Fluentide · Chinese Listening — HSK 2
Fluentide · Chinese Listening — HSK 2 is a daily podcast that rewrites top news stories in HSK 2-level Mandarin, helping learners improve their listening comprehension. Each episode features clear pronunciation and a natural pace, with new vocabulary introduced gradually. Listeners can access free interactive transcripts at fluentide.com, where they can tap words for pinyin and translation, review key vocabulary, and read English translations. The podcast uses AI text-to-speech for consistent pronunciation and is designed for commutes, workouts, or study breaks.
Episodes
有人把成人用品扔进 WNBA 球场，一家虚拟币公司承认是他们找人扔的。被打中的是小孩。 — People Threw Sex Toys Onto WNBA Courts for a Crypto Stunt. The Ones Who Got Hit Were Children.
A wave of objects thrown onto WNBA courts, claimed by a crypto company, injured children; Angel Reese identified a thrower — HSK 2 level, 2:37. Key vocabulary: 次 (cì) — a time, an occurrence; 笑 (xiào) — to laugh; 公司 (gōngsī) — company; 观众 (guānzhòng) — spectators, audience; 安全 (ānquán) — safe, safety. Grammar: 第一次……，第二次…… — Counting occurrences in sequence, which is how a single incident becomes a
魁北克的枫糖浆被兑了甘蔗糖，一半都不是枫的。农业部查过一次，说没问题。 — Quebec Maple Syrup Was Cut With Cane Sugar. The Agriculture Ministry Tested It Once and Found Nothing.
Radio-Canada found grocery-shelf maple syrup was at least 50% cane sugar; four grocery chains added to the class action — HSK 2 level, 1:40. Key vocabulary: 贵 (guì) — expensive; 便宜 (piányi) — cheap; 一样 (yíyàng) — the same; 枫糖浆 (fēngtángjiāng) — maple syrup; 甘蔗 (gānzhè) — sugar cane. Grammar: 才 — Marks that something takes more than you would expect.; 把 + object + verb — The 把 construction fronts t
许家印被判无期。恒大留下一百六十二万套没盖完的房子，还有七十万套空着。 — Evergrande’s Founder Got Life. The Company Left 1.62 Million Unfinished Apartments — 700,000 Are Still Empty.
Shenzhen court sentences Evergrande founder Hui Ka Yan to life imprisonment for financial fraud — HSK 2 level, 2:27. Key vocabulary: 等 (děng) — to wait; 钱 (qián) — money; 公司 (gōngsī) — company; 欠 (qiàn) — to owe; 首富 (shǒufù) — the richest person. Grammar: 一边……，一边…… — Doing two things at once — often with a sense of strain.; ……的意思是：…… — Defines a term inside the narration.. Read along with the free
巴厘岛"安宁日"全岛停摆，一个瑞士游客照样出门，拍了视频发上网。他被判了一年。 — Bali Shuts Down Completely for Its Day of Silence. A Swiss Tourist Walked Out, Filmed It, and Got a Year in Prison.
A Swiss tourist was sentenced to a year in prison for defying and mocking Bali's Nyepi Day of Silence — HSK 2 level, 1:53. Key vocabulary: 关 (guān) — to close, to shut off; 一样 (yíyàng) — the same; 告诉 (gàosu) — to tell (someone something); 规矩 (guīju) — a rule, the done thing; 游客 (yóukè) — tourist. Grammar: A 也好，B 也好，都…… — Whether A or B, in either case … — insists a rule applies to everyone.; 可以……，
两千三百年前的粽子，从两座楚墓里挖了出来。一批素的，一批有肉——荤素之争比屈原还老。 — Archaeologists Pulled 2,300-Year-Old Zongzi Out of Two Chu Tombs. One Batch Vegetarian, One With Meat.
Ancient DNA analysis of leaf-wrapped grain packages in two Chu tombs pushes zongzi back 2,300 years — HSK 2 level, 2:27. Key vocabulary: 包 (bāo) — to wrap; a package; 老 (lǎo) — old; 种 (zhǒng) — kind, type; 墓 (mù) — tomb, grave; 素 (sù) — vegetarian. Grammar: 也就是说 — Which is to say — restates the point more plainly.; A 比 B 还…… — A is even more … than B. Stronger than plain 比.. Read along with the fr
诺兰用 IMAX 胶片拍完了整部《奥德赛》。那台新摄影机，用一对在 IMAX 干了五十三年的夫妻命名。 — Nolan Shot All of The Odyssey on IMAX Film. The New Camera Is Named After a Couple Who Gave IMAX 53 Years.
The Odyssey is the first feature shot entirely on IMAX film, using the new Keighley camera — HSK 2 level, 3:42. Key vocabulary: 换 (huàn) — to change, to swap; 重 (zhòng) — heavy; 清楚 (qīngchu) — clear; 胶片 (jiāopiàn) — photographic film; 银幕 (yínmù) — cinema screen. Grammar: 越……越…… — The more X, the more Y.; 只好…… — Have no choice but to — the only remaining option.. Read along with the free interactiv
Jason Kelce 让球迷把尿寄给 AI 数据中心。他真正想说的，是水。 — Jason Kelce Is Asking Fans to Send Their Pee to AI Data Centers. What He Actually Wants to Talk About Is Water.
