Mandarin From the Ground Up
Learn to speak Mandarin the same way you learned your native language: by imitating what you hear. No memorizing, no tedious grammar lessons, no superhuman willpower, just the sounds of Chinese, your ears, and you. Let's start speaking Chinese for real this time. Subscribe to start building your Mandarin from the ground up!
Episodes
Trailer: Learning Mandarin like a native speaker
Nothing stands in the way of you getting fluent in Mandarin. Billions have managed it. So why does it seem so hard? In less than three minutes, I'll explain how you can start to change learning Chinese from an insurmountable obstacle into a way to get more in touch with yourself and your ears.New lesson released every Wednesday. Subscribe to start building your Mandarin from the ground up
01 ~ Listen, can you speak Chinese?
In our very first lesson, we'll get you started speaking useful Mandarin right away. You'll learn how to say whether or not you can speak Chinese, and we'll start building a good foundation for your accent, copying exactly what you hear.~When you're listening to the sounds of Chinese or any other language, pay close attention to the intonation. This is the first thing that infants copy in
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 01
Learning to recognize and speak the sounds of another language is a form of exercise, and it requires repetition. By listening to -- and repeating -- the same dialogue every day, you're training new muscle memory, and signaling to your speech recognition center that "these sounds are important." After you've listened to Lesson 1 once, use this track as your daily practice routine. At les
02 ~ It's OK to feel tired.
It's OK to feel tired sometimes, and acknowledging it is part of staying motivated. In this episode, you'll learn how to ask and talk about feelings, especially that feeling of needing some rest.--- Learning a language is the project of a lifetime. There's usually a starting point -- that day you decide will be your first day learning Mandarin, say -- but there's never a stopping point. F
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 02
About learning Chinese charactersTeaching Chinese characters is outside the scope of this podcast, but if you are learning Chinese characters through another course or method, you can use the transcript below to follow along.Learning characters can be a fulfilling project, and can help you to remember and differentiate similar-sounding words. And, of course, it opens up more avenues for p
03 ~ Where are you again?
A big part of being able to speak naturally and fluently is being able to convince yourself on some level that you're actually from the same place as other native speakers. It’s one thing to learn a bunch of words and phrases. But to be able to use them like a native speaker requires being able to think like one. In this episode, you'll learn how to tell people where you are, and where yo
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 03
About learning Chinese charactersTeaching Chinese characters is outside the scope of this podcast, but if you are learning Chinese characters through another course or method, you can use the transcript below to follow along.Learning characters can be a fulfilling project, and can help you to remember and differentiate similar-sounding words. And, of course, it opens up more avenues for p
04 ~ Who are you again?
The contents of this episode are pretty standard fare for a language learner, or anyone else for that matter: What's your name? Nice to meet you. Do you have an English name? But hidden in the sentences are a handful of other extremely useful expressions. A note about pronunciation: The vocabulary list below includes the Chinese characters and the pinyin romanization system. The advantage
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 04
About learning Chinese charactersTeaching Chinese characters is outside the scope of this podcast, but if you are learning Chinese characters with another course or method, you can use the transcript below to follow along.Learning characters can be a fulfilling project, and can help you to remember and differentiate similar-sounding words. And, of course, it opens up more avenues for prac
05 ~ Can you hear me?
In this lesson, you'll learn how to have a successful video call, and how to talk about what you're drinking, and what you like. It's tempting to focus on all the things you don't know how to say yet. But really, why do that? If you consider what you already do know how to say, even after just a handful of lessons, you might be surprised. It's all about combinatorics -- at this stage, eve
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 05
Dialogue transcriptM: 喂？你聽得到嗎？L: 我聽得到！你呢？你聽得到嗎？M: 有，我聽得到L: 那，我們開始說中文吧！M: 呃。。。我們在說中文啊L: 喔，對了，哈哈。嘿，你在喝東西嗎？M: 有啊，我在喝東西L: 你在喝什麼？M: 我在喝咖啡。你喜歡咖啡嗎？L: 我還好，我喜歡喝茶M: 你現在在喝茶嗎？L: 有！你看，這是我的茶M：那是什麼茶？L：這是烏龍茶Want to support the podcast?
