Explore every episode of the podcast Learn Chinese with Beginner Stories
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate | 00后奥运冠军备受关注 | An Post-00 Olympic Champion is in the Spotlight | Mandarin Chinese Story | 14 sept. 2024 | 00:01:02 | |
Pan Zhanle is the men's 100-meter freestyle champion at this year's Paris Olympics. He is also the world record holder in the 100-meter freestyle. And he outdid himself and broke his own record at the Paris Olympics. | |||
| Advanced | 中国首条跨省“飞的”正式开始运营 | China's first inter-provincial “flying” officially began operations | Mandarin Chinese Story | 14 sept. 2024 | 00:01:13 | |
The country's first inter-provincial scheduled low-altitude passenger transportation route from Shanghai Pudong Airport to the Kunshan Terminal in Jiangsu Province has reportedly been officially opened. It has shortened what was previously a more than two-hour drive to a 25-minute flight. | |||
| Beginner | 去北京工作会让我有新的烦恼 | Going to work in Beijing will give me new worries | Mandarin Chinese Story | 14 sept. 2024 | 00:00:56 | |
Gao Jin tells Li Yang that he now has two opportunities to work in Beijing. Li Yang knows that Gao Jin has always wanted to work in Beijing, so he is happy for him. However, Gao Jin says that working in Beijing will give him new worries. And his new worries are... | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】为什么很多高端餐厅关门了？ | [Conversation] Why are so many high-end restaurants closing? | Mandarin Chinese Story | 07 sept. 2024 | 00:01:09 | |
The conversation discusses the closure of many high-end restaurants due to reduced expense allowances for senior employees. They compare it to previous situations and agree that adapting business strategies is crucial to avoid significant losses. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】为了解决婚姻危机，李阳找来了一个“小三劝退师” | [Conversation] In order to solve the marital crisis, Li Yang has found a “mistress counselor” | Mandarin Chinese Story | 07 sept. 2024 | 00:01:09 | |
Lin Meng tells Zhang Ying about Li Yang's affair and how a "mistress persuader" was hired to convince the mistress to leave. Zhang Ying inquires about the profession's existence. Lin adds it's niche but well-paid. | |||
| Beginner | 律师没案子就是没工作 | A lawyer without a case is a lawyer without a job | Mandarin Chinese Story | 07 sept. 2024 | 00:00:53 | |
Gao Yue shares that she's been frequently traveling for work due to her company's out-of-town cases. Zhang Li expresses concern about her workload, but Gao Yue sees it as a positive opportunity compared to her peers facing job scarcity. | |||
| Beginner | 性格测试说我适合做律师 | Personality test says I'm cut out to be a lawyer | Mandarin Chinese Story | 31 août 2024 | 00:00:39 | |
Gao Jin did not expect Zhang Li to become a lawyer. Zhang Li explains that she became a lawyer because the personality test she took before she went to college said she was suitable to be a lawyer. | |||
| Intermediate | 海底捞海外单店的平均年收入将近4300万元 | The average annual revenue of a single overseas store of Haijilao is nearly 43 million yuan | Mandarin Chinese Story | 31 août 2024 | 00:00:50 | |
It is widely recognized that Haidilao has excellent service. This even makes people neglect the quality of its dishes. But in fact, the quality of its dishes is very high. And relying on the quality dishes and high level of service, it has successfully opened branches in many overseas countries. | |||
| Advanced | 一些厂二代成功在网上打造了自己的IP | Some Factory IIs have succeeded in creating their own IPs online | Mandarin Chinese Story | 31 août 2024 | 00:01:25 | |
A lot of factory second-generation people have become internet celebrities. Compared to managing factories, they born in the Internet era are really better at doing online marketing. | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】你们已经攒够环游世界的钱了？ | [Conversation] You've saved enough money to travel around the world? | Mandarin Chinese Story | 24 août 2024 | 00:01:11 | |
Zhang Jun and his girlfriend plan to quit their jobs after receiving bonuses to travel the world. They've saved a modest amount but aim for budget-friendly destinations. Wang Jun thinks this plan is good. | |||