Jason Kelce's Garage Beer / Liquid Death ad campaign about AI data centre water consumption — HSK 2 level, 1:41. Key vocabulary: 坏 (huài) — to break, broken; 带 (dài) — to carry, to take along; 记住 (jìzhù) — to remember, to commit to memory; 数据中心 (shùjù zhōngxīn) — data centre; 罐子 (guànzi) — jar. Grammar: 把 + object + verb 走 — The 把 construction with 走 means to carry the object away.; 可是…… — But — r
美国陆军开价：再服役两年，换四天假去打《侠盗猎车手6》 — The US Army Offered Four Days Off to Play GTA 6 — If Soldiers Re-Enlist for Two More Years
A Fort Stewart engineer battalion offered a four-day GTA 6 pass as a re-enlistment incentive — HSK 2 level, 3:14. Key vocabulary: 签 (qiān) — to sign; 换 (huàn) — to exchange, to swap; 条件 (tiáojiàn) — terms, conditions; 消息 (xiāoxi) — news, a notice; 部队 (bùduì) — a military unit. Grammar: 也可以…… — Offers an alternative course: "or you can also …".; 一种想法是……，另一种想法是…… — Lays out two competing explanation
他在给法院的文件里藏了一行白字，那句话是写给 AI 的 — He Hid a Line of Invisible White Text in His Court Filing. It Was an Instruction for the AI.
A Connecticut plaintiff hid white 3-point prompt-injection text in court filings and was sanctioned — HSK 2 level, 1:49. Key vocabulary: 交 (jiāo) — to hand in, to submit; 空 (kōng) — empty, blank space; 印 (yìn) — to print; 藏 (cáng) — to hide; 放大 (fàngdà) — to enlarge, to zoom in. Grammar: 如果……，就…… — If … then …. 如果 sets the condition, 就 introduces what follows.; 把 + object + verb — The 把 constructi
个人癌症疫苗让黑色素瘤更少回来 — A Personalized Melanoma Vaccine Makes Cancer Less Likely to Return
莫德纳和默沙东的个人癌症疫苗 — HSK 2 level, 2:37. Key vocabulary: 医生 (yīshēng) — doctor; 东西 (dōngxi) — thing; 工作 (gōngzuò) — to work; work; 为什么 (wèishénme) — why; 帮助 (bāngzhù) — to help. Grammar: 就是 — Defines a term in simple words. Here it tells you what “personalized vaccine” means.; 为什么……？ — Asks for the reason, then the episode answers by teaching tumor and immune system.. Read along with the free interacti
《牛来》：网上的嘲笑，把一部做得很差的动画电影送上了两千多万票房 — Niu Lai: Online Mockery Turned a Badly Made Film Into a 20-Million-Yuan Hit
《牛来》：一部做得不好的中国动画电影为什么突然走红 — HSK 2 level, 3:02. Key vocabulary: 电影 (diànyǐng) — movie; 买 (mǎi) — to buy; 看 (kàn) — to watch; 朋友 (péngyou) — friend; 声音 (shēngyīn) — sound; voice. Grammar: 不是……，是…… — Corrects the motive: they were not hunting a good film; they wanted to see how bad it was.; 从 A 变成 B — Marks a change of state. Here it is the box-office jump in one sentence.. Read along with the free i
美国最年长的参议员，为一台用了四十九年的吸尘器写了段告别。它叫贝丝。 — The Oldest US Senator Wrote a Farewell to His 49-Year-Old Vacuum Cleaner. Its Name Was Beth.
Senator Chuck Grassley, 92, posted a farewell to Beth, the family vacuum cleaner of 49 years — HSK 2 level, 2:40. Key vocabulary: 为什么 (wèishénme) — why; 因为 (yīnwèi) — because; 一共 (yígòng) — in total; 变成 (biànchéng) — to become; 出事 (chūshì) — for something to go wrong. Grammar: 为什么……？因为…… — Ask, then answer. A teacher’s rhythm, and it front-loads the hook.; A 加 B，一共…… — "A plus B makes X in total".
三十万家停电，抢修队半夜出去查线，被人开了两枪。一颗子弹卡在座位头枕后面。 — 300,000 Homes Lost Power. The Crew Sent Out at Midnight Was Shot At — One Bullet Lodged in a Headrest.
A NIPSCO crew restoring power after a record Indiana storm was shot at in Gary; restoration paused until escorted — HSK 2 level, 1:51. Key vocabulary: 过去 (guòqù) — to pass; 马上 (mǎshàng) — immediately; 外面 (wàimiàn) — outside; 地方 (dìfang) — place, part; 一起 (yìqǐ) — together. Grammar: 就在这个时候 — "and right at that moment". Drops the turn into an ongoing scene.; 只能 — "can only". Marks having no other op
高迪知道自己看不到圣家堂完工。他去世一百年后的今年，它封顶了，成为全世界最高的教堂。 — Gaudí Knew He Would Never See the Sagrada Família Finished. It Was Topped Out This Year, 100 Years After He Died.