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06 ~ I'm still waiting
In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about things that haven't happened yet. Learning how to say familiar words in another language, it's easy to get the impression that every language is simply another way of saying the same things, but using different sounds. The truth, however, is that each language is a unique system for dividing up all the meaning and concepts that the human mind
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 06
Dialogue transcript: M: 嘿，你今天好嗎？L: 我今天還OK啊，你呢？你在哪裡啊？M: 我在咖啡店，你看L: 喔！很漂亮！M: 對啊L: 你在喝咖啡嗎？M: 還沒，等一下L: 你在等咖啡？M: 對啊，我還在等L: 欸！有東西來了！M：喔對！（謝謝）我的咖啡來了！L: 好喝嗎？M: 等一下！我還沒喝... 喔！好喝！L: 我也要一個！Want to support the podcast?
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07 ~ You ask me why... 你問我為什麼...
In this lesson, you'll learn how to identify and produce the four main tones in spoken Mandarin, and some essential COVID-19 vocabulary to help you talk about your situation -- whatever it may be -- plus how to ask why? Why??!Let's talk about tones. For someone coming from a non-tonal language background, it's easy to imagine that tones are something extra, like some kind of garnish sprin
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 07
Dialogue transcriptL: 你今天也在咖啡店？M: 對啊L: 但是，今天的咖啡店跟昨天的不一樣M: 對，你看： 今天的咖啡店有貓咪！L: 為什麼？M: 沒有為什麼啊L: 為什麼你每天都去咖啡店？M: 你問我為什麼... L: 為什麼你可以每天出去，但我每天要待在家裡？！M: 這個嘛... L: 為什麼？！你跟我說！M: ...你不喜歡待在家裡？L :沒有人喜歡待在家裡啊M: ... 你想再看一下貓咪嗎？L: 好吧Want to support the podcast?
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08 ~ What's your favorite food? 你最喜歡吃什麼？
In this lesson, we'll talk about the single most important thing you should be doing for your spoken Mandarin. We'll also learn how to talk about food, and how to make plans to go eat with other people. Have you ever had the experience of studying a language for a long time, of feeling like you should be able to speak it by now, but then when the opportunity arises you get stuck, or maybe
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 08
After you've listened to Lesson 8, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Dialogue transcriptionM: 小李，你最喜歡吃什麼？L：我最喜歡吃韓國菜，你呢？M：我也喜歡吃韓國菜，但我最喜歡吃拉麵L：我要去吃晚餐了，你要不要跟我一起去？M：好啊，但你要去哪吃？L：我要去韓國餐廳，很久沒去M：好啊，你開車嗎？L：對啊，我開車去M：什麼時候？L：等一下就要去了M：他們也有麵嗎？L：有啊M：那好，我們一起去吧，我餓了！Want to support the podcast?
