Little Mandarin: Learn Chinese through culture and real life

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep= 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 How much is it? Could it be a little cheaper? And do you actually want it? In this episode of Little Mandarin, learn to ask prices, understand answers with 块, and react with 太贵了 — “That’s too expensive.” We’ll start with short questions and build up to a shopping conversation, bringing back 比 from our last lesson. 这个多少钱？— How much is this? 太贵了。— That’s too expensive. 可以便宜一点儿吗？— Could you make it a little cheaper? 我要这个。— I’ll take this one. 不要了，谢谢。— I’ll pass, thanks. We’ll also explain 块 and 元, briefly introduce the Mandarin names for US dollars, euros, and British pounds, and leave space for you to answer out loud. By the end, you’ll be able to ask a price, request a lower one where bargaining is appropriate, and say whether you’ll take it.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep= 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 Is today colder than yesterday? Does your coffee taste better than mine? In this episode of Little Mandarin, we’ll use 比 (bǐ) to make everyday comparisons. We’ll start with short sentences like “You’re taller than me,” then build up to comparing weather, prices, coffee, and languages. 你比我高。— You’re taller than me. 这个比那个贵。— This one is more expensive than that one. 今天比昨天冷。— Today is colder than yesterday. 你的咖啡比我的咖啡好喝。— Your coffee tastes better than mine. 中文比法文难吗？— Is Chinese harder than French? Along the way, you’ll try changing words, answer questions, and choose sentences that are true for you. We’ll also cover why we leave out 很 in this pattern and how to shorten a comparison when it’s clear what we’re talking about. By the end, you’ll be able to make your own comparisons and turn them into questions with 吗.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep= 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 How are you feeling today? In this episode of Little Mandarin, learn to say you’re tired, hungry, thirsty, sleepy, busy, or not feeling well. We’ll practise two everyday patterns — 我很… and 我有点儿… — and the difference between 累 (tired) and 困 (sleepy). 我今天很累。— I’m tired today. 我有点儿饿。— I’m a little hungry. 我很困。— I’m sleepy. 我今天有点儿不舒服。— I’m not feeling very well today. 我想休息。— I want to rest. With listen-and-repeat practice and translation exercises in both directions, you’ll learn to say how you feel and what you need in a few short Mandarin sentences.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 26, we’re learning how to talk about actions that already happened in Mandarin. The key structure is: Subject + Verb + 了 + Object In English, the past is often built into the verb form. In Mandarin, the verb itself stays the same, so today we focus on the sentence pattern instead. You’ll learn sentences like: 我吃了饭。 I ate / I had a meal. 我喝了咖啡。 I drank coffee. 我买了东西。 I bought something. 我看了电影。 I watched a movie. We’ll also use 已经 , meaning “already,” to say: 我已经吃了饭。 I already ate. There are other uses of 了 , but in this episode we only focus on one beginner-friendly rule: put 了 right after the verb to show that the action happened.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 25, we’re learning how to say what you are doing right now in Mandarin. The key structure is: 在 + verb You already know 在 for places, like 我在家 or 我在咖啡馆 . In this episode, we use 在 with actions: 我在工作。 I’m working. 我在学中文。 I’m studying Mandarin. 我在喝咖啡。 I’m drinking coffee. 我在看电影。 I’m watching a movie. You’ll also learn useful real-life phrases like 我现在有点儿忙 and 不好意思，我现在不太方便 — softer ways to say you’re busy or not available right now. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to describe what you are doing now in simple Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 24, we’re learning how to talk about weather in Mandarin. Weather may not be the most exciting topic, but it is one of the easiest ways to start a small conversation. In this episode, you’ll learn useful weather sentences like: 今天很冷。 Today is cold. 外面下雨。 It’s raining outside. 天气不好。 The weather is bad. 我们在家吧。 Let’s stay home. We’ll also learn simple words like 冷 , 热 , 下雨 , 刮风 , and 天气 , and use them to talk about real-life situations: bad weather, staying home, and making easy small talk. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to describe the weather around you in Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 23, we’re learning how to describe people, places, and things in Mandarin. You’ll learn one of the most common Mandarin patterns: subject + 很 + adjective We’ll use it to describe real things around you: a beautiful café, good coffee, delicious cake, expensive clothes, a busy day, and tired people. You’ll hear sentences like: 她很漂亮。 