Ask how to get to Jiufen. Photograph the temple sign, the night-market stall, the menu with no English. Get a Chinese sentence you can show the server. LINE is Taiwan’s everyday messaging app, so it fits right in.
Getting around, sightseeing, eating and talking to people — the moments where not reading Chinese actually gets in the way.
Day trips outside Taipei mean transfers. Sometimes asking is faster than piecing the route together.
💡 The answer comes from an online search. Double-check station signs or the official app before you board.
Signs often have a short English line but leave out the history that makes the place interesting.
💡 It explains what is written on the board. Check the temple’s own guide for detailed history.
Many Taiwanese restaurants hand you a paper sheet to fill in yourself, with dish names in Chinese only.
💡 You can ask how to order, not just what the dishes are.
Type what you want to say in English and it gives you a Chinese sentence. Then just show the screen.
💡 Audio is read in English, so the Chinese works by showing, not speaking.
Stall signs are often handwritten, and sizes and spice levels are written differently at every stall.
💡 For handwritten signs, step closer and shoot straight on.
Pineapple cakes and snacks list ingredients in Chinese, which matters if you have allergies.
💡 Some foods, especially meat products, may not be allowed into your home country. Check its customs rules.
Add the account
Add it as a friend in LINE. Nothing to download, nothing to sign up for.
Send a photo or a question
Photograph menus and signs. Ask about routes and places in plain English.
Get an answer in English
It explains what matters, and you can keep asking follow-up questions.
Answers read aloud
Photo explanations arrive with English audio by default. You can switch it off from the menu.
Trip photos into a video
Send a batch of photos and it offers to make a captioned recap video.
Works in group chats
Add it to your travel group and @ it. Groups share 15 free messages a day.
Longer guides to reading Taiwan, and comparisons with other translation apps.
Monthly and yearly plans renew automatically and can be cancelled anytime. The day pass is a one-time purchase.
Yes. Taipei’s MRT, airports and major stations have English signs. Where you get stuck is handwritten menus, night-market stalls, notices at guesthouses, medicine boxes and temple information boards. A tool that reads photos and explains them covers most of those moments.
Yes. LINE is Taiwan’s most common messaging app, so restaurants, guesthouses and tour operators often use it too. You can use your existing LINE account; you just need a data connection.
Yes. Ask something like “How do I get from Taipei Main Station to Jiufen?” and it looks the route up online and gives you the main options. The information may not be current and it cannot show live bus arrivals, so confirm with the official app or Google Maps before you travel.
No. Audio is read in English. Type what you want to say and it gives you a Chinese sentence you can show the person on your screen.
It is free for 5 messages a day. On busy travel days there is a $1.49 day pass with 24 hours of unlimited use, bought once with no renewal. Monthly ($3.99) and yearly ($34.99) plans renew automatically and can be cancelled anytime.
No. You need LINE and a data connection. If you will be somewhere without signal, also carry an offline translation app.
Just add it as a friend. No app, no account, and 5 free messages a day.
Add on LINE (free)Paid options: $1.49 day pass (one-time) · $3.99/month · $34.99/year (auto-renew, cancel anytime)