Mobile Phone Related Words

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Mobile Phone Related Words — A Foreigner’s Vocabulary Guide
OneDotDot Chinese · Vocabulary Guide

Mobile Phone Related Words门号与网络

Buying a SIM, picking a carrier, and getting through the paperwork — in Taiwan and in mainland China, with the vocabulary for both.

Mobile phone and SIM card related words

Prepaid SIM cards are sold at every telecom counter in the airport, and at convenience stores once you’re in the city — plans mostly differ in how many minutes, texts, and how much data you get.

01

Buy a SIM card买预付卡

The vocabulary you need at the counter — whether you’re buying at the airport or topping up later in the city.

预付卡
Yùfùkǎ
Prepaid SIM card — no contract, ready to use the same day.
5G吃到饱
5G Chīdào bǎo
5G unlimited data — chīdào bǎo literally means “eat until full.”
通话费
Tōnghuàfèi
Call credit — the balance loaded onto the card for phone calls.
You say

我wǒ要yào买mǎi一张yìzhāng预付卡yùfùkǎ。

I would like to buy a SIM card.
You ask

请问qǐngwèn有yǒu哪些nǎxiē方案fāng’àn？

What are the options?
Note — when the clerk hands over the card, listen for 里面有100块通话费 (lǐmiàn yǒu yìbǎi kuài tōnghuàfèi) — “there’s NT$100 of credit inside.”
02

Common prepaid plans常见的预付方案

Rough pricing for Taiwan’s airport SIM counters — plans change often, but the shape of the pricing tends to stay similar.

3天Sān tiān3-day plan

Unlimited data + NT$100 credit — about US$10.

5天Wǔ tiān5-day plan

Unlimited data + NT$50 credit — about US$10.

7天Qī tiān7-day plan

Unlimited data + NT$150 credit — about US$16.5.

10天Shí tiān10-day plan

Unlimited data + NT$100 credit — about US$16.5.

15天Shíwǔ tiān15-day plan

Unlimited data + NT$250 credit — about US$26.5.

30天Sānshí tiān30-day plan

Unlimited data + NT$430 credit — about US$30.

Note — cheaper plans exist too, but they usually throttle your speed after 5GB. Listen for 5G以后会降速 (5G yǐhòu huì jiàngsù) — “speed drops after the first 5GB.”
03

Telecom in Taiwan台湾电信业者

中华电信
Zhōnghuá Diànxìn
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) — Taiwan’s largest carrier. The safest pick if you’re heading into less-populated cities or the mountains.
台湾大哥大
Táiwān Dàgēdà
Taiwan Mobile — the second-largest carrier, strong coverage in urban areas.
远传
Yuǎnchuán
Far EasTone — Taiwan’s third major carrier.
Note — buy your SIM at the airport if you can — the staff there can usually help you in English, which isn’t guaranteed at a city storefront.
Tip — a mobile contract in Taiwan usually runs 1–2 years and can require a deposit. If a Taiwanese friend comes with you and asks for “the exact same plan” they have, you can sometimes get an older, cheaper option than what’s currently being pushed to new customers.
04

Telecom in China中国电信业者

中国移动通信
Zhōngguó Yídòng Tōngxìn
China Mobile — best overall coverage if you’re traveling both north and south.
中国联通
Zhōngguó Liántōng
China Unicom — a solid choice if you’re mainly staying in northern China.
中国电信
Zhōngguó Diànxìn
China Telecom — a solid choice if you’re mainly staying in southern China.
Top-up card充值卡chōngzhíkǎ

Set up a VPN before you land

Internet restrictions are real in mainland China — many foreign apps and sites are blocked. Buy and install a VPN before you arrive; downloading one once you’re already inside the restriction is much harder.

05

eSIM or physical SIM?eSIM还是实体卡？

Both work in Taiwan and mainland China now, but they suit different trips.

eSIM

  • Activate before you even board — scan a QR code, no counter visit needed.
  • Good for short trips where you don’t want to deal with a physical card at all.
  • Not every phone or carrier supports it yet, and third-party eSIM marketplaces are data-only — no local phone number.

Physical prepaid SIM

  • Bought at a counter with your original passport — universally supported by every phone.
  • Comes with an actual local phone number, useful if you need to receive verification codes.
  • Requires a short queue and, in mainland China, a real-name registration step.
Note — mainland China carriers require 实名认证 (shímíng rènzhèng) — real-name registration. Expect to show your passport and, at some counters, have your photo taken before the SIM activates.
06

What documents do you need?需要准备哪些文件

  • Passport — the original, not a photocopy.
  • A second form of ID — a driver’s license, student ID, or similar.
  • Money — cash covers most counters; cards aren’t always accepted.
  • A local guarantor — only needed for a long-term contract, not a prepaid SIM — usually a Taiwanese friend willing to co-sign.

Useful terms from this checklist

Passport护照hùzhào
Driving license驾照jiàzhào
Student ID学生证xuéshengzhèng
Guarantor保证人bǎozhèngrén
07

Setting up a long-term contract办理长期门号

What the counter staff will say, and the questions worth asking back.

Staff says

请选择qǐng xuǎnzé你要的nǐ yào de电话号码diànhuà hàomǎ。

Please choose the number you would like to have.
Staff says

请填qǐng tián这张zhèzhāng表格biǎogé。

Please fill out this application form.
Staff says

请在这里qǐng zài zhèlǐ签名qiānmíng。

Please sign here.
Staff says

这是zhè shì两年约liǎngnián yuē。

This is a 2-year contract.
You ask

月租费yuèzū fèi多少duōshǎo？

How much is the monthly fee?
You ask

网内wǎngnèi可以kěyǐ打dǎ几分钟jǐfēnzhōng？

How many minutes do I have for local calls within the network?
You ask

你可以nǐ kěyǐ帮我bāngwǒ开通kāitōng卡片kǎpiàn吗ma？

Could you help me activate the SIM card?
You say

我想wǒ xiǎng开通kāitōng国际漫游guójì mànyóu。

I would like to turn on international roaming.
You say

我要wǒ yào流量liúliàng多一点duō yìdiǎn。

I would like to have more data.

More useful terms

Within the network (local calls)网内wǎngnèi
Outside the network网外wǎngwài
Text message讯息xùnxī
08

Where to buy & activate哪里买、怎么开通

In Taiwan

  • 中华电信 (CHT) Counters at both Taoyuan and Kaohsiung airports; the most reliable choice for rural or mountain areas.
  • 台湾大哥大 Also has an airport counter; strong urban coverage.
  • 远传 The third major carrier, also available at the airport.
  • 7-Eleven / FamilyMart Some short-term tourist SIMs are sold off the shelf at convenience stores — handy if you land outside airport counter hours.

In mainland China

  • 中国移动 Widest coverage nationwide — offline stores in every city, plus an app for topping up.
  • 中国联通 Strongest in northern China.
  • 中国电信 Strongest in southern China.
  • Third-party travel eSIMs Marketplaces like Airalo or Saily let you activate a data-only eSIM before you land — convenient, but you won’t get a local phone number for verification codes.
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