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09 ~ Aren't you going to drive? 不是你要開的嗎？
This dialogue reinforces a lot of words and phrases you already know, which just a few new ones. In this dialogue, 小李 and 阿明 are talking about going to have some food, and who is going to drive. We learn best when we learn from context. Letting your brain try to infer the meaning and usage of a word or phrase is much more effective than having someone just tell you. Facts are forgettable,
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 09
After you've listened to Lesson 9, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Transcripts are available below, first with only Chinese characters, and then with pinyin and the translation. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)M：小李，你吃飯了嗎？L：還沒，你呢？M: 我也還沒。你餓了嗎？L：好餓！M： 我也是，我也很餓L：你想吃什麼？M：我想吃飯！你呢
10 ~ I got it! 我知道了！
In this lesson, I talk a little about discovering the unique logic of a new language. In the dialogue, Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) decide to break the law. One of my favorite things about learning a new language is discovering the unique way it expresses ideas: the logic, the way of thinking that the language makes possible. For example, take the word get in English. There are so many w
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 10
Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)M：怎麼辦？我好餓。我想去吃飯！L：喔！我知道了！我們可以開我媽的車M：真的嗎？真的可以嗎？L：可以啊，沒問題！M：你不是不會開車嗎？L：呃... 騙你啦！我只是沒有駕照。M：沒有駕照... 這樣可以嗎？L：還好吧，沒有人知道M：好吧，那... 我們走吧。你知道怎麼去嗎？L：我當然知道啊！沒問題的！M：好！走！Dialogue transcript (w/ pinyin and translation)M：怎麼辦？我好餓。我想去吃飯！M: Zěnme bàn? Wǒ hǎo è. Wǒ xiǎng qù chīfàn!M: What are we gonna do? I’m so hungry. I want to go eat!L：喔！我知道了！我們可以開我媽的車L: Ō! Wǒ
11 ~ You don't know the way? 你不知道怎麼去？
In this lesson, we talk about the similarities between learning a language and learning to play music. In the dialogue, Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) get lost looking for the Korean restaurant. Language and music have a lot in common. We learn both of them in large part because they feel good. It feels good to connect with other people; it feels good to express yourself. Sure, you might s
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 11
After you've listened to Lesson 11, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)L：欸？餐廳在哪裡... M：你不知道怎麼去？L：我忘記了...M: 你忘記怎麼去！要不要我幫你看Google Maps? L：不用了，我可以的M：你看左邊！是那家嗎？L：喔？不是。不是那家M：好吧... 欸？等一下！是左邊那家很大的餐廳嗎？L：在哪裡啊？M：在那裡啊！L：喔！對！就是那家！我的眼睛有問題了M：沒關係，趕快停車！Dialogue t
12 ~ Let's hurry up and order! 我們快一點點菜吧！
In this lesson, I talk about how I went from not knowing a single word of Mandarin to starting a Mandarin learning podcast! Meanwhile, Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) finally sit down at the restaurant to order. But there's a problem... Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)L：到了！好餓！M：我也是，我們快一點點菜吧！L：好，菜單呢？M：菜單在這裡！看你想吃什麼...L：呃... M：怎麼了？L：我看不懂... M：喔！你看不懂中文字！L：對啊，還是看不太懂M：那我幫你，來... 這個是
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 12
After you've listened to Lesson 12, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)L：到了！好餓！M：我也是，我們快一點點菜吧！L：好，菜單呢？M：菜單在這裡！看你想吃什麼...L：呃... M：怎麼了？L：我看不懂... M：喔！你看不懂中文字！L：對啊，還是看不太懂M：那我幫你，來... 這個是「飯」，這邊是「青菜」，然後這邊有「湯」，看你要哪一個L：我不知道...M：沒關係，還是我幫你點好了L：好，謝謝！M：不客氣！D
13 ~ That's it! 這樣就好！
