September is gone. In this month’s edition: Chinese public opinion on Mao Zedong & Kim Jong-Un, successful Chinese immersion in Britain, sex education in China, parenting – yes or no, Chinese phonetics master class, lockdown in Chengdu and cycling in Changsha.
What do the Chinese think of Mao Zedong?
A bit of modern Chinese history here: Mao Zedong. What do Chinese people think about the great chairman that founded the PRC? Li Can offers his perspective on the question. I disagree on several points, especially his positive remarks about the “great leap forward” during which millions of people starved to death and which still isn’t discussed openly. His conclusion that Mao laid the foundations for future prosperity suggests that all the pain and suffering somehow weren’t in vain, but eventually led to a brighter future. I guess it’s uncomfortable to admit the opposite, namely that under Mao much of China’s prosperity was destroyed and its economical rise was delayed. Anyway, this is HSK 5 / 6 stuff.
| 毛泽东 | Máo Zédōng | Mao Zedong |
| 文革 | wéngé | cultural revolution |
| 遭到了迫害 | zāo dàole pòhài | (citizens) were persecuted |
| 社会停滞不前 | shèhuì tíngzhì bù qián | society was stagnating |
| 七分功三分过 | qī fēn gōng sān fēnguò | the statement by Deng Xiaoping about Mao that his legacy was 70 percent good (七分功), 30 percent bad (三分过) |
| 独裁者 | dúcái zhě | dictator |
| 腊肉 | làròu | bacon |
| 平息 | píngxí | to calm things down |
| 掩盖 | yǎngài | to cover (something up) |
| 残酷 | cánkù | cruel |
| 搞工业化 | gǎo gōngyèhuà | engage in industrialization |
| 农业国 | nóngyè guó | agricultural country |
| 工业国 | gōngyè guó | industrial country |
| 造原子弹 | zào yuánzǐdàn | build the atomic bomb |
What The Chinese Think Of Kim Jong Un | ASIAN BOSS
A pre-covid street interview in Shanghai from Asian Boss. The question: what do Chinese people think about Kim Jong-Un? North Korea is an outcast in the international community. If I were to make a list of the worst autocratic governments on this planet, North Korea would probably be number one. As far as I’m concerned it’s hell on earth. But what do Chinese people think about the current leader, what do they know about him? After all, Kim is their neighbor and he’s depending heavily on their help. The interview takes place after Kim’s first official visit to China in 2018.
| 金正恩 | Jīnzhèng’ēn | Kim Jong Un |
| 朝鲜 | Cháoxiǎn | North Korea |
| 他想得到我们的帮助 | tā xiǎngdédào wǒmen de bāngzhù | He wants our help |
| 领导人 | lǐngdǎo rén | leader |
| 有能力的人 | yǒu nénglì de rén | capable man |
| 负面印象 | fùmiàn yìnxiàng | negative impression |
| 援助朝鲜 | yuánzhù cháoxiǎn | aid North Korea |
| 叛逃者 | pàntáo zhě | defector |
| 我们不缺少一个这样的朋友 | wǒmen bù quēshǎo yīgè zhèyàng de péngyǒu | we don’t lack a friend like that |
Chinese Podcast #10: British Guy Wins a Chinese Girl’s Heart with Perfect Chinese
The first time I listen to the “Dashu” (the Chinese word for uncle) podcast. In this episode, they interview the British medical student Will who learned Chinese during lockdown and has reached a near-native level like we saw before (Chinese vocabulary notes # 10). He tells us more about his Chinese language journey and why he decided to study medicine. 55 Minutes of relaxed conversation, with Chinese subtitles.
| 母语者 | Mǔyǔ zhě | native speaker |
| 口音 | kǒuyīn | accent |
| 脏话 | zānghuà | bad language |
| 学医 | xué yī | study medicine |
| 医学 | yīxué | medicine |
Does China have sex education?
Eileen, Kirk and Da Er, discuss Chinese thinking about sex and sex education. Are sex and sexual development a taboo in Chinese society? And what about all these sex shops in Chinese cities that sell their goods quite openly. Great topic and discussion by Mandarin Corner.
| 性教育 | xìng jiàoyù | sex education |
| 生物课 | shēngwù kè | biology class |
| 性关系 | xìng guānxì | sexual relationship(s) |
| 月经 | yuèjīng | menstruation / period |
| 生理期 | shēnglǐ qī | menstruation / period |
| 我有一个很深刻的印象 | wǒ yǒu yīgè hěn shēnkè de yìnxiàng | I have a very deep impression |
| 性器官 | xìngqìguān | sexual organ |
| 耻辱 | chǐrǔ | shame / to feel ashamed |
| 羞辱 | xiūrù | humiliation / to feel humiliated |
| 对女生有好感 | duì nǚshēng yǒu hǎogǎn | to be fond of girls |
| 暗恋男生 | ànliàn nánshēng | to have a crush on a boy |
| 讲黄段子 | jiǎng huáng duànzi | to tell dirty jokes |
Why a month of parenting has taught me I don’t want kids (at the moment)!