| Beginner | 这些衣服真的很适合高进 | These dresses are really suitable for Gao Jin | Mandarin Chinese Story | 24 août 2024 | 00:00:52 | |
Li Yang noticed that Gao Jin's new clothes had become more numerous recently and they were all of good quality. Therefore, he asks Gao Jin's sister Gao Yue if Gao Jin is in love. Gao Yue tells him... | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】创立了无性别服装品牌的清华男和他老婆离婚了 | [Conversation] The Tsinghua man who founded a genderless clothing brand divorced his wife | Mandarin Chinese Story | 24 août 2024 | 00:01:49 | |
This conversation discusses the divorce of a Tsinghua graduate who founded a genderless clothing brand from his wife, the CEO of a successful healthcare company. His wife's family had invested heavily in his troubled business, but he was criticized for his lack of responsibility. | |||
| Advanced | 相比于买房，现代年轻人更喜欢攒钱穷游 | Modern young people prefer to save up for poor travel than to buy a house | Mandarin Chinese Story | 17 août 2024 | 00:01:02 | |
Modern young people are more willing to spend money to travel around than to buy a house. This is because many young people feel that they cannot afford to buy a house even if they work for ten years. They would rather save money to fulfill their dream of seeing the world. | |||
| Beginner| 现在新房的质量都很差 | The quality of new houses is very poor nowadays | Mandarin Chinese Story | 17 août 2024 | 00:00:48 | |
Gao Yue's mom finds out that the new house she bought is of poor quality. She is so sad that she is going to cry. For this reason, Gao Yue plans to stay home with her mom today. | |||
| Intermediate | 年轻人对婚礼的需求出现大变化 | Demand for weddings among young people takes a big turn | Mandarin Chinese Story | 17 août 2024 | 00:00:49 | |
More and more young people no longer hire wedding companies and officiants when organizing their weddings. However, this is not because they are thrifty and frugal, but because they just want to spend their money on things that make them feel happy. | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】我在云南一个不知名的村子呆了一周 | [Conversation] I spent a week in an unknown village in Yunnan | Mandarin Chinese Story | 10 août 2024 | 00:01:25 | |
Wang Jun asked Zhang Jun where he went for fun during his vacation. Zhang Jun told Wang Jun that he spent a week in an unknown village in Yunnan. He thought that village had beautiful scenery and the houses had their own characteristics. | |||
| Beginner | 我和我爸都觉得我妈进入更年期了 | My dad and I think my mom's going through menopause | Mandarin Chinese Story | 10 août 2024 | 00:00:46 | |
Gao Jin says his mom has been very short-tempered this year. Both he and his dad think his mom is going through menopause. Li Yang is concerned and asks Gao Jin if his mom has seen a doctor. Gao Jin replies that she hasn't and explains why. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】我妈现在可以接受我不结婚了 | [Conversation] My mom now accepts that I won't get married | Mandarin Chinese Story | 10 août 2024 | 00:01:07 | |
Lin Meng tells Zhang Ying that her mom never pushed her to get married after the divorce. Zhang Ying thinks that Lin Meng's mom is not only empathetic but also loves Lin Meng. Lin Meng agrees with what Zhang Ying says, so Lin Meng prefers to take care of and be with her mom than get married. | |||
| Intermediate | 很多健身房开在了不太容易被注意到的地方 | Many gyms open in less noticeable places | Mandarin Chinese Story | 03 août 2024 | 00:00:50 | |
In order to reduce the operation cost, many fitness studios are opened in less noticeable places. And people dare to do so because, in China, gyms can get a lot of attracted orders by doing promotions on their apps. | |||
| Advanced | 为了实现自己的医学梦，清华毕业生毕业十多年后再次参加高考 | To realize his medical dream, Tsinghua graduate takes college entrance exam again after graduating for more than a decade | Mandarin Chinese Story | 03 août 2024 | 00:01:47 | |
Li Long, 35, graduated from Tsinghua University many years ago. With his heart set on studying medicine, he took the college entrance exam again this year. Although he only studied for less than two hundred days, Li Long scored 626 points. Netizens were surprised by this score and expressed