你曾經被外國同事說過「Your English is cute, but a little Mandarin-influenced.」嗎？聽起來像在誇你，其實是說你翻譯味太重——每個句子都看得出來是從中文逐字轉過去的。
這集列出 5 個台灣人最常犯、外國人聽了最想糾正的英文錯誤——「How to say?」「Open the light」「I very like it」「Of course!」「Same same」——一次拆解直譯陷阱，給你母語者真正會用的版本。挑一個從今天開始換口，比學十個新單字還有感。
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情境對話 Dialogue
Tina 開完會後抓著外商同事 Ryan，想搞清楚為什麼她的英文被說 cute but Mandarin-influenced。
重點單字與片語 重點句型
English Dialogue
Tina: Ryan, can I ask you something honestly? My American client said my English is cute but Mandarin-influenced. What does that even mean?
Ryan: Ha! He probably noticed a few patterns. Don’t take it personally—every Taiwanese English speaker has a pet peeve list someone could make.
Tina: Now I’m dying to know. What did I say wrong?
Ryan: Okay, first one—did you say “How to say?” when you forgot a word?
Tina: Maybe. That’s wrong?
Ryan: It comes across as broken. Native speakers say “How do you say…?” or “What’s the word for…?”
Tina: Oh no. What else?
Ryan: “Open the light.” We don’t open lights, we turn them on. And turn them off, not close them.
Tina: I literally said that yesterday.
Ryan: Number three—“I very like it.” Skip “very” before “like.” Just say “I really like it” or “I love it.”
Tina: Number four?
Ryan: “Of course.” Be careful with that one. In English, “of course” can sound a little sarcastic, like “duh, obviously.” Try swapping it for “Sure” or “Definitely.”
Tina: Wait, really? I say “of course” all day.
Ryan: And finally—“Same same.” We don’t repeat words for emphasis like that. Native speakers say “pretty similar” or “basically the same.”
Tina: Five strikes in one conversation. I’m going to overthink every sentence now.
Ryan: Don’t! Just notice them and gradually swap. The nuance comes with practice. Your English is great—just a little Mandarin-flavored.
中文翻譯
Tina：Ryan，老實問你，我美國客戶說我的英文「可愛但有中文味」。那到底是什麼意思？
Ryan：哈！他大概注意到一些固定模式。別放心上——每個台灣人說英文都有一份「老外抓狂清單」可以列。
Tina：你害我超想知道。我到底說錯了什麼？
Ryan：好，第一個——你忘記字的時候是不是會說「How to say?」
Tina：可能吧。這樣不對？
Ryan：聽起來像破英文。母語者會說「How do you say…?」或「What’s the word for…?」
Tina：天啊，還有呢？
Ryan：「Open the light.」我們不會 open 燈，我們是 turn on。關掉是 turn off，不是 close。
Tina：我昨天才這樣講。
Ryan：第三個——「I very like it.」動詞前面不要加 very。直接說「I really like it」或「I love it」。
Tina：第四個呢？
Ryan：「Of course.」這個要小心。英文的 of course 聽起來會有點諷刺，像在說「廢話、你怎麼問這個」。可以換成「Sure」或「Definitely」。
Tina：等等，真假？我整天都在講 of course 耶。
Ryan：最後一個——「Same same.」我們不會用重複疊字來強調。母語者會說「pretty similar」或「basically the same」。
Tina：一場對話五個錯誤，我之後每句都要過度思考了。
Ryan：別！只要意識到、慢慢替換。語感是練出來的。你英文很好——只是有一點中文口音的味道。
重點單字 Vocabulary Boost
- Mandarin-influenced / ˈmæn.də.rɪn ˈɪn.flu.ənst / adj. → 帶有中文影響的（說法／句型）
