Chinese languages

Mandarin has a special phoneticisation system called pinyin. I will use it and add any addition info to reading it. I am a white guy so my answers are subject to correction.

Southeast Asian would find it easier to speak to a Taiwanese from a northern urban city like Taipei where they speak clearer. A southern Taiwanese from Pingtung county speaks faster with a heavy accent, which makes it difficult for us to understand.

The word 'khan1 chiu2' 牽手 as a noun means lover [boy/girl friend] or spouse [husband/wife] (->connotative meaning). As a verb, it means to hold hands (->literal meaning). But I have never heard the word being used as 'dating' (->activity noun/verb).