In this final 2024 edition: Trump vs Harris, how do Chinese view Americans, Liziqi’s Comeback, deciding not to go back to China and discussing your recent divorce with your YouTube-followers.
How Do the Chinese See Trump vs Harris? | Street Interview
In this street interview by Asian Boss, the interviewer asks random Chinese people who they think should win the American elections and which outcome will be best for China. Where do they get their information from and what are the key differences between American and Chinese elections (the interviewer really did ask that question)?
Summarizing: the people interviewed feel more familiar with Trump, even have more sympathy for him, although he’s very hostile towards China, and they think he has a good chance of winning. At the same time, they don’t have strong feelings about the elections results which is reflected by the 吃瓜看戏的一个心态 expression. They’re not really clear on which candidate would be better towards China and which are the main topics for this election. One interviewee even mentions 流浪汉 as the most urgent problem.
Difficulty level: HSK 5-6
| 候选人 | hòuxuǎnrén | candidate |
| 偏见 | piānjiàn | bias; prejudice |
| 客观 | kèguān | objective; impartial |
| 谁更有资格当总统 | shuí gèng yǒu zīgé dāng zǒngtǒng | who is more qualified to be president |
| 翻墙 | fānqiáng | to climb over a wall; bypass internet censorship (figurative) |
| 我希望有那一天 | wǒ xīwàng yǒu nà yītiān | I hope that day will come |
| 出口经济 | chūkǒu jīngjì | export-driven economy |
| 流浪汉 | liúlànghàn | homeless person |
| 和谐关系 | héxié guānxi | harmonious relationship |
| 地球村 | dìqiúcūn | global village |
| 吃瓜看戏的一个心态 | chī guā kàn xì de yī gè xīntài | a bystander mentality (literally, the mindset of eating melon and watching a show) |
What Do Chinese REALLY Think About Americans? – Intermediate Chinese – Chinese Street Interview
In this Mandarin Corner video, Eileen interviews random people in her hometown to explore their opinions on Americans and the United States. Participants share their impressions of the US, associating it with things like freedom, technology, and Hollywood stars, and describe Americans as optimistic, independent, and creative, though sometimes arrogant or culturally unaware. They admire American innovation, education, and entertainment but criticize certain global political actions. Many follow American celebrities like Elon Musk and some express interest in the US presidential election, sharing their preferences and predictions about potential outcomes.
Difficulty level: HSK 5
| 特朗普 | Tèlǎngpǔ | Trump |
| 哈里斯 | Hālǐsī | Harris |
| 傀儡 | Kuǐlěi | Puppet |
| 有气质 | Yǒu qìzhì | Graceful; charismatic |
| 有女强人范 | Yǒu nǚ qiángrén fàn | Has the demeanor of a strong woman |
| 称霸世界 | Chēngbà shìjiè | To dominate the world |
| 开放 | Kāifàng | Open-minded |
| 乐观 | Lèguān | Optimistic |
| 宽松 | Kuānsōng | Relaxed; Easy-going |
| 外向 | Wàixiàng | Outgoing |
| 自信 | Zìxìn | Confident |
| 太够与奔放 | Tài gòuyǔ bēnfàng | Too bold and unrestrained |
| 太随意了 | Tài suíyì le | Too casual |
| 该吃的苦我孩子还是要吃的 | Gāi chī de kǔ wǒ háizi háishì yào chī de | The hardships that should be endured, my child still has to face. |
What Chinese Say about Liziqi’s Comeback | Understand Chinese Memes
Discussing internet slang related to the comeback of famous Chinese vlogger Liziqi.
Difficulty level: HSK 6
| 让人心情非常的平静 | Ràng rén xīnqíng fēicháng de píngjìng | |
| 手工 | Shǒugōng | Handmade; craftwork |
| 白月光 | Bái yuèguāng | White moonlight (refers to something idealized, pure, or deeply cherished in one’s heart) |
| 笑不活了 | Xiào bù huó le | Laughing so hard that I can’t live anymore (a humorous or exaggerated way to say something is extremely funny) |
| 貔貅旺财 | Píxiū wàng cái | Pixiu brings wealth (Pixiu is a mythical Chinese creature believed to attract fortune and wealth) |
| 应该在疫情刚嘎嘎开始的那段时间 | Yīnggāi zài yìqíng gāng gāgā kāishǐ de nà duàn shíjiān | Probably during the time when the pandemic had just started |
| 待在家里开始刷 | Dāi zài jiālǐ kāishǐ shuā | Stayed at home and started browsing (e.g., on social media, videos, etc.) |
| 最近我更了解她身世 | Zuìjìn wǒ gèng liǎojiě tā shēnshì | Recently, I learned more about her background |
After 11 Years, Why I Choose to Stay in Thailand
Mandarin teacher Shuo from the popular Chinese learning channel ShuoshuoChinese explains why she left China back in 2013 and the personal reasons why she prefers to stay in Thailand.
Difficulty level: HSK 3/4
| 聊得来 | liáo dé lái | Get along well (in conversation); have a good rapport |
| 没有选择的压力 | méiyǒu xuǎnzé de yālì | No pressure to make a choice |
| 被社会淘汰 | bèi shèhuì táotài | Eliminated by society; left behind by societal competition |
| 内卷 | nèijuǎn | Involution; excessive competition without meaningful progress |
| 个人成就的通货膨胀 | gèrén chéngjiù de tōnghuò péngzhàng | Inflation of personal achievements |
| 生命力 | shēngmìnglì | Vitality; life force |
| 私人时间 | sīrén shíjiān | Private time; personal time |
| 鸡娃 | Jīwá | Over-parenting; pressuring children to succeed excessively (literally “chicken baby,” a slang term derived from “pumping up” a child like feeding a fighting chicken) |
| 因人而异 | Yīn rén ér yì | It depends on the individual; varies from person to person |
我们分开的真相是什么？为什么拒绝上《再见爱人4》？
Afu Thomas and Julie answer questions and refute rumors about their recent divorce. Maybe this shouldn’t be learning content, since it’s very private, but as they decided that the world needed this video I included it here anyway.
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
| 我们看到不太真实的言论 | Wǒmen kàn dào bù tài zhēnshí de yánlùn | We see comments that are not very truthful |
| 你是跟我录视频现在很尴尬吗？ | Nǐ shì gēn wǒ lù shìpín xiànzài hěn gāngà ma? | Are you feeling awkward recording a video with me right now? |
| 我们是生活目标不同了 | Wǒmen shì shēnghuó mùbiāo bùtóng le | We now have different life goals |
| 大家的发展方向不同了 | Dàjiā de fāzhǎn fāngxiàng bùtóng le | Everyone’s development direction has become different |
| 我觉得用力过猛并不是一个贬义词啊 | Wǒ juédé yònglì guòměng bìng bùshì yīgè biǎnyìcí a | I don’t think “trying too hard” is a derogatory term |
| 说我倒贴啊 | Saying that I am desperate or clingy | colloquial, often used as a critique implying self-deprecation in relationship |
| 刻薄 | Kèbó | Mean; harsh; sharp-tongued |
| 很多人有意无意的在欺负他 | Hěn duō rén yǒuyì wúyì de zài qīfù tā | Many people are bullying him, intentionally or unintentionally |
That’s it for 2024. Hope you enjoyed this edition. I’ll be back with more Chinese vocabulary notes in the new year!
Graded Chinese readers
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