The Sagrada Família's central tower was completed in 2026, the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death — HSK 2 level, 2:49. Key vocabulary: 有名 (yǒumíng) — famous; 一共 (yígòng) — in total; 清楚 (qīngchu) — clear; 一辈子 (yíbèizi) — a lifetime; 愿意 (yuànyì) — willing. Grammar: 从……到…… — "from A to B". Frames a span with both ends named.; 才 + verb — "only then". Marks something that came far later than it should h
一所肯塔基中学发的学生手册，把 Kentucky 印成了 Venecky。开学第一天，一个学生就发现了。 — A Kentucky School Handed Out Planners That Spell Kentucky "Venecky". A Student Spotted It on Day One.
Student planners at a Kentucky middle school carried a US map with misspelled state names, and parents suspect AI — HSK 2 level, 1:58. Key vocabulary: 开学 (kāixué) — school term begins; 课表 (kèbiǎo) — timetable; 发现 (fāxiàn) — to discover; 机器 (jīqì) — machine; 同一个 (tóng yí gè) — the same. Grammar: 不是白给的 — 白 + verb = to do something for nothing. So 不是白给 = it is not free.; 是不是……？ — "is it or is it not
伦敦孩子管他的车叫「泡泡巴士」。公司以「安全考虑」叫停了他，至今没说是什么考虑。 — London Children Called It the Bubble Bus. The Operator Stopped Him Over "Safety Concerns" It Still Will Not Explain.
A London bus driver who blew soap bubbles for passengers was told to stop over unexplained safety concerns — HSK 2 level, 2:50. Key vocabulary: 平常 (píngcháng) — ordinary; 一般 (yìbān) — generally; 慢慢 (mànmàn) — gradually; 认识 (rènshi) — to know, to recognise; 出名 (chūmíng) — to become known. Grammar: 不是白给的 — "not free". 白 + verb = doing something for nothing.; 就是要…… — "insists on doing X". Conveys stu
他在一场 Zoom 会议上开掉了九百个人。今年他自己被开掉了，现在他想回去。 — He Fired 900 People on One Zoom Call. This Year He Was Fired Himself — and Now He Wants the Job Back.
Better.com founder Vishal Garg, who fired 900 staff on a Zoom call, was ousted in August 2026 and is fighting to return — HSK 2 level, 1:54. Key vocabulary: 知道 (zhīdào) — to know; 结束 (jiéshù) — to end; 差不多 (chàbuduō) — roughly; 开始 (kāishǐ) — to begin; 而且 (érqiě) — moreover. Grammar: 被 + verb — The passive. Used twice here, once to him and once by him.; 才 — "only then". Marks how late the realisati
六十四年的土拨鼠研究没了经费，教授用 OnlyFans 筹钱 — A 64-Year Marmot Study Lost Its Funding, So the Professor Raised Money on OnlyFans
UCLA professor Dan Blumstein funded his 64-year marmot study by selling marmot photos on OnlyFans — HSK 2 level, 2:48. Key vocabulary: 一样 (yíyàng) — the same as; 一直 (yìzhí) — continuously; 开始 (kāishǐ) — to begin; 办法 (bànfǎ) — method, plan; 政府 (zhèngfǔ) — government. Grammar: 一……就…… — "as soon as A, then B". Used three times here, twice about weather and once about money.; 不是……，也不是……，是…… — Rules ou
两只小山羊上了波特兰的公交车，低头看手机的乘客没发现 — Two Little Goats Boarded a Portland Bus, but Phone-Focused Passengers Did Not Notice
Two loose pygmy goats followed passengers onto a TriMet bus in Portland before being ushered off — HSK 2 level, 1:53. Key vocabulary: 警察 (jǐngchá) — police; 当时 (dāngshí) — at that time; 吃惊 (chījīng) — astonished; 旁边 (pángbiān) — beside; 一直 (yìzhí) — all along. Grammar: 就这样，…… — "and just like that…". Marks something absurd happening with no resistance.; 从头到尾 — "from start to finish". Emphasises th
维基百科错了四十一分钟，谷歌就说奥尔特曼死了 — Wikipedia Was Wrong for 41 Minutes, So Google Said Altman Was Dead
Google's Knowledge Panel showed Sam Altman as dead after a 41-minute Wikipedia vandalism — HSK 2 level, 2:55. Key vocabulary: 告诉 (gàosu) — to tell; 马上 (mǎshàng) — immediately; 特别 (tèbié) — special, particular; 认识 (rènshi) — to know (a person); 因为 (yīnwèi) — because. Grammar: 正是因为…… — "precisely because of that". Turns a defence into the reason for concern.; 才 + verb — "only then did X". Marks that
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