Japanese Tourist Puzzled by 'Japanese' Signs in Taiwan, Discovers Hokkien Puns

Taiwanese wordplay has reached a new level of linguistic creativity, leaving even native Japanese speakers baffled. A Japanese tourist visiting Taiwan recently shared two perplexing signs written in what appeared to be Japanese characters, seeking help online to decipher their meaning.

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Who can help decipher this?

It turned out the signs, featuring phrases like "りしれ供さ小" and "Shhh！りがわ惦惦," were not standard Japanese but clever phonetic puns based on Taiwanese Hokkien. The first phrase, "りしれ供さ小," uses the Japanese phonetic readings of "ri shi re" to mimic the Taiwanese Hokkien "lí-sī-leh," combined with "供さ小" to form the rough question "lí-sī-leh kóng siáu," meaning "What are you talking about?"

The second sign, "Shhh！りがわ惦惦," employs the Japanese phonetic reading "ri ga wa" alongside "惦惦" (diàndiàn) to translate to the Taiwanese Hokkien "chhi! lí-kâ-o͘h tiāⁿ-tiāⁿ," which means "Shhh! You be quiet."

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This is Taiwanese written in Japanese.

These linguistic puzzles have amused many Taiwanese netizens, who described them as "three-language mixed homophone gags" and "Taiwanese-limited encrypted Japanese." The trend underscores how Taiwanese culture playfully integrates and transforms language, creating unique expressions that resonate locally but can mystify outsiders.

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Taiwanese homophone gags using three languages.