| Taishanese | IPA | Cantonese | Mandarin | English | Notes |
| 返工 | fan33 gǝŋ33 | 返工 | 上班 | to go to work | |
| 做工 | du33 gǝŋ33 | 做工 | 工作 | to work | |
| 放工 | fɔŋ33 gǝŋ33 | 放工 | 下班 | to get off from work | |
| 收工 | siu33 gǝŋ33 | 收工 | 下班 | to get off from work | |
| 搵工 | vun55 gǝŋ33 | 搵工 | 找工作 | to look for work | |
| 见工 | gein33 gǝŋ33 | 见工 | 面试 | to be interviewed for work; on-site job interview | |
| 住家工 | dzi32 ga33 gǝŋ33 | 住家工 | 家庭佣工 | household worker, household work | |
| 打工仔 | a55 gǝŋ33 dɔi55 | 打工仔 | 工薪阶层 | blue-collar worker, wage earner | |
| 门面工夫 | mɔŋ22 mein32 gǝŋ33 fu335 | 门面工夫 | 门面工夫 | do put on a show, to do something superficial | |
| 华工 | va22 gǝŋ335 | 华工 | 华工 | Chinese laborers | |
| 工程师 | gǝŋ33 tsein22 ɬu33 | 工程师 | 工程师 | engineers | |
| 工字形 | gǝŋ33 du32 yein22 | 工字形 | 工字形 | of I-shape | |
| 轻工业 | hein33 gǝŋ33 ŋiap32 | 轻工业 | 轻工业 | light industry | |
| 工字不出头 | gǝŋ33 du32 but55 tsu55 hǝu22 | 工字不出头 | 工字不出头 | One will not get ahead by working for others | literally 'the character 工 does not stick out,' referring to the center vertical stroke of the character not sticking above or below the two confining horizontal bars. |
| 经已 | gein33 yi21 | 经已 | 已经 | already | Note the character reversal. |
| 唔经唔觉 | m22 gein33 m22 gɔk55 | 唔经唔觉 | 不经不觉 | already, without noticing | |
| 唔正唔经 | m22 dzein33 m22 gein335 | 唔正唔经 | 不正经 | not seriously, playfully | |
| 经济 | gein33 dai33 | 经济 | 经济 | (colloquial) affordable; economics | |
| 易经 | yɛt32 gein33 | 易经 | 易经 | I-Ching: the Book of Change | |
| 道德经 | ɔu32 ak55 gein33 | 道德经 | 道德经 | Tao Te Ching (the Taoist classic) | |
| 圣经 | ɬein33 gein33 | 圣经 | 圣经 | The Bible | |
| 四书五经 | ɬi33 si33 m55 gein33 | 四书五经 | 四书五经 | The Four Books and Five Classics | |
| 经络 | gein33 lɔk55 | 经络 | 经络 | (Chinese medicine) Meridian | |
| 正经 | dzein33 gein33 | 正经 | 正经 | serious, seriously, for real | |
| 神经 | sin22 gein33 | 神经 | 神经 | nerves, the nerve system; (colloquial) crazy | |
| 念经 | niam32 gein33 | 念经 | 念经 | (Buddhist) hymn recital | |
| 经过 | gein33 gɔ33 | 经过 | 经过 | to pass through | |
| 经纪 | gein33 gi55 | 经纪 | 经纪 | broker | |
| 经营 | gein33 yein22 | 经营 | 经营 | to operate (a business) | |
| 经验 | gein33 ŋiam32 | 经验 | 经验 | experience | |
| 上味 | siam32 mi325 | 盐 | 盐 | salt | Assimilation: [siaŋ32 mi325]→[siam32 mi325] |
| 上昼 | siaŋ32 dziu21 | 上昼 | 上午 | morning | |
| 上下 | siaŋ32 ha325 | 上下 | 左右 | approximately, plus minus | |
| 马上风 | ma21 siaŋ32 fǝŋ33 | 马上风 | 性猝死 | dying during sex | |
| 鬼上身 | gi55 siaŋ33 sin33 | 鬼上身 | 鬼迷 | to be possessed, irrational | |
| 上镜 | siaŋ33 giaŋ33(5) | 上镜 | 上相 | photogenic | |
| 上钓 | siaŋ33 iau33 | 上钓 | 上钓 | to be hook, to be tricked | |
| 上链 | siaŋ33 lein325 | 上链 | 上发条 | to rewind the spring (of a mechanical clock) | |
| 上癮 | siaŋ33 yin215 | 上癮 | 上癮 | to become addicted | |
| 揽上身 | lam55 siaŋ33 sin33 | 揽上身 | 把责任扛在自己身上 | to make it one's business, to take over | |
| 摆上枱 | bai65 siaŋ33 hɔi215 | 摆上枱 | 当替罪羔羊 | to sacrifice (someone) | |
| 上得枱 | siaŋ33 ak33 hɔi215 | 上得枱 | 撑得起场面 | (a dish) servable for a formal feast; good enough for the occasion | |
