Chinese vocabulary notes (February 2025)

In this first edition of 2025: Tiktok refugees, being rich in Shanghai, cycling in Tibet, “letting it rot”, discussing China’s economy, dealing with hate comments, ideological flexibility for the sake of collective wealth and Chinese stereotypes about foreign countries.

Cycling in Tibet in the snow at minus 22 degrees

I didn’t know this guy or his YouTube channel, but this is really authentic Chinese travel content: his name is Liu Weiyuan (36 years old) and he’s traveling through China by bike. In this episode, he’s biking in some remote area of Tibet under extreme weather conditions, suffering from snow blizzards and lack of food, without complaining though. I’m not sure what kind of Chinese dialect he speaks.

Difficulty level: HSK 5

Interview: Why did the Communist Party tolerate the emergence of private ownership?

Did you ever wonder why the Soviet Union collapsed, while China successfully opened up and became one of the (if not the) largest economies in the world? Usually Deng Xiaoping is credited for setting this in motion, but renowned economist Professor Xu Chenggang reveals that there’s more to this story. He argues that if it wasn’t for party officials “looking the other way” as capitalism reemerged, no economic miracle would have happened. In other words, no brilliant strategy was implemented, but some basic economic freedoms were restored, allowing farmers to grow their own crops again and starting small businesses. Doing so was in the CCP’s self-interest as it couldn’t afford a collapsing economy, let alone more people starving. Furthermore, Xu mentions that China – compared to the Soviets – profited from more decentral and regional structures, which lead to more independent and flexible decision making. The Communist Party than improvised new slogans along the way to fit this new situation and stay in power. Listen to the interview to understand Xu’s arguments in full detail.

Difficulty level: HSK 6

How bad Is China’s economy right now? | Street Interview

Is the Chinese economy as bad they say? Asian Boss conducted a street interview how Chinese people deal with the current economic situation. It seems people feel less optimistic about the future and their employment situation.

Difficulty level: HSK 5-6

Why are young Chinese letting it rot? – China’s Bai Lan Phenomenon – Chinese Street Interview

What is 摆烂 and why has this become such a big thing in China? And are Chinese really ‘letting things rot’ or would they like to, yet can’t for various reasons? Eileen interviews random people on the streets of her city to find where this desire to give up on everything comes from.

Needless to say it’s another great interview with lots of raw and authentic Chinese input on a highly interesting topic. From what I understand it’s not clear to what extent 摆烂 is a social media hype (with people claiming they’re fed up and they’re not doing ‘it’ anymore) or it’s a real thing in society and people are really changing their behavior? Could it be it becomes more culturally acceptable to demand for work-life-balance in China? At least people seem to be thinking in this direction and that’s a healthy development.

Difficulty level: HSK 5-6

Reading hate comments, hilarious! | Comprehensible input | High intermediat

Two Chinese YouTube teachers discuss their experiences with 黑粉 or haters commenting negatively on their videos, while expanding their Chinese teaching channel called Lazy Chinese – Comprehensible Input. This seems a inevitable phenomenon in the world of social media – as your visibility increases, you get hate comments about the weirdest things, mostly completely off-topic, that waste your time and energy. Or could it be that some YouTubers are overly sensitive to critical feedback? I at least have to agree with one 黑粉 that explaining Chinese vocabulary with English translations hasn’t much to do with comprehensible input.

Difficulty level: HSK 4

What’s considered rich in Shanghai, China? | Street Interview

Shanghainese are a special breed. It makes a big difference whether you are a local (本地人) or an outsider (外地人) in Shanghai. I don’t know if it’s true, but I feel like the people who have lived in Shanghai for generations and have acquired a lot of real estate over the years are considered the elite of the country. These wealthy people also tend to look down on the common people who have to work really hard to pay the rent for their miserable apartments. But what exactly is considered ‘rich’ in Shanghai and how can you reach that level? Asian Boss talks to people on the street to find out. Some of them have well-paid jobs and really feel at home in Shanghai.

Difficulty level: HSK 5

The Chinese React to TikTok ‘Refugees’ Migrating to Rednote | Street Interview

Last month something highly unusual happened: In anticipation of a potential TikTok ban in the United States, many users migrated to alternative platforms, notably RedNote (known as Xiaohongshu in China). All of a sudden Chinese users of 小红书 were confronted with American netizens, seeking a new (Chinese) platform for their online interactions. Asian Boss hit the streets to find out what Chinese internet users think about all this.

Difficulty level: HSK 5-6

Which country are Chinese LEAST interested in visiting? Most interested? – Intermediate Chinese

Sorry, but this is yet another great video from Mandarin Corner. Once again, Eileen conducts a street interview and asks only two questions: which country would you most like to visit, and which country would you absolutely not want to visit?

The result is not a 100 percent balanced reflection of what the Chinese population thinks about foreign countries, but it is certainly an interesting cross-section. The complex relationship with Japan is mentioned repeatedly (people even use the same phrase to describe their hatred). India is also not a top destination. Southeast Asia does not fare well either.

Yet, for almost every opinion expressed, you hear the opposite as well. There are also Chinese people who feel satisfied enough with their own country and are not particularly curious about foreign places. The level of information varies greatly. Prejudices are not always based on personal experiences or even those of one’s own social circle, that’s for sure.

Difficulty level: HSK 5

I hope you enjoyed this first edition of 2025. I’ll be back with more Chinese vocabulary notes soon!

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