In this edition: Chinese travelers in Afghanistan and Malawi, settling down in Norway, the rising popularity of low-priced housing in China’s backward cities, why do Chinese men not want to marry any more, Chinese-American stand-up comedy and more…
What does the capital of Afghanistan look like?
The Chinese travel vloggers in this video walk (rather randomly?) as benefactors through the steep alleys of Kabul and treat the small children to sweets, while they pinch their noses against the stench of the open sewer. In the absence of an interpreter, communication only takes place non-verbally and in Chinese. The vloggers do not share many key facts about Kabul, but they do show vivid impressions of the city. Small children carry heavy buckets of water up the mountain, because there is no running water. Others use donkeys for this. The Afghans do not seem unfriendly, but there is quite a language barrier. At the end of the video we see the city lying in the afternoon sun and the air is filled with the sound of prayer.
Difficulty level: HSK 4
| 愣住了 | lèng zhù le | was stunned, froze in place |
| 毛驴 | máolǘ | donkey |
| 水沟 | shuǐgōu | ditch, gutter |
| 冲脑壳 | chōng nǎoké | (colloquial) wash one’s head, cleanse the mind (literal translation: rinse head) / “hits the skull” (translation from subs) |
| 给他们发糖 | gěi tāmen fā táng | give them candy |
| 阿富汗首都 | Āfùhàn shǒudū | capital of Afghanistan |
| 上坡下坡 | shàngpō xiàpō | uphill and downhill |
| 垃圾堆 | lājīduī | garbage pile, trash heap |
| 祷告 | dǎogào | pray |
| 爬楼梯提水 | pá lóutī tí shuǐ | climb stairs to carry water |
| 急死了 | jí sǐ le | too crowded |
Traveling from X to Malawi
A Chinese couple is traveling from Tanzania to Malawi, crossing the border on foot. Getting from A to B by different means of transport is quite an adventure in the hot hustle and bustle of East Africa and you can feel the irritation of the two travelers in this video. Some useful travel vocabulary to be found here.
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
| 不知道会不会遇到什么麻烦 | bù zhīdào huì bù huì yùdào shénme máfan | I don’t know if we will run into any trouble |
| 过海关 | guò hǎiguān | go through customs |
| 车子被几个人拦下来了 | chēzi bèi jǐ gè rén lán xiàlái le | the car was stopped by a few people |
| 司机下车了 | sījī xià chē le | the driver got out of the car |
| 他一升油应该也能拉到不少客 | tā yī shēng yóu yīnggāi yě néng lā dào bù shǎo kè | with one liter of fuel, he should be able to carry quite a few passengers |
| 我们现在打了一个摩托车 | wǒmen xiànzài dǎ le yī gè mótuōchē | we just hired / got on a motorcycle |
| 我发现这里真的是一个自行车大国 | wǒ fāxiàn zhèlǐ zhēn de shì yī gè zìxíngchē dàguó | I realized this place really is a nation of bicycles |
| 这个城市基本上没有柏油马路 | zhège chéngshì jīběn shàng méiyǒu bǎiyóu mǎlù | this city basically has no asphalt roads |
| 晚上尽量还不要在外面 | wǎnshang jǐnliàng hái bùyào zài wàimiàn | try to avoid being outside at night |
The first days of moving to Norway
Ever wondered what it’s like to settle down in Norway? Cece moved to the Scandinavian Fjord-country recently and shared this sympathetic vlog, documenting her experiences like swimming among the modern-day vikings in Stavanger.
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
| 我落地第二天就去警察局办理居留卡 | wǒ luòdì dì èr tiān jiù qù jǐngchá jú bànlǐ jūliú kǎ | I went to the police station to apply for a residence card on the second day after landing |
| 我渐渐安顿一下 | wǒ jiànjiàn āndùn yīxià | I’m gradually settling down |
| 我租了一个月的Airbnb | wǒ zū le yī gè yuè de Airbnb | I rented an Airbnb for a month |
| 我刚一直在犹豫 | wǒ gāng yīzhí zài yóuyù | I was just hesitating |
| 我到底要不要下水 | wǒ dàodǐ yào bù yào xiàshuǐ | should I go into the water or not? |
| 我用画外音的形式聊聊天吧 | wǒ yòng huàwàiyīn de xíngshì liáo liáotiān ba | Let me chat in the form of a voiceover |
| 我们录了个德国和挪威相比较的视频 | wǒmen lù le gè Déguó hé Nuówēi xiāng bǐjiào de shìpín | we recorded a video comparing Germany and Norway |
| 给我带来踏实和治愈感 | gěi wǒ dàilái tàshí hé zhìyù gǎn | It brings me a sense of security and healing |
The rewards and costs of buying low-priced housing in China
Life in China’s major cities has become less attractive, especially for young people due to high cost of housing. 小叔 explores the new trend of escaping the rat race by buying cheap real estate (he calls it 白菜价的房) in relatively small and less densely populated cities in China’s northeast to 躺平 or lie flat and enjoy doing nothing. What are the pros and cons of this plan B, is it worth it? For one thing, life in these cities is slower, simpler and almost seems like a trip back into the past. The Soviet-style houses may be affordable, but also of lesser building quality. Public facilities are lacking or in a state of decline, also safety seems an issue, with blocks of houses publicly accessible and unguarded. Could the influx of young people change this and establish new communities?