She is beautiful. 这家咖啡馆很漂亮。 This café is beautiful. 咖啡很好喝。 The coffee tastes good. 这个很贵。 This is expensive. 今天很忙。 Today is busy. We’ll also talk about why 很 does not always really mean “very.” In many Mandarin sentences, 很 simply makes an adjective sentence sound natural. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to look around and describe simple things in Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 22, we’re learning how to politely decline an invitation in Mandarin. Sometimes people invite you to dinner, coffee, a movie, or something on the weekend — and you want to say no without sounding too direct. In this episode, you’ll learn useful phrases like: 不好意思，我今天有点儿忙。 Sorry, I’m a little busy today. 我想去，但是今天不行。 I want to go, but today doesn’t work. 下次吧。 Maybe next time. 我们下次再约。 Let’s meet another time. We’ll also look at why Chinese refusals often go “around the corner” a little: saying sorry first, giving a soft reason, and leaving space for next time. A simple but very useful episode for real-life Mandarin conversations.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 21, we’re learning two very useful ways to say “can” in Mandarin: 会 and 能 They can both be translated as “can,” but they are not the same. 会 is usually about a learned skill — something you know how to do, like 我会说中文 , 我会开车 , or 我会做饭 . 能 is more about possibility, permission, or whether the situation allows something, like 我今天能去 , 我现在不能喝咖啡 , or 我今天不能开车 . We’ll also look at one very common question: 你会说中文吗？ Can you speak Chinese? And we’ll practise natural answers like 我会说一点儿中文 and 一点点 . By the end of this episode, you’ll understand the basic difference between 会 for skill and 能 for possibility.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 Lesson 20 is the final recap of Stage 2. In this challenge episode, we’ll put together everything we learned in the last few lessons: time, daily actions, drinks, sentence order, small connecting words, and 不 / 没 . The goal is simple: describe a normal day in Mandarin. You’ll practise sentences like 我早上七点起床 , 我早上喝一杯咖啡 , 我上午九点去公司 , 我中午十二点吃饭 , and 我晚上看电影，然后睡觉 . We’ll also review why Mandarin often puts time early in the sentence, and how Chinese daily routines usually move in a clear order: morning, noon, afternoon, evening. By the end of this episode, you should be able to say a short daily routine in Mandarin using words and patterns you already know.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 19, we’re learning two important ways to say “no” in Mandarin: 不 and 没 They can both make a sentence negative, but they are not used in the same way. In this episode, we’ll review patterns you’ve already seen, like 是 / 不是 and 有 / 没有 , then look at the difference between sentences like: 我不喝咖啡。 I don’t drink coffee. 我没喝咖啡。 I didn’t drink coffee. You’ll learn how 不 often works for general negation, habits, choices, or things that are not true, while 没 often works for absence, not having something, or actions that did not happen. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say things like 我不是学生 , 我不喝茶 , 我没有时间 , and 我没吃早饭 . Before the next lesson, remember to review the earlier episodes about 是 / 不是 and 有 / 没有 .

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In this bonus episode, we’re learning one simple beginner use of 的 : the possessive 的 . This is the word Mandarin uses to say things like my , your , her , and their . The basic structure is: pronoun + 的 + noun You’ll learn phrases like 我的咖啡 , 你的电脑 , 她的手机 , and 他们的学校 , and practise simple sentences like 这是我的猫 and 这是我的咖啡 . We’ll also briefly look at why native speakers sometimes drop 的 with close relationships, like 我妈妈 instead of 我的妈妈 . A short and useful bonus if you want to understand one of the most common small words in Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 18, we’re learning three small but very useful words that make Mandarin sentences sound more natural: 和 — and / with 也 — also / too 然后 — then / and then These words help you connect simple ideas, instead of speaking in separate little sentences. You’ll learn how to say things like 手机和电脑 , 我和朋友看电影 , 我也学中文 , and 我吃饭，然后睡觉 . By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to connect nouns, talk about doing something with someone, say “also / too,” and describe two actions in order. And don’t miss the bonus episode for this lesson, where we’ll talk about 的 , the small word Mandarin uses for phrases like my family , your teacher , his book , and her phone .