（外國人形容台灣人英文最常用的詞，比 broken English 委婉）
Her email sounds Mandarin-influenced.（她的 email 帶有明顯中文味。） - pet peeve / ˌpet ˈpiːv / n. → 個人特別受不了的小事
（每個人都有自己的雷區，是英文聊天超實用的字）
Loud chewing is my biggest pet peeve.（吃東西大聲嘴是我最受不了的事。） - turn on / turn off / tɝːn ɑːn / phr. v. → 打開／關掉（電器、燈、機器）
（只用在會通電的東西，不能用 open / close）
Please turn off the AC before you leave.（離開前請關冷氣。） - sarcastic / sɑːrˈkæs.tɪk / adj. → 諷刺的、語帶嘲諷的
（語氣描述，台灣人常忽略英文「字面禮貌但語氣 sarcastic」的差別）
That sounded a bit sarcastic—are you upset?（你語氣有點諷刺耶，你不爽嗎？） - swap / swɑːp / v. → 替換、互換
（像「換口頭禪」「換衣服」「換座位」都用 swap，比 change 更口語）
Try to swap “very” for “really” before verbs.（動詞前把 very 換成 really。） - nuance / ˈnuː.ɑːns / n. → 細微差異、語感
（語言中最難掌握的部分，外國人很愛用這個字形容語感）
The nuance between sure and of course is huge.（sure 和 of course 的細微差異很大。） - overthink / ˌoʊ.vɚˈθɪŋk / v. → 想太多、過度分析
（學語言常見的副作用，怕說錯反而不敢開口）
Don’t overthink it—just say it.（別想太多，講就對了。） - pretty similar / ˈprɪt̬.i ˈsɪm.ə.lɚ / phr. → 相當類似（取代 same same）
（pretty 在這裡不是「漂亮」，是「相當、頗為」）
These two products are pretty similar.（這兩個產品蠻像的。） - basically the same / ˈbeɪ.sɪ.kli ðə seɪm / phr. → 基本上一樣
（職場、會議、產品比較最常用，比 same same 專業）
It’s basically the same as the old version.（基本上跟舊版一樣。） - Mandarin-flavored / ˈmæn.də.rɪn ˈfleɪ.vɚd / adj. → 帶有中文味道的（口語版）
（比 -influenced 更輕鬆友善的說法，朋友間講最自然）
Your English is Mandarin-flavored in a charming way.（你的英文中文味，但很可愛。）
重點句型 Sentence Patterns
- How do you say …? → 這個…英文怎麼說？（取代 How to say）
How do you say “報帳” in English?（「報帳」英文怎麼說？）| 替換詞：What’s the word for（這個的字是什麼）/ How would you say（會怎麼說）
💡 中文「怎麼說？」直譯成 How to say？少了主詞和助動詞。英文必須有「你」（you）和正確時態，這是最常見的破綻句。
- It comes across as … → 聽起來／給人…的感覺
That phrase comes across as rude.（那句聽起來很沒禮貌。）| 替換詞：comes across as broken（破英文）/ comes across as sarcastic（諷刺）
💡 描述「印象、感覺」的高階用法，比 sounds like 更精準。職場、約會、面試都用得上，意思是「不是你本意，但對方會這樣感受到」。
- Skip … before … → 在…之前不要加…（口語糾錯句）
Skip “very” before “like.”（like 前面不要加 very。）| 替換詞：Skip “the” before（前面不要加 the）/ Skip “to” before（前面不要加 to）
💡 教別人英文時超好用的指令句，乾淨俐落。Skip 在這裡是「省略、跳過」的意思，比 Don’t say 更輕鬆，不會讓對方覺得被指責。
- Try swapping X for Y. → 試試把 X 換成 Y。
Try swapping “of course” for “sure.”（試著把 of course 換成 sure。）| 替換詞：swapping A for B（把 A 換 B）/ replacing X with Y（用 Y 取代 X）
💡 注意是 swap X for Y，介系詞用 for 不是 with（with 是 replace X with Y）。語言交換、衣服互換、座位互換都能用 swap。
- Be careful with that one. → 那個用法要小心。
Be careful with “of course”—it can sound rude.（of course 要小心用，可能聽起來很沒禮貌。）| 替換詞：Watch out for（注意）/ Be cautious with（小心使用）
💡 朋友善意提醒專用句，語氣比 Don’t use that 友善很多。在職場討論用詞、文化差異、潛在地雷時，這句最得體。
逐字稿 Transcript
J: Welcome back to MJ English. I’m Jason, and today we just listened to a conversation that probably hit a little too close to home for a lot of us.