Which dialect of Mandarin should you learn? In the dialogue, Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) order some food! How do you call the waiter in Mandarin? (Hint: it doesn't involve eye contact.)Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)A-Ming (M): 不好意思，可以點餐了！Waiter (F): 好，你要點什麼呢？M: 一個宮保雞丁，一份鍋貼，還有一個炒青菜F: 要白飯嗎？M: 要！誒，小李，你要吃飯嗎？Xiao Li (L): 好啊M: 那我們要兩碗白飯F: 這樣就好了嗎？M: 對，這樣就好F: 好的，請稍等M: 他們的鍋貼超好吃！對了，
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 13
After you've listened to Lesson 13, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)A-Ming (M): 不好意思，可以點餐了！Waiter (F): 好，你要點什麼呢？M: 一個宮保雞丁，一份鍋貼，還有一個炒青菜F: 要白飯嗎？M: 要！誒，小李，你要吃飯嗎？Xiao Li (L): 好啊M: 那我們要兩碗白飯F: 這樣就好了嗎？M: 對，這樣就好F: 好的，請稍等M: 他們的鍋貼超好吃！對了，你要不要喝啤酒？L：我不能喝酒，
14 ~ Hurry up and try it! 你快試試看！
Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) are enjoying the food they ordered, and we learn how to talk about trying things, whether or not you can handle spicy foods, and how to compare foods that look (or sound) different. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)Ah-Ming (M): 菜都上了！你快試試看！Xiao Li (L): 好M：好吃嗎？L：好吃！但很辣！M：你會怕辣嗎？L：還好，不會，我喜歡M：那就好，要不要喝一點茶？L：好M：來，我幫你倒L：謝謝M：鍋貼也吃看看吧L：那是什麼？M：美國沒有鍋貼嗎？L：有啊，可是
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 14
After you've listened to Lesson 14, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)Ah-Ming (M): 菜都上了！你快試試看！Xiao Li (L): 好M：好吃嗎？L：好吃！但很辣！M：你會怕辣嗎？L：還好，不會，我喜歡M：那就好，要不要喝一點茶？L：好M：來，我幫你倒L：謝謝M：鍋貼也吃看看吧L：那是什麼？M：美國沒有鍋貼嗎？L：有啊，可是美國的鍋貼看起來有一點不一樣M：我們這裡的鍋貼很好吃，你吃就知道了L：裡面有什麼？
15 ~ Excuse me! 不好意思！
In episode 15, I talk about how you might be misunderstanding your own forgetfulness. Meanwhile, Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) fight over who's going to pick up the check. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)Ah-Ming (M)：你吃飽了嗎？Xiao Li (L)：吃好飽！M：不好意思，我們要買單！Waiter (F)：好的，這樣五百八M：好，來L：等一下！你要請我嗎？M：對啊，你剛來台灣，當然要請你啊L：不行，上次你請我，這一次換我請你啦！M：不要啦！我請你就好，等我去美國你再請我L：很不好意思M：不用不好意思！你來我的地盤，當然我請你啊L：那好
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 15
Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)Ah-Ming (M)：你吃飽了嗎？Xiao Li (L)：吃好飽！M：不好意思，我們要買單！Waiter (F)：好的，這樣五百八M：好，來L：等一下！你要請我嗎？M：對啊，你剛來台灣，當然要請你啊L：不行，上次你請我，這一次換我請你啦！M：不要啦！我請你就好，等我去美國你再請我L：很不好意思M：不用不好意思！你來我的地盤，當然我請你啊L：那好吧...M：不好意思，這裡一千，麻煩你F：收你一千，請稍等一下... 好，找你四百二！M：好， 謝謝！Dialogue transcript (w/ pinyin and translation)Ah-Ming (M)：你吃飽了嗎？Nǐ chī bǎole ma?Are you full?Xiao Li (L)：吃好飽！Chī hǎo bǎo
16 ~ Do you have any siblings? 你有兄弟姊妹嗎？
In this lesson, Ah-Ming (阿明) and Xiao-Li (小李) ask about each other's families. This is the last episode of Season 1. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)Ah-Ming (M)：小李，我問你喔，你有兄弟姊妹嗎？Xiao Li (L)：我有一個姊姊M：她做什麼工作？L：她是醫生。你呢？你有兄弟姊妹嗎？M：有，我有一個弟弟，還有一個妹妹L：那，他們做什麼工作？M：他們沒有在工作，他們還在唸書L：還在唸書？他們幾歲？M：我的弟弟29歲，我的妹妹27. L：他們那麼大，還在唸書？M：對啊，這樣不好嗎？L：沒有不好啊... M：唸書很重要啊L：對啊，對啊，很重要啊M：對啊L：對啊M：幹嘛L：沒事M：你很無聊Dial
Daily Practice Session - Lesson 16
After you've listened to Lesson 16, use this track to reinforce what you've learned with short listening and speaking practice sessions every day over the following week. Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)Ah-Ming (M)：小李，我問你喔，你有兄弟姊妹嗎？Xiao Li (L)：我有一個姊姊M：她做什麼工作？L：她是醫生。你呢？你有兄弟姊妹嗎？M：有，我有一個弟弟，還有一個妹妹L：那，他們做什麼工作？M：他們沒有在工作，他們還在唸書L：還在唸書？他們幾歲？M：我的弟弟29歲，我的妹妹27. L：他們那麼大，還在唸書？M：對啊，這樣不好嗎？L：沒
S2 ~ 01 ~ 你回來了！You're back!