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 17, we’re learning a very important Mandarin sentence order: subject + time + action + object In English, you can say: I drink coffee in the morning. But in Mandarin, we usually say: 我早上喝咖啡。 The time often comes before the action. In this episode, we’ll build fuller everyday sentences with words you already know, like 喝 , 吃 , 看 , and 学 . By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to say sentences like 我早上喝咖啡 , 我中午吃午饭 , 我下午学中文 , and 我晚上看电影 . A simple but very important episode if you want your Mandarin sentence order to sound cleaner and more natural.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 This bonus episode is a clean beginner list of the top 20 most useful measure words in Mandarin . In Chinese, we often need a measure word between a number and a noun. For example: 一杯咖啡 , 一本书 , 一个人 . In this episode, you’ll hear common measure words like 个 , 杯 , 瓶 , 碗 , 本 , 张 , 件 , 家 , 间 , 台 , 块 , 份 , and 次 . No long grammar explanation — just the Chinese, the pinyin, and the basic English meaning or common use. A simple episode to save, replay, and use as a quick review when you start building longer Mandarin sentences.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 Coffee or tea? In Lesson 16, we’re learning how to talk about drinks in Mandarin with the verb 喝 . You’ll learn useful drink words like 水 , 咖啡 , 茶 , 牛奶 , 果汁 , 可乐 , 啤酒 , 红酒 , 热水 , and 奶茶 . We’ll also learn how to use 一杯 to say things like 一杯咖啡 , 一杯茶 , and 一杯水 . By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say simple sentences like 我喝咖啡 , 我不喝茶 , and even a longer sentence like 我早上七点喝一杯热水 . Culture note: in China, 茶 usually means real tea leaves, or sometimes flowers — not just a tea bag. And don’t miss the bonus episode for this lesson: Top 20 Most Useful Measure Words in Mandarin .

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 This bonus episode is a simple verb list for beginners: 20 of the most useful verbs in Mandarin , with the Chinese first and the English translation right after. No long explanations, no example sentences — just a clean and useful review you can come back to anytime. It’s a good episode to replay, save, and use as a quick verb foundation alongside the main lessons. If you’re preparing for class, reviewing before an exam, or just want a stronger base in everyday Mandarin, this is a very good place to start.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 15, we’re learning how to attach time to action in Mandarin. You’ll learn a few very useful daily verbs like 起床 , 去公司 , 吃饭 , 回家 , and 睡觉 , and more importantly, the sentence structure behind them: subject + time + action We’ll also look at one key difference between English and Chinese: English usually uses a preposition like at , while Mandarin often just puts the time directly before the action. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say simple sentences like 我七点起床 and 我九点去公司 much more naturally. And don’t miss the bonus episode for this lesson, where I’ve prepared a list of the top 20 most useful verbs in Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 14, we’re learning how to place time in context in Mandarin with four very useful words: 上午 , 中午 , 下午 , and 晚上 . You’ll learn how to say things like eight in the morning , twelve at noon , three in the afternoon , and seven in the evening , and connect these expressions with the time phrases from the last lesson. We’ll also look at why this matters so much in spoken Chinese: everyday Mandarin usually prefers a 12-hour system , and one official time zone stretches across the whole country. There’s also a small character note on 午 , and why sometimes learning Chinese characters becomes much easier once you start seeing the shape, not just memorising the strokes. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to place time much more naturally in Mandarin and sound much more precise when you talk about the day.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply! 💸 Get 30% OFF your first class 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠ 📋 Check out my full profile: 🔗 ⁠ https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664 In Lesson 13, we’re learning how to tell the time in Mandarin . You’ll learn the key words 点 , 分 , 半 , 刻 , and 小时 , and how to use them to say things like three o’clock , five thirty , seven fifteen , and eight forty-five . We’ll also look at one important distinction: 点 is for clock time, while 小时 is for duration. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to ask 几点了？ , tell the time much more naturally, and understand why spoken Mandarin time expressions often sound so clear and rhythmic.