| 上当 | siaŋ33 ɔŋ33 | 上当 | 上当 | to be tricked, to be swindled | |
| 上次 | siaŋ32 ɬu33 | 上次 | 上次 | last time | |
| 上古 | siaŋ32 gu55 | 上古 | 上古 | antiquity; of antiquity | |
| 马上 | ma21 siaŋ32 | 马上 | 马上 | immediately | |
| 即刻 | dɛt55 hak55 | 即刻 | 立刻 | immediately | |
| 滿地可 | mɔn55 i32 hɔ55 | 滿地可 | 蒙特利尔 | Montreal (City in Canada) | |
| 地头 | i32 hǝu22 | 地头 | 地盘 | place, sphere of influence | |
| 地毡 | i32 dein335 | 地毡 | 地毯 | carpet | |
| 本地姜唔辣 | bɔn55 i32 giaŋ335 m22 lat32 | 本地姜唔辣 | 本地姜不辣 | local things are not as good | Idiom: Local gingers are not hot. |
| 碌地 | lǝk33 i325 | 碌地 | 磙地 | to roll on the ground; extremely | |
| 马死落地行 | ma21 ɬi55 lɔ32 i32 haŋ22 | 马死落地行 | to do what is necessary | Idiom: one walks after the horse died. | |
| 走地鸡 | dǝu55 i32 gai33 | 走地鸡 | 土鸡 | range chicken | |
| 土地 | hu55 i32 | 土地 | 土地 | land | |
| 土地 | hu55 i325 | 土地 | 土地公 | Earth God | One of three major deities of the Lunar New Year in Taishanese folk beliefs. The other two are Heaven (天公) and the Kitchen God (灶伯). |
| 天地 | hein33 i32 | 天地 | 天地 | Heaven and Earth | |
| 地球 | i32 kiu225 | 地球 | 地球 | the Earth, the Globe | |
| 天公地道 | hein33 gǝŋ33 i32 ɔu32 | 天公地道 | 天公地道 | absolutely justified | |
| 地支 | i32 dzi33 | 地支 | 地支 | Earthly Branches | Component of a Chinese calendar system. The other half is the Heavenly Stems (天干). |
| 地址 | i32 dzi55 | 地址 | 地址 | address | |
| 地区 | i32 kui335 | 地区 | 地区 | district | |
| 地位 | i32 vi32 | 地位 | 地位 | position (i.e. in the hierarchy of the society) | |
| 烂市 | lan32 si215 | 烂市 | 滞销 | overstocking of goods | Antonym of 渴市 |
| 脱市 | hɔt33 si215 | 脱市 | 畅销 | much in demand in the market | Antonym of 烂市 |
| 成行成市 | sein22 hɔŋ22 sein22 si21 | 成行成市 | 成行成市 | lined with shops; prosperous | |
| 城市 | sein33 si215 | 城市 | 城市 | cities | |
| 市区 | si21 kui335 | 市区 | 市区 | in the city | Antonym of suburb |
| 市长 | si21 dziaŋ55 | 市长 | 市长 | mayor | |
| 股市 | gu55 si21 | 股市 | 股市 | the stock market | |
| 市场 | si21 tsiaŋ22 | 市场 | 市场 | market | |
| 要求 | yau33 kiu22 | 要求 | 要求 | requests, requirements | |
| 主要 | dzi55 yau33 | 主要 | 主要 | main, principal, major, primary | |
| 重要 | dzǝŋ32 yau33 | 重要 | 重要 | important | |
| 要点 | yau33 iam55 | 要点 | 要点 | key points | |
| 却妈个屄 | kiat21 ma55 gɔi33 hai33 | 屌你老母 | 他妈的 | expletive | This is the famous '骑马过海.' |
| 几个仙 | gi55 gɔi33 ɬein55 | 几个仙 | 一点点钱 | trivial amount of money | The last character 仙 is from the English word cent |
| 个人主义 | gɔi33 ŋin22 dzi55 ŋi325 | 个人主义 | 个人主义 | individualism; individualistic | The word has a negative connotation in Chinese with a hint of selfishness. This is a reflection of the Chinese society which emphasizes collectivism. |
| 产妇 | tsan55 fu215 | 产妇 | 产妇 | expectant mother | |
| 特产 | ak32 tsan55 | 特产 | 特产 | regional produce | |
| 产品 | tsan55 bin55 | 产品 | 产品 | products | |
| 水产 | sui55 tsan55 | 水产 | 水产 | aquatic products | |
| 地产 | i32 tsan55 | 地产 | 地产 | real estate properties | |
| 该轮 | kɔi21 lun21 | 呢轮 | 这阵子 | lately | |
| 该处 | kɔi21 tsui55 | 呢处 | 这儿 | here, nearby | |
| 该时 | kɔi21 si215 | 而家 | 现在 | now | |
| 出街 | tsut55 gai21 | 出街 | 上街 | to go out | |
