In this edition: Do Chinese care about learning English, why has the Chinese divorce rate gone up so much, a day in Suzhou, why it’s not useful to study grammar rules, a flat tire in Tibet, strict Chinese parenting, more Chinese learning advice, Chinese insults and a trip to Nepal.
Do the Chinese care about learning English anymore?
Do Chinese still feel the necessity of studying English or has become mastering the world’s lingua franca become less important? If I try to summarize the answers in this video, for most Chinese people English isn’t that relevant to their career or private life. They might even be more interested in Korean or Japanese, as these languages are closer to home. I wonder if this means that China is becoming more introverted?
Difficulty level: HSK 5
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 给自己打零分 | gěi zìjǐ dǎ líng fēn | Give yourself a score of zero (self-deprecating) |
| 我觉得学习一门外语非常重要，但是不一定是英语 | wǒ juédé xuéxí yì mén wàiyǔ fēicháng zhòngyào, dànshì bù yídìng shì Yīngyǔ | I think learning a foreign language is very important, but it doesn’t have to be English |
| 不能把自己封闭起来吧 | bù néng bǎ zìjǐ fēngbì qǐlái ba | You can’t just shut yourself off, right? |
| 我觉得语言是一个文化的载体 | wǒ juédé yǔyán shì yí gè wénhuà de zàitǐ | I think language is a carrier of culture |
| 还是要往外走 | háishì yào wǎng wài zǒu | Still need to go out into the world |
| 学习英文的必要性降低了 | xuéxí Yīngwén de bìyàoxìng jiàngdī le | The necessity of learning English has decreased |
Why are so many Chinese getting divorced?
In a period of just 40 years, China’s divorce rate (离婚率) has gone up from 5 to 50 percent. In this Mandarin Corner video, Eileen tries to find out why so many marriages don’t work out. Here are some of the main reasons that people mention in the street interview:
- In the past, financial dependence kept many couples together. Now, women have careers and financial freedom, making them less likely to tolerate unhappy marriages.
- Today, younger generations prioritize personal happiness over societal expectations.
- Life in big cities is fast-paced, stressful, and expensive. Work pressure and long hours strain relationships, leading to divorce.
- The legal process for divorce has become easier, making it more accessible. Earlier, people stayed married simply because it was too hard to get a divorce.
- Exposure to different lifestyles and relationships online can create dissatisfaction. Infidelity is also easier with dating apps and social media.
- Many young people raised as only children lack experience in conflict resolution and compromise. This makes them less likely to endure difficulties in marriage.
In other words, people don’t just marry for ‘survival’, but look for emotional fulfillment, romance and compatibility. All these factors lead to more breakups when expectations aren’t met. I personally don’t think it’s just China – I see the same trend here in Germany where second and even third marriages are quite common.
Difficulty level: HSK 5
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 离婚率 | líhūn lǜ | Divorce rate |
| 女的做好了一定程度的心理准备 | nǚ de zuò hǎo le yídìng chéngdù de xīnlǐ zhǔnbèi | Women have mentally prepared to a certain extent |
| 女性在觉醒啊 | nǚxìng zài juéxǐng a | Women are awakening |
| 离婚对我们那代人是一件很羞耻的事情 | líhūn duì wǒmen nà dài rén shì yí jiàn hěn xiūchǐ de shìqíng | Divorce was a shameful thing for our generation |
| 男的没负到男人的责任 | nán de méi fù dào nánrén de zérèn | Men didn’t fulfill their responsibilities as men |
| 大家都在追求真爱 | dàjiā dōu zài zhuīqiú zhēn’ài | Everyone is in pursuit of true love |
| 没办法去接纳彼此的不同 | méi bànfǎ qù jiēnà bǐcǐ de bùtóng | Unable to accept each other’s differences |
| 从一而终 | cóng yī ér zhōng | To remain faithful to one person for life |
A day out in Suzhou
Here’s a little vlog from a Chinese teacher based in Suzhou where she shows us around, taking us to the subway, a local supermarket, bookstore and café.