We're back for another season! In this episode, Xiao-Li (小李) comes back to Taiwan. Learning how to digest (and even to be entertained by) material that you don't completely understand is an important skill for learning a language. In this episode, we introduce a new dialogue, but don't translate it all at once like we did in Season 1. Instead, I'll introduce some of the key words and phr
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 01
After listening to S02 Episode 1, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking four minutes a day to practice listening and speaking the dialogue. Repetition makes progress! A transcript of the dialogue is available below. First, it is written out in only Chinese characters for those who are learning characters and want to practice reading along. Then it is written out with the transla
S2 ~ 02 ~ 你回來了！Part 2
We all acquire language in the same way, and it has nothing to do with talent or aptitude. In this lesson, we get the line-by-line translation of the dialogue and complete the picture from Lesson 01. Lesson Outline:Introduction: We all learn languages the same way, and talent has nothing to do with it. Listen to the dialogue at normal speed.Get the translation line-by-line, and try to in
S2 ~ 03 ~ 買禮物很不簡單 Buying gifts isn't easy
Xiao-Li (小李) runs into trouble buying presents for the family back home, and A-Ming (阿明) tries to give some advice. Lesson Outline:I'll mention a few words that will appear in the dialogue. Listen to the dialogue at normal speed.Listen to the slow version and repeat. Hear the translation, line-by-line, and try to infer the meaning of the parts you don't know yet.Listen to the slow versio
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 03
After listening to S02 Episode 03, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking two minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes progress! If you want to practice reading along in Chinese, here is the dialogue written out in Chinese characters only (you can find the translation and pinyin below that): Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only): 阿明
S2 ~ 04 ~ 怎麼辦？+ Finding Your Language Parents
What makes a good language parent, and how do you find one? In this episode I share some tips based on my own language learning experience. In the dialogue, 小李 is finally home after a long absence, and 阿明 notices that he seems a little nervous. Q: Who are the best language teachers in the world? A: Parents. Whether they do it consciously or not, parents (and parental figures) are the peop
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 04
README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Episode 4 twice. The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you hear. Repeating aloud is important, partly because you'll be training your speech muscles to make the sounds of Mandarin, and partly because you'll be getting feedback about how you sound (if you
S2 ~ 05 ~ 怎麼辦？Part 2 + Interviewing in Mandarin
One fun, engaging way you can give your Mandarin learning a boost is by conducting interviews with your Mandarin-speaking language parents, friends, or teachers. In this lesson, I offer some advice about how to turn the interview into a powerful language-learning tool. Then, we'll hear a line-by-line translation of the dialogue from Lesson 04. Lesson Outline:[00:21] How do you conduct an
S2 ~ 06 ~ 冰箱是空的！+ Letting Yourself Explore
Learning a new language can become a gateway to exploring an undiscovered side of yourself. Find out how in this lesson. In the dialogue, Xiao-Li (小李) and A-Ming (阿明) realize there's nothing to drink in Xiao-Li's apartment.Whether we like it or not, a lot of things happen in life just by accident. Some talents, skills, or passions may lie dormant, just because we never had the opportunity
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 06
After listening to S02 Lesson 6, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking three minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes progress! README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Lesson 06 twice.The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you hear.Repeating alo
S2 ~ 07 ~ 冰箱是空的！Part 2 + Questions
We'll hear the line-by-line translation of the dialogue from S02 Episode 06, and then we'll further reinforce the vocabulary and practice answering some questions with a mock interview. Lesson Outline:[01:19] Dialogue (normal speed) [02:21] Complete translation[07:05] Dialogue again (normal speed)[08:08] Mock interview (reinforcement and speaking practice)[11:06] Reference interview with
S2 ~ 08 ~ 趕快進來坐！Come on in!