歡迎回到 MJ English，我是 Jason。今天這段對話，可能戳到不少人的痛點。
M: I’m Mary. Tina got told her English is cute but Mandarin-influenced, which is honestly one of the kindest ways anyone has ever phrased it.
我是 Mary。Tina 被說英文 cute but Mandarin-influenced，老實說這已經是最委婉的版本了。
J: Right? Mandarin-influenced is the polite version of you sound like you’re translating from Chinese in real time. And the truth is, every Taiwanese speaker does this at some point. It’s not a flaw—it’s a stage.
對吧？Mandarin-influenced 是「你聽起來像在即時把中文翻成英文」的禮貌版。每個台灣人都會經過這個階段，這不是缺點，是過程。
M: Let’s go through the five Ryan called out, because every single one is a daily landmine. First up—How to say. We’ve all done it. You forget a word, you panic, and you blurt out How to say.
我們來看 Ryan 點出的這 5 個，每一個都是每天會踩的地雷。第一個：How to say，誰沒講過這句？忘記某個字、一慌，How to say 就脫口而出。
J: The fix is so small but so important. How do you say or What’s the word for. The structure has to include a subject—you—and the verb has to be conjugated. How do you say is the universal phrase. Save it.
修正動作很小但很關鍵：How do you say 或 What’s the word for。要有主詞 you，動詞要做時態變化。How do you say 是萬用句，記起來。
M: Number two—Open the light. This one is famous. In Mandarin we use 開 for both opening doors and turning on appliances, so the brain just exports it directly into English.
第二個：Open the light。這個超有名。中文「開」用在門和電器上都通，腦袋就直接搬到英文。
J: But in English, lights, computers, and TVs all turn on and turn off. Doors, jars, and books open and close. Don’t mix them up. If you catch yourself saying open the AC, just rewind and say turn on the AC. It feels weird at first and then it feels right.
但英文裡，燈、電腦、電視是 turn on / turn off；門、罐子、書才是 open / close。別搞混。如果你發現自己說 open the AC，倒回去改成 turn on the AC。一開始會卡，習慣後就順了。
M: Number three is one I see in writing, in speaking, everywhere—I very like it. Very is an adverb that does not modify verbs in English. You can say very happy, very tired, very interesting, but not very like.
第三個無所不在——I very like it。Very 是副詞，但英文裡 very 不修飾動詞。你可以說 very happy、very tired、very interesting，但不能說 very like。
J: Swap very for really when there’s a verb. I really like it. I really want it. I really need it. Or you can be more casual—I love it, I’m a huge fan, I’m obsessed. Multiple options, none of them include very.
動詞前把 very 換成 really：I really like it、I really want it、I really need it。或更口語：I love it、I’m a huge fan、I’m obsessed。選擇很多，但沒有一個用 very。
M: Number four is the trap nobody warns you about—Of course. In Mandarin, 當然 sounds polite and confident. In English, of course can sound like why are you even asking me that. It carries a tiny edge of you should already know this.
第四個是沒人會提醒你的陷阱——Of course。中文「當然」聽起來有禮貌又有自信，英文 of course 卻像在嗆「你為什麼問這種事」。帶有一點「這你應該早就知道吧」的味道。
J: I had a Taiwanese friend who answered every yes-no question with of course and her American boss thought she was being snippy. She wasn’t! It was just a translation reflex. The safe replacements are sure, definitely, absolutely, or just a normal yes.
我有個台灣朋友每次回 yes/no 問題都用 of course，美國老闆以為她在嗆人。她其實沒有！只是直譯反射。安全替代字：sure、definitely、absolutely，或者一句普通的 yes 也行。
M: Of course is fine when you genuinely want to emphasize something is obviously true—Of course I’ll help you, you’re my best friend. But for everyday yes, it’s too strong.
Of course 真心強調某件事顯而易見時可以用，比如「我當然會幫你，你是我的好朋友」。但日常表 yes，太重了。
J: Final one—Same same. This phrase is so beloved across Asia that I almost feel bad correcting it. But native English speakers do not say same same. They say pretty similar, basically the same, or it’s about the same thing.