Difficulty level: HSK 4
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 购票机 | gòupiàojī | Ticket vending machine |
| 地铁卡 | dìtiě kǎ | Subway card |
| 线路 | xiànlù | Route, line (e.g., subway/bus route) |
| 闸机 | zhájī | Turnstile |
| 站台 | zhàntái | Platform (train/subway) |
| 走楼梯 | zǒu lóutī | Take the stairs |
| 走手扶梯 | zǒu shǒufútī | Take the escalator |
| 购物篮 | gòuwù lán | Shopping basket |
Native speakers don’t study grammar!
Studying grammar rules is a waste of time? Well, here’s some learning advice from the YouTube Channel 每日中文课, arguing that trying to actively memorize grammar patterns doesn’t lead to fluency, on the contrary, it mostly leads to frustration, because of not being able to reproduce the ‘correct patterns’. She makes the point that grammar rules get acquired along the way – much like native speakers do without conscious effort. Do you agree?
Difficulty level: HSK 5
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 我花了大量的时间学习语法规则 | wǒ huā le dàliàng de shíjiān xuéxí yǔfǎ guīzé | I spent a lot of time learning grammar rules |
| 我们非常依赖规则 | wǒmen fēicháng yīlài guīzé | We rely heavily on rules |
| 反反复复 | fǎnfǎn fùfù | Repeatedly, over and over |
| 密集的连接点 | mìjí de liánjiē diǎn | Dense connection points |
| 灵活 | línghuó | Flexible |
| 获得流利的能力 | huòdé liúlì de nénglì | Gain fluency |
| 没有办法很好的表达 | méiyǒu bànfǎ hěn hǎo de biǎodá | Unable to express well |
I drove to Tibet alone and had a flat tire for the first time
Some more educational content here: this video illustrates why it’s always a good thing to carry a spare tire, just in case one of your tires decides to explode in the Tibetan mountains. I’m not sure why she was driving a truck in Tibet, but I’ll make sure to return to this YouTube channel for more inspiring videos like this, as I enjoyed the way she just keeps on laughing in a messy situation.
Difficulty level: HSK 4
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 这是正常现象吗 | zhè shì zhèngcháng xiànxiàng ma? | Is this normal? |
| 开到半路我车居然爆胎了 | kāi dào bànlù wǒ chē jūrán bàotāi le | My car actually got a flat tire halfway! |
| 见了鬼了 | jiàn le guǐ le | Unbelievable! / What the heck! |
| 这胎不全毁了吗 | zhè tāi bù quán huǐ le ma? | Isn’t this tire completely ruined? |
| 我没爆过胎 | wǒ méi bào guò tāi | I’ve never had a flat tire before |
| 备胎 | bèitāi | Spare tire (also slang for a backup plan/person) |
Why are Chinese parents so strict with their children?
Chinese teacher Laocan gives his take on why Chinese parents are so strict with their children. Characteristic of the Chinese situation is that many people share very few resources with each other. This leads to immense mutual competition. In addition, there is the Confucian attitude that propagates hard work without complaining, which in itself is not wrong. The question is of course what is most beneficial for children?
My impression was always that Chinese parents ‘encourage each other’ to go the extra mile, nobody wants to lag behind, so the motto is to arrange as many extra lessons (课外补习班) as possible for your child and to ensure that it performs optimally. After all, you do not want it to have to assemble mobile phones in a factory or deliver food on a scooter later on. I understand from Laocan that the Chinese government has made an attempt to combat the greatest excesses in the field of extracurricular education, although this has only been partly successful. The fight for a better future continues of course and it takes time for attitudes to change.
Difficulty level: HSK 5
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 为什么中国家长对孩子这么严格啊 | wèi shénme Zhōngguó jiāzhǎng duì háizi zhème yángé a? | Why are Chinese parents so strict with their kids? |
| 很多人都有所耳闻 | hěn duō rén dōu yǒu suǒ ěrwén | Many people have heard about it |
| 就脱离了中国这个环境仍旧这么严格 | jiù tuōlí le Zhōngguó zhège huánjìng réngjiù zhème yángé | Even outside of China, they are still this strict |
| 你可能在这个世界上就没法生存 | nǐ kěnéng zài zhège shìjiè shàng jiù méifǎ shēngcún | You might not be able to survive in this world |
| 儒家文化本来就讲究是勤奋刻苦啊 | Rújiā wénhuà běnlái jiù jiǎngjiū shì qínfèn kèkǔ a | Confucian culture emphasizes diligence and hard work |
| 东亚是一个特别特别“卷”的社会 | Dōngyà shì yí gè tèbié tèbié “juǎn” de shèhuì | East Asia is a very, very competitive society |
| 这应该是刻在基因里的 | zhè yīnggāi shì kè zài jīyīn lǐ de | This is probably engraved in the genes |
| 流在血液里的 | liú zài xuèyè lǐ de | Flowing in the blood |
| 中国政府终于出台了 | Zhōngguó zhèngfǔ zhōngyú chūtái le | The Chinese government finally introduced (a policy) |
| 因为说实话当时教培行业啊给中国的父母啊贩卖焦虑啊 | yīnwèi shuō shíhuà dāngshí jiàopéi hángyè a gěi Zhōngguó de fùmǔ a fànmài jiāolǜ a | Because, to be honest, the tutoring industry was selling anxiety to Chinese parents |
| 让孩子去上这个课外补习班啊 | ràng háizi qù shàng zhège kèwài bǔxíbān a | Making kids attend extracurricular tutoring classes |
| 相对而言呢 | xiāngduì ér yán ne | Relatively speaking |
| 压力减缓了一些 | yālì jiǎnhuǎn le yìxiē | The pressure has eased somewhat |
Will Hart: This trick will skyrocket your Chinese speaking
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 作为一个过来人 | zuòwéi yí gè guòláirén | As someone who has been through it |
| 联系造句 | liánxì zàojù | Make sentences using (a word/concept) |
| 话说回来 | huà shuō huílái | Speaking of which, on the other hand |
| 关键时刻 | guānjiàn shíkè | Critical moment |
| 告个别 | gào gè bié | Say goodbye |
| 创造力 | chuàngzàolì | Creativity |
| 想象力 | xiǎngxiànglì | Imagination |
| 脱口而出 | tuōkǒu ér chū | Blurt out, speak without thinking |
| 提高效率 | tígāo xiàolǜ | Improve efficiency |
Daily Chinese expression 282「饭桶 | 吃干饭」
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 饭桶 | fàntǒng | Rice bucket; (metaphorically) a useless person |
| 水桶 | shuǐtǒng | Water bucket |
| 笔筒 | bǐtǒng | Pen holder |
| 饭盒 | fànhé | Lunch box |
| 食量 | shíliàng | Appetite, food intake |
| 这个比喻太形象了 | zhège bǐyù tài xíngxiàng le | This metaphor is too vivid |
| 比喻成饭桶 | bǐyù chéng fàntǒng | Compared/metaphorically called a “rice bucket” |
| 不折不扣的贬义词 | bù zhé bù kòu de biǎnyìcí | An absolute derogatory term |
| 做贡献 | zuò gòngxiàn | Make a contribution |
| 吃干饭 | chī gānfàn | (Metaphorically) Useless; just eating without contributing |
The 23rd country in our global travels, one of the poorest countries in Asia, the mysterious Nepal!
| Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 又开始背包环球了 | yòu kāishǐ bèibāo huánqiú le | Backpacking around the world again |
| 你这口气有点不太情愿啊 | nǐ zhè kǒuqì yǒudiǎn bù tài qíngyuàn a | You sound a bit reluctant |
| 一百钱你还想要什么电梯呢 | yì bǎi qián nǐ hái xiǎng yào shénme diàntī ne | What kind of elevator do you expect for 100 bucks? |
| 主要是我们感觉这次还没带多少东西 | zhǔyào shì wǒmen gǎnjué zhè cì hái méi dài duōshǎo dōngxi | Mainly, we feel like we didn’t bring much this time |
| 还要预定明天早上去机场送机的 | hái yào yùdìng míngtiān zǎoshang qù jīchǎng sòng jī de | Still need to book a ride to the airport tomorrow morning |
| 这个落地比较猛啊 | zhège luòdì bǐjiào měng a | This landing was pretty rough |
| 电话卡办好了 | diànhuàkǎ bàn hǎo le | SIM card is set up |
| 没有那么落后 | méiyǒu nàme luòhòu | Not that backward |
| 这边的人就是没诚信 | zhè biān de rén jiù shì méi chéngxìn | People here just aren’t trustworthy |
I hope you enjoyed this early spring edition. I’ll be back with more Chinese vocabulary notes soon!
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