Difficulty level: HSK 5
| 低价房城市 | dījià fáng chéngshì | city with low-cost housing |
| 东三省 | Dōng sān shěng | the three northeastern provinces of China (Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang) |
| 一探究竟 | yī tàn jiūjìng | to explore and find out the truth |
| 生活成本太低了 | shēnghuó chéngběn tài dī le | the cost of living is too low |
| 年轻人的乌托邦 | niánqīng rén de wūtuōbāng | a utopia for young people |
| 冲动地来，冲动地离开 | chōngdòng de lái, chōngdòng de líkāi | came on impulse, left on impulse |
| 躺平圣地 | tǎngpíng shèngdì | a sanctuary for the “lying flat” lifestyle |
| 白菜价的房 | báicài jià de fáng | houses at a cabbage price (extremely cheap houses) |
| 上个世纪的样子 | shàng ge shìjì de yàngzi | looks like it’s from the last century |
Why Chinese Immigrants are FLEEING BACK to China for Retirement
In this podcast episode, Rita and her guest compare their experiences with the US, Canadian and Chinese health care systems.
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
| 做检查 | zuò jiǎnchá | to do a check-up; undergo an examination |
| 健康问题 | jiànkāng wèntí | health problems |
| 愧疚感 | kuìjiù gǎn | feeling of guilt |
| 死活不过来 | sǐhuó bù guòlái | won’t come over no matter what |
| 养老 | yǎnglǎo | retirement; to care for the elderly |
| 创伤 | chuāngshāng | trauma; injury |
| 医疗保险 | yīliáo bǎoxiǎn | health insurance |
| 专科医生 | zhuānkē yīshēng | specialist doctor |
| 医疗体系 | yīliáo tǐxì | healthcare system |
Why Chinese Guys Don’t Want To Get Married Anymore?
In previous editions of Chinese vocabulary notes, I included several videos about China’s declining birth rate and young people not willing to marry anymore. So far the discussion mostly focused on women being in the (financial) position to be more picky and fewer men being able to meet these new standards. This is one side of the problem, but what about the men? After all, Chinese men have to buy their future wives more than a wedding ring, as they are supposed to provide housing, transport, traditional jewelry and a large sum of money. I can’t help wondering if these traditions have out-served their purpose in present-day China, since instead of supporting young couples’ future and security, they seem primarily a burden that fewer and fewer people are willing to carry. Eileen and her guest discuss this matter at length and also mention the previous generation’s responsibility.
Difficulty level: HSK 4 – 5
| 单身 | dānshēn | single (unmarried) |
| 彩礼 | cǎilǐ | bride price |
| 五金 | wǔjīn | five golds (refers to traditional betrothal gifts, usually jewelry or valuables) |
| 没日没夜 | méi rì méi yè | day and night (working tirelessly) |
| 娶媳妇 | qǔ xífù | to marry a wife |
| 无限的循环 | wúxiàn de xúnhuán | endless cycle |
| 传宗接代 | chuánzōng jiēdài | to carry on the family line |
| 男生不想成为结婚后的赚钱工具 | nánshēng bù xiǎng chéngwéi jiéhūn hòu de zhuànqián gōngjù | men don’t want to become money-making tools after marriage. |
| 谈恋爱 | tán liàn’ài | to date; to be in a romantic relationship |
| 年轻人不结婚不是这一代的错，是上一代人的错。 | niánqīng rén bù jiéhūn bù shì zhè yī dài de cuò, shì shàng yī dài rén de cuò. | Young people not getting married is not the fault of this generation, but the previous one. |
| 拿到二婚的彩礼 | ná dào èrhūn de cǎilǐ | to receive a bride price for a second marriage |
| 街头采访 | jiētóu cǎifǎng | street interview |
| 怎么守住我老婆 (别让她出轨) | zěnme shǒu zhù wǒ lǎopó (bié ràng tā chūguǐ) | how to keep my wife from cheating |
| 钱不是万能的，但是没有钱是万万不能的 | qián bù shì wànnéng de, dànshì méiyǒu qián shì wànwàn bùnéng de | money isn’t everything, but without money, nothing is possible |
| 有钱能使鬼推磨 | yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò | money can make the devil push the mill; money talks |
English-Chinese stand-up comedy in the US
Lele and Olivia discuss the challenges of bilingual stand-up comedy (脱口秀) in an American-Chinese context. Is there a better non-native Chinese speaker active on YouTube than LeLe Farley? I found this 30 minute video both insightful and entertaining. I only ‘wrote down’ a few interesting expressions, actually there’s a lot more to be found here.
Difficulty level: HSK 5 – 6
| 脱口秀 | tuōkǒuxiù | talk show; stand-up comedy |
| 双语 | shuāngyǔ | bilingual |
| 脱口秀演员 | tuōkǒuxiù yǎnyuán | talk show comedian; stand-up comedian |
| 离开自己的舒适区 | líkāi zìjǐ de shūshìqū | to leave one’s comfort zone |
| 段子 | duànzi | joke; comedic bit |
| 嘲讽 | cháofěng | to mock; satire |
| 辱华 | rǔ Huá | insult China |
| 表达观点 | biǎodá guāndiǎn | express an opinion |
| 我比你了解共产党 | wǒ bǐ nǐ liǎojiě gòngchǎndǎng | I understand the Communist Party better than you |
| 走了弯路 | zǒu le wānlù | took a wrong turn; went down the wrong path |
| 下台的机会 | xiàtái de jīhuì | opportunity to step down |
| 落点 | luòdiǎn | focus; point of impact |
| 灌鸡汤 | guàn jītāng | give a pep talk; feed (someone) motivational quotes (literally “pour chicken soup”) |
That’s it for this early autumn edition. Hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be back with more Chinese vocabulary notes soon!
Graded Chinese readers
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