Xiao-Li (小李) and A-Ming (阿明) are on the way to the convenience store when they run into an unexpected obstacle. Lesson Outline:[00:21] Introduction to the dialogue[01:35] Dialogue (normal speed)[03:12] Slow version (and repeat)[07:40] Useful vocabulary and phrases from the dialogue[14:12] Dialogue again (normal speed) Words and phrases from the dialogue, with examples (Chinese characters
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 08
After listening to S02 Lesson 08, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking four minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes progress! README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Lesson 08 twice.The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you hear.Repeating alo
S2 ~ 09 ~ 趕快進來坐！Part 2 + Questions
We'll hear the line-by-line translation of the dialogue from S02 Episode 8, and then we'll further reinforce the vocabulary and practice answering some questions with a mock interview. Lesson Outline:[01:53] Dialogue (normal speed) [03:19] Complete translation[10:00] Explanation of 才對 and 我如果把車子先開到對面去[12:35] Mock interview (reinforcement and speaking practice)[14:40] Reference interview w
S2 ~ 10 ~ 你要提醒我啦！You've got to remind me!
Xiao-Li (小李) goes to get some water at Mrs. Kang's (康太太) house, but it seems that something else is on her mind...Lesson Outline:[00:21] Introduction to the dialogue[00:53] Dialogue (normal speed)[03:46] Slow version[06:30] Useful vocabulary and phrases from the dialogueWords and phrases from the dialogue, with examples (Chinese characters only):孩子, 小朋友我有三個孩子我不喜歡孩子 小朋友好可愛孫子, 孫女這是你的孫女嗎？ 你有
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 10
After listening to S02 Lesson 10, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes it stick.README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Lesson 10 twice.The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you hear.Repeating alou
S2 ~ 11 ~ 你要提醒我啦！Part 2 + Curiosity
I talk about the importance of curiosity as fuel, and then we'll hear the line-by-line translation of the dialogue from Lesson 10.Lesson Outline:[00:21] Talking about curiosity[04:52] Dialogue (normal speed) [06:28] Complete translation[12:56] Explanation of the word 乖 (guāi)[14:07] Repeat the dialogue Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only):康太太：這個是我兒子，他去年帶我去日本玩！小李：是哦... 你有幾個孩子？康太太：
S2 ~ 12 ~ 不要被嚇到！Don't be scared!
In this new dialogue, Mrs. Kang (康太太) arrives with the water and something else that Xiao-Li (小李) hasn't seen before. And she receives a surprise phone call... Lesson Outline:[00:21] Introduction[01:14] Dialogue (normal speed)[03:55] Useful vocabulary and phrases from the dialogue[15:45] Dialogue again (normal speed)Words and phrases from the dialogue, with examples (Chinese characters on
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 12
After listening to S02 Lesson 12, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes it stick.README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Lesson 12 twice.The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you hear.Repeating alou
S2 ~ 13 ~ 不要被嚇到！Part 2
Welcome back! After a long, unplanned break, we're back to finish out Season 2 once and for all. Let's finally find out what happens to Xiao Li (L) and A-Ming (M) during their impromptu visit to Mrs. Kang's (K) house. Lesson Outline:[00:21] Introduction[02:34] Dialogue (normal speed)[04:20] Line-by-line translation[14:17] Talking about 就 vs. 才 and auxiliary particles[19:45] Dialogue again
S2 ~ 14 ~ 你這樣太辛苦了！You're working too hard!
