
提款卡
Tíkuǎn kǎ
Cash card
信用卡
Xìnyòngkǎ
Credit card
金融簽帳卡金融签帐卡
Jīnróng qiānzhàng kǎ
Debit card
信用額度信用额度
Xìnyòng édù
Credit limit
Sentences you may hear
Staff says
你已經超出你的信用額度了。你已经超出你的信用额度了。
You have exceeded your credit limit.
Sentences you may need
You say
我要辦一張信用卡。我要办一张信用卡。
I’d like to apply for a credit card.
You say
我要辦理信用卡掛失並取消那張卡。我要办理信用卡挂失并取消那张卡。
I’d like to report the loss of my credit card and cancel it.
Report the loss (of a card)掛失挂失guàshī
05
Others其他
海外基金
Hǎiwài jījīn
International fund
貸款贷款
Dàikuǎn
Loan
個人理財顧問个人理财顾问
Gèrén lǐcái gùwèn
Personal banker
You say
我要申請存款證明。我要申请存款证明。
I’d like to apply for a balance statement for my account.
You say
我要貸款。我要贷款。
I would like to take out a loan.
06
Opening an account as a foreigner外國人開戶須知外国人开户须知
ARC length matters — some banks want your Alien Resident Certificate to have at least 3–6 months left before they’ll open a full account for you.
A Taiwan phone number helps — online banking and app-based verification (OTP codes) are usually tied to a local number.
Some branches are more foreigner-friendly than others — branches near universities or business districts tend to have staff more used to walking non-Chinese speakers through the process.
Bring a Chinese-speaking friend if you can — not required, but it speeds up the paperwork considerably at branches without English-speaking staff.
07
Mobile payments & digital banking行動支付行动支付
Card and cash still work almost everywhere in Taiwan; in mainland China, mobile payment is close to mandatory.
Taiwan
悠遊卡悠游卡 (EasyCard) — a tap card for transit that doubles as small-amount payment at convenience stores.
LINE Pay and 街口支付街口支付 (JKoPay) — the two most common mobile wallet apps.
Cards and cash are both still widely accepted — mobile payment is convenient, not required.
Mainland China
支付寶支付宝 (Alipay) and 微信支付微信支付 (WeChat Pay) dominate — many smaller vendors don’t take cash at all anymore.
Both now support linking a foreign card for tourists, but setup can be fussy — do it before you need it urgently.
A local bank account tied to your real name gives the most reliable access to both.
08
Where to open an account在哪裡開戶在哪里开户
In Taiwan
臺灣銀行台湾银行 (Bank of Taiwan)State-owned and the most widely branched — a safe default if you’re not sure where to start.
中國信託中国信托 (CTBC)Taiwan’s largest private bank, with a strong track record of English-language service.
玉山銀行玉山银行 (E.SUN Bank)Known for a smoother digital banking app and dedicated bilingual branches in major cities.
In mainland China
中國工商銀行中国工商银行 (ICBC)The largest bank in the country by assets — branches everywhere, including smaller cities.
中國銀行中国银行 (Bank of China)The most internationally oriented of the big state banks — often the easiest for a foreigner to open an account with.