最後一個——Same same。這句在亞洲這麼受歡迎，我都不好意思糾正。但英文母語者真的不說 same same。他們會說 pretty similar、basically the same，或 it’s about the same thing。
M: Same same survives because it’s catchy and travel-friendly, but in a professional setting it can sound a bit pidgin. If you’re in a meeting describing two products that are alike, basically the same is the safer phrase.
Same same 之所以流行是因為琅琅上口、旅遊友善，但職場上聽起來像洋腔洋調的英語。如果你在會議裡描述兩個產品很像，basically the same 是比較安全的說法。
J: One thing I love about Ryan in this conversation is the framing. He doesn’t say your English is bad. He says these are Mandarin-influenced patterns. That’s the right mindset—your brain isn’t broken, it’s bilingual.
我超喜歡 Ryan 的切角：他沒說「你英文很爛」，他說「這些是受中文影響的模式」。這才是對的心態——你的腦袋沒壞，只是雙語腦。
M: Exactly. Direct translation is a stage every learner goes through. The goal isn’t to feel ashamed of it. The goal is to notice the patterns and slowly swap them out. Notice, swap, repeat.
就是這樣。直譯是每個學習者都會經過的階段。目標不是覺得丟臉，是去注意這些模式、慢慢替換。注意、替換、重複。
J: A practical tip—pick one mistake from this list and focus on it for a week. Just one. Trying to fix all five at once will make you freeze up. Pick How to say or Open the light or whichever one you say most, and just intercept yourself when it slips.
實用小提示：從這 5 個挑 1 個，專注一週就好。一次想改 5 個，反而會卡到不敢開口。挑 How to say、Open the light、或你最常講的那一個，講錯時就攔截自己。
M: And one more thing—nuance comes from input. Listen to how native speakers phrase the small everyday things. The big vocabulary is easy. It’s the tiny connectors and verb choices that make English sound natural.
還有一件事——語感來自輸入。多聽母語者怎麼講日常小事。大單字其實簡單，是那些小連接詞和動詞選字讓英文自然起來。
J: Okay, let’s test your ears one more time. Listen for the five patterns and the swaps Ryan offers. Pay attention to how casual the corrections sound—he never lectures Tina.
來，再考一次你的耳朵。注意聽這 5 個模式和 Ryan 給的替代詞，留意他糾錯的語氣多輕鬆——他從沒在說教。
[DIALOGUE REPLAY]
[重播情境對話]
J: How did that feel the second time around? Did any of the five hit you personally?
第二次聽感覺怎樣？這 5 個有沒有戳到你？
M: I’d be shocked if at least three didn’t. Don’t worry—catching them is half the battle. The other half is just speaking more so you can catch yourself faster.
沒戳到你 3 個我才驚訝。別擔心——意識到就是成功一半，另一半是多開口，你就會抓自己抓得更快。
J: A quick recap. How to say becomes How do you say. Open and close lights become turn on and turn off. Very like becomes really like. Of course becomes sure or definitely. Same same becomes pretty similar.
快速複習：How to say → How do you say；open/close 燈 → turn on/off；very like → really like；of course → sure / definitely；same same → pretty similar。
M: All five swaps, all the example sentences, and the full transcript are in the show notes below. Bookmark this one. You will hear yourself make these again.
5 個替換、所有例句、完整逐字稿都在下方。把這集存起來，你一定還會抓到自己再犯一次。
J: And remember—being Mandarin-influenced isn’t an insult. It’s just a mile marker on your fluency journey. Keep going, you’re closer than you think.
記得——Mandarin-influenced 不是侮辱，是你流利路上的里程碑。繼續走，你比想像中更靠近終點。
M: Until next time, swap one phrase, gain a little fluency. I’m Mary.
下次見之前，換一句口頭禪，多一點流利感。我是 Mary。
J: I’m Jason. Keep talking, keep tweaking. This has been MJ English.
我是 Jason。繼續開口，繼續微調。這是 MJ English。