新年快樂！Happy Lunar New Year! In honor of the new year, this dialogue involves lots and lots and lots of food, prepared by Mrs. Kang (康太太). Can you guess what else is happening? Lesson Outline:[00:21] Introduction[01:26] Dialogue[03:08] Useful vocabulary and phrases from the dialogue[14:28] Dialogue againWords and phrases from the dialogue, with examples (Chinese characters only):(scroll dow
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 14
After listening to Season 2, Lesson 14, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening to and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes it stick.README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Lesson 14 twice.The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you just heard
S2 ~ 15 ~ 你這樣太辛苦了！Part 2 + Questions
Let's hear a line-by-line translation of the dialogue from lesson 14, and then practice with a Q&A. At the end of the lesson, I suggest that you can practice answering the questions yourself, and can even send me your answers -- either written (pinyin or Chinese characters) or, better yet, as a recording of yourself speaking! Don't be afraid of making mistakes, and if you want to copy
S2 ~ 16 ~ 你人真好！You're so kind.
In this lesson, we get to hear the last dialogue in Season 2! Mrs. Kang (康太太) goes to get dinner ready, leaving Xiao Li, A-Ming, and Lili to talk. What do they talk about? Request for support I started this podcast three years ago to share my passion for learning languages. I wanted to share the ways that I found most effective for learning a difficult language like Mandarin, and to talk
Daily Practice Session - S2 - Lesson 16
After listening to Season 2, Lesson 16, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening to and imitating the dialogue. Repetition makes it stick.README: How to use this recordingYou'll hear the dialogue from Lesson 16 twice.The first time, there will be a short pause after each line. During the pause, try to repeat aloud exactly what you just heard
S2 ~ 17 ~ 你人真好！Part 2 + Season Finale!
Let's hear a line-by-line translation of the dialogue from lesson 16.This is the final lesson of Season 2 -- a milestone for both of us. Congratulations! Every minute you spent listening is a minute you invested in yourself and your Mandarin learning. Learning a language is challenging, it takes time, and there are bound to have been moments when you felt frustrated or felt that you had h
S3 ~ 01 ~ American strawberries on sale 美國草莓打折！
Welcome back for Season 3! In this series, we are going to do a deep dive on the tones in Mandarin. We covered tones briefly in Season 1, Episode 07, but there is still a lot more to talk about. Tones are one of those subjects that some people love and many people hate... or at least find unpleasant, and possibly somewhat frightening. It's my mission in Season 3 to dispel all your fears a
Daily Practice Session - S3 - Lesson 01
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 01, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes it stick.Part 1: Magic Phrase (3-2)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 3-2 tone pair. In this lesson, we use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with
S3 ~ 02 ~ Supermarkets need music 超市需要音樂！
Let's learn another tone pair! Can you hear which one it is? Learning the pronunciation of a foreign language can sometimes feel strange, even scary. Pronunciation is such a personal thing -- it's part of who we are, and how we express ourselves. When we start to imitate another language, it's easy to start feeling like "this isn't me." If you find yourself feeling that way, try to just o
Daily Practice Session - S3 - Lesson 02
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 02, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress. Magic Phrase (1-4)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 1-4 tone pair. In this lesson, we use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with each o
S3 ~ 03 ~ Dangerous horse riding 拿起啤酒騎馬危險！
Today's tone pair, 2-3, is easily confused with the one we learned in episode one, 3-2. Today we'll spend some time practicing differentiating between them. Then we'll hear another fun (slightly absurd) dialogue to practice our listening skills, and absorb some new words. Lesson Outline:[00:21] Magic Phrase[04:27] Practice repeating the Magic Phrase[05:43] Practice phrases using tone pai
Daily Practice Session - S3 - Lesson 03
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 03, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.Magic Phrase (2-3)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 2-3 tone pair. We use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with each other in context.