| 出粮 | tsut55 liaŋ22 | 出粮 | 发薪水 | to receive pay | |
| 出术 | tsut55 sut32(5) | 出术 | 哄骗 | to trick | |
| 出埠 | tsut55 fǝu32 | 出埠 | 离城 | to go out of town | |
| 出世纸 | tsut55 sai21 dzi55 | 出世纸 | 出生证 | Birth Certificate | |
| 出蠱惑 | tsut55 gu55 vak32 | 出蠱惑 | 耍花招 | to trick | |
| 出马 | tsut55 ma21 | 出马 | 出马 | (VIP) to show up, to take charge | |
| 出色 | tsut55 sɛt55 | 出色 | 出色 | excellent, brilliant | |
| 出声 | tsut55 siaŋ33 | 出声 | 出声 | to speak out | |
| 出门 | tsut55 mɔn22 | 出门 | 出门 | to leave home, to travel | |
| 出口 | tsut55 hǝu55 | 出口 | 出口 | export, exit; to export | |
| 出 | tsut55 | 出 | 出 | to go out; to produce, next | 出 is a compound ideogram made up of 屮 (plant) + 凵 (earth, land), i.e. a plant coming out of the earth. |
| 行街 | haŋ22 gai21 | 行街 | 逛街 | to go shopping, to window shop, to take a leisure walk | |
| 行开 | haŋ22 hɔi33 | 行开 | 走开 | to step aside; 'get out of my way!' | |
| 行先 | haŋ22 ɬein33 | 行先 | 先走 | to go first, to leave ahead of someone | |
| 行运 | haŋ22 vun32 | 行运 | 走运 | to get lucky | |
| 打橫行 | a55 vaŋ22 haŋ22 | 打橫行 | 霸道 | high-handed, tyrannical, overbearing | |
| 冇行 | mɔu33 hɔŋ22 | 冇行 | 完了 | nothing more can be done | |
| 熟行 | sǝk32 hɔŋ22 | 熟行 | 很内行 | skilled, knowledgeable, professional | |
| 在行 | dɔi32 hɔŋ22 | 在行 | 在行 | skilled, knowledgeable | |
| 三行 | ɬam33 hɔŋ225 | 三行 | 裝修工 | renovation work | Literally 'three types of work' -- bricklaying, carpentry and painting (泥水,木工,油漆) |
| 行星 | haŋ22 ɬein33 | 行星 | 行星 | planet | Literally 'the wandering star,' a perfect translation of astéres planḗtai |
| 外行 | ŋɔi32 hɔŋ32 | 外行 | 外行 | not an expert | |
| 成行 | siaŋ22 hɔŋ32 | 成行 | 成行 | the whole line of | |
| 五行 | m55 haŋ22 | 五行 | 五行 | the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth | The elements form a generative interaction cycle (Metal → Water → Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal) and a suppressive cycle (Metal → Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal). The Five Elements, together with Yin and Yang, are the basic building blocks of the universe. As a component of an ancient Chinese belief system, its applications can be found in the fields of feng shui, medicine, philosophy, and cosmology. |
| 五行欠水 | m55 haŋ22 him33 sui55 | 五行欠水 | 五行缺水 | Water is lacking among the Five Elements: lack of money | |
| 作 | dɔk33 | 作 | 敲 | to make money or take advantage out of someone/something | |
| 作死 | dɔk33 ɬi55 | 作死 | 找死 | to look for trouble, to court death | |
| 手作 | siu55 dɔk55 | 手作 | 手艺 | handcraft, handmade, (self-deprecation) manual labor | |
| 作贱 | dɔk55 dein32 | 作贱 | 作贱 | to degrade oneself | |
| 冇得作 | mɔu33 ak33 dɔk33 | running out of tricks to make money | |||
| 搞作 | gɔu55 dɔk55 | 搞作 | 乱搞 | erratic action, unreasonable behavior | |
| 作反 | dɔk33/55 fan55 | 作反 | 造反 | to rebel | |
| 作乜 | dɔk55 mot55 | 算点 | 想怎样 | ‘What is this supposed to be?' | |
| 作用 | dɔk55 yǝŋ32 | 作用 | 作用 | usefulness, purpose | |
| 工作 | gǝŋ33 dɔk55 | 工作 | 工作 | occupation, work | |
| 作品 | dɔk55 bin55 | 作品 | 作品 | work, a piece of artistic creation | |
| 作风 | dɔk55 fǝŋ33 | 作风 | 作风 | (behavior)style |