Do you want children? It seems Ella found the answer by taking care of a little boy for one month. I think it’s a good thing to reflect this kind of fundamental questions early on. You can’t plan everything, but at least you can try to make conscious decisions in favor or against something. And it’s even better when you’ve experienced what it’s like to take care of little children firsthand.
| 要不要做父母 | yào bùyào zuò fùmǔ | to be parents |
| 感悟的变化 | gǎnwù de biànhuà | change in perception |
| 片面 | piànmiàn | one-sided |
| 极端 | jíduān | extreme |
| 不吵不闹 | bù chǎo bù nào | meaning a baby or toddler that doesn’t make noise or annoy you from time to time |
| 又苦又累 | yòu kǔ yòu lèi | bitter and tired |
| 让人恐育 | ràng rén kǒng yù | make people afraid of raising children |
| 自由时间缩小了 | zìyóu shíjiān suōxiǎole | Free time shrinks |
| 我们的生活方式会发生很大的变化 | wǒmen de shēnghuó fāngshì huì fāshēng hěn dà de biànhuà | Our way of life will change a lot |
| 经济能力 | jīngjì nénglì | Financial ability |
Laoma Chris’s PERFECT Chinese Learning Secrets | How to Pass HSK 5 in 1 Year
Chris Ma reached a state of fluency in merely one year’s time, taking Chinese classes during his gap year in Beijing, but – according to his Chinese teachers – he kept messing up the tones, intonation and pronunciation in general. In this interview, he shares his Chinese learning experience, which methods and strategies allowed him to truly progress and how he elevated his pronunciation to his current level. Highly interesting and completely subtitled.
| 偶然的机会 | Ǒurán de jīhuì | accidental opportunity |
| 按理说 | ànlǐ shuō | in theory, theoretically |
| 突飞猛进 | tūfēiměngjìn | to advance by leaps and bounds |
| 其他的外语突飞猛进 | qítā de wàiyǔ tūfēiměngjìn | other foreign languages advance by leaps and bounds |
| 俚语 | lǐyǔ | slang |
| 沉浸式 | chénjìn shì | immersive |
| 班课 | bān kè | group class |
| 日常的交流 | rìcháng de jiāoliú | daily communication |
| 北京的口音 | běijīng de kǒuyīn | Beijing accent |
| 示范 | shìfàn | to demonstrate |
| 收了打击 | shōule dǎjí | to receive a blow (to be shocked by something) |
| 不知道问题存在 | bù zhīdào wèntí cúnzài | didn’t know the problem existed |
| 没有意识到 | méiyǒu yìshí dào | didn’t realize something |
| 纠正发音 | jiūzhèng fāyīn | to correct his pronunciation |
| 绕口令 | ràokǒulìng | tongue twisters |
| 掩盖掉我说不准 | yǎngài diào wǒ shuō bu zhǔn | to cover up (his) non-standard pronunciation |
| 退步了 | tuìbùle | to regress (instead of making progress) |
| 综合的学习 | zònghé de xuéxí | integrated (comprehensive, all-round) learning |
| 语音学 | yǔyīn xué | phonetics |
| 口腔肌肉 | kǒuqiāng jīròu | oral muscles |
18 days – lockdown in Chengdu
Peng shares his experience on the 18th day of self-isolating in his apartment in Chengdu. Hope he’s doing better now and this madness soon be over for good.
| 隔离在家 | gélí zàijiā | quarantine at home |
| 各种消息满天飞 | gè zhǒng xiāoxī mǎntiānfēi | All kinds of news “are flying around” |
| 采取措施 | cǎiqǔ cuòshī | to take measures |
| 严格控制 | yángé kòngzhì | strict control |
| 缺货 | quē huò | out of stock |
| 志愿者 | zhìyuànzhě | volunteers |
| 谣言 | yáoyán | rumor (that there will be a lockdown) |
| 辟谣 | pìyáo | refute the rumor |
Daily Chinese Expression 179「 骨子里 」
Da Peng explains the meaning and use of 骨子里. Really great listening material.
| 骨子里是中国人 | Gǔzilǐ shì zhōngguó rén | Chinese at heart |
| 用来比喻 | yòng lái bǐyù | used as a metaphor |
| 在一个人的内心里 | zài yīgè rén de nèixīn lǐ | in one’s heart |
| 无法改变的东西 | wúfǎ gǎibiàn de dōngxī | something that cannot be changed |
| 意思就是说 | yìsi jiùshì shuō | means to say, in other words |
Cycling in Changsha
Last but not least, a little cycling tour with Shenglan in Changsha. I used to love biking in Chinese cities, always an adventure and lots of scenery to take in.
| 骑行的路线 | Qí xíng de lùxiàn | cycling route |
| 重复的画面 | chóngfù de huàmiàn | repetitive scenery |
| 我惟一的运动 | wǒ wéiyī de yùndòng | my only sport |
| 懒得出门 | lǎndé chūmén | too lazy to go out |
| 宅男 | zháinán | couch potato (male) |
| 宅女 | zháinǚ | couch potato (female) |
| 夜宵摊 | yèxiāo tān | night snack market stall |
| 吃夜宵 | chī yèxiāo | to eat snacks from a night market |
That’s it for September. Thanks for dropping by and hope to see you back next month with more Chinese content!