S3 ~ 04 ~ The park is extremely safe 公園非常安全
Be mindful of how you're feeling when you practice these lessons. Are you feeling excited and energized? Tired and doubtful? Distracted? Focused? Without passing any judgment on how you feel, observing your feelings or state of mind can offer clues about how and whether you might want to adjust your practice. For example, about a month ago I noticed that my language practice was starting
Daily Practice (Normal Speed) - S3 - Lesson 04
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 04, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.Magic Phrase (1-2)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 1-2 tone pair. We use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with each other in context.
Daily Practice (Slow Speed) - S3 - Lesson 04
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 04, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking a few minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.Magic Phrase (1-2)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 1-2 tone pair. We use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with each other in context.
S3 ~ 05 ~ Forget the past 忘記過去
We can't understand a language outside the context of the people who live it and speak it. A human language cannot be contained in an artifact like a dictionary or even a database, because it is a living thing, which exists through the people who live by it. From the standpoint of learning a language, this point is essential. Not incidentally, rare cases notwithstanding, the human brain i
Daily Practice (Normal Speed) - S3 - Lesson 05
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 05, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking five minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.How to practiceThis episode's daily practice session doesn't include spoken instructions, but the process is the same as previous episodes of this season: In the first part, you'll hear a short snippet of the
Daily Practice (Slow Speed) - S3 - Lesson 05
SLOW VERSION After listening to Season 3, Lesson 05, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking eight minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.How to practiceThis episode's daily practice session doesn't include spoken instructions, but the process is the same as previous episodes of this season:In the first part, you'll hear a short s
S3 ~ 06 ~ The subway is leaking! 地鐵漏水！
The long-awaited episode 06 is finally here! This lesson's dialogue is longer than usual, so let's get right to it. Lesson Outline:[00:21] Introduction[04:21] Magic Phrase: 下午下雨，地鐵漏水！[07:22] Dialogue[11:00] Translation[25:09] Dialogue, slowed downMagic Phrase (4-3)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 4-3 tone pair. We use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing
Daily Practice (Normal Speed) - S3 - Lesson 06
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 06, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking ten minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.How to practiceThis episode's daily practice session doesn't include spoken instructions, but the process is the same as previous episodes of this season:In the first part, you'll hear a short snippet of the d
Daily Practice (Slow Speed) - S3 - Lesson 06
SLOW SPEED VERSIONAfter listening to Season 3, Lesson 06, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking ten minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.How to practiceThis episode's daily practice session doesn't include spoken instructions, but the process is the same as previous episodes of this season:In the first part, you'll hear a shor
S3 ~ 07 ~ Handsome brother goes to work 帥哥上班
Lesson Outline:[00:21] Review of tone pairs from lessons one through six. [02:30] Magic Phrase: 帥哥上班，外公退休[08:20] Dialogue[11:40] Translation[23:07] Dialogue, one more time at normal speedMagic Phrase (4-1)This phrase is composed entirely of words that use the 4-1 tone pair. We use it to practice identifying and then pronouncing the tones, hearing how they interact with each other in conte
Daily Practice (Normal Speed) - S3 - Lesson 07
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 07, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking six minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.How to practiceThis episode's daily practice session doesn't include spoken instructions, but the process is the same as previous episodes of this season:In the first part, you'll hear a short snippet of the d
S3 ~ 08 ~ The front desk is responsible 櫃台負責配合客人！
Show notes:Here is a link to my conversation with Mischa Wilmers on his I'm Learning Mandarin podcast. Taipei Shorts, an annual theater event that showcases multilingual theater written, directed, and performed by local artists in Taipei. Lesson Outline:[00:21] Intro / updates / announcements [03:53] Magic Phrase: 櫃台負責配合客人[05:56] A ramble on tones, context, and imitation[11:52] Dialogue[1
Daily Practice (Normal Speed) - S3 - Lesson 08
After listening to Season 3, Lesson 08, start reinforcing what you've learned by taking six minutes a day to practice listening and imitating the material. Repetition makes progress.How to practiceThis episode's daily practice session doesn't include spoken instructions, but the process is the same as previous episodes of this season:In the first part, you'll hear a short snippet of the d
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