You say potato, I say tomato_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

You say potato, I say tomato

The dictionary is titled Taipei Daodi, Didao Beijing, using two words that both mean "authentic" but spelled out in reverse, in Taiwan and the mainland.

The writing systems are also different on the two sides of the Straits, as the mainland adopts simplified Chinese characters, while Taiwan uses traditional ones.

However, Liu Chao-shiuan, president of Taiwan's General Association of Chinese Culture, believes the difference in the languages from both sides of the Straits will decrease.

"Exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland have become more common, and it's natural that we are learning from each other's vocabularies," he says.

Pop songs, films and TV shows from Taiwan have long influenced mainlanders. Since 2008, Taiwan has opened to mainland tourists, and more than 4 million mainlanders have traveled to Taiwan so far, accelerating exchanges between the two sides.

Words not only flow from Taiwan to the mainland, but also the other way around. Liu says many words from the mainland, such as "geili" ("giving strength"), are now understood by Taiwan people.

In February, the "Repository of Chinese Language" website went online, a collaboration between experts from the mainland and Taiwan, in the hope of presenting a platform for the comprehensive documenting and understanding of the Chinese language.

"I have a dream, that all users of the Chinese language in the world will get to know both the traditional and simplified Chinese characters from this website, and they will eventually choose which characters they prefer and thus form a common system," says Liu, who is director of the website's compilation committee on the Taiwan side.