#365 - Can I Say Ni Hao Ma? | Mandarin a...

Is this normal, weird, or completely unacceptable? We put 20 things and behaviours to the test, and some of our answers might surprise you! From wearing the same underwear two days in a row and talking to yourself to little white lies, awkward social situations and secret habits, ... Show More

What if you could redesign your life, but every choice came with an unexpected catch? From teleporting anywhere and swapping lives with celebrities to choosing the perfect home, we're making 12 impossible decisions in our usual mix of Mandarin and English. Would you make the same ... Show More

Visit our website: www.mandarinmonkey.comGrowing up in Taiwan and Britain was VERY different! From strict school punishments and childhood freedom to pocket money, video games and family expectations, we look back at our childhoods and ask whether our own kids could survive them ... Show More

<p>With more and more “laowai” coming to the People’s Republic, more and more find themselves in conversations about the occasional frustration one finds at that point in Mandarin where you’re good enough to get by, but are far from fluent. In this podcast, Ken, Jenny and Aggie d ... Show More

<p>Why are you learning Chinese? Will it help you at work? Is Mandarin your ticket to a life of adventure? Are you just a mental masochist? Listen to today's lesson and learn how to tell others why you're learning this beautiful and challenging language. Episode link: https://www ... Show More

<p>Answering the question &quot;Can you speak Chinese?&quot; in the affirmative is always a proud moment. Perhaps, yes, literally, one moment. Let&#39;s call the inevitable next moment, with its subsequent barrage of language, ear assault. But hey, you&#39;re already ahead of the ... Show More

<p>Little did you know when you started learning Mandarin that you would be placed in the thick of an age-old war of &#39;where&#39; words. Decide which camp has your allegiance--the roll of your tongue &#39;nar,&#39; favorite of Beijing cabbies and northern ayis. Or &#39;nali,&# ... Show More

<p>You&#39;ve just stepped out from the office when a frenzied pack of language students senses your presence and rushes over with English greetings. We&#39;ve all been there and know this is one of those things about China that can be both sweet as well as incredibly frustrating ... Show More

<p>Learning Chinese takes a lot of guts. Make no bones about it: ChinesePod is the best way to cut right to the heart of the problem. If you don&#39;t have a bloody clue how to talk about biology in Mandarin, this is the podcast for you! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1 ... Show More

So you're studying Chinese? Is it hard? As a student of Chinese, you better be prepared to answer these questions. And don't worry... Chinese people won't mind if you tell them you're finding it a tad bit difficult. They've wrestled with it their whole lives too. Episode link: ht ... Show More

<p>When faced with the &#39;Do Chinese people really say ni hao ma or are they just succumbing to Englese&#39; quandary, here is a lesson you can use to circumvent these deep unanswerable how-are-you-dilemmas. An alternative greeting option in Mandarin. In this podcast, learn how ... Show More

In this episode, we talk about a number of common questions people have about reading and writing in Chinese. We challenge the conventional wisdom that kids books in Chinese are good things to read when you are learning Chinese (spoiler; they're not). You'll also learn why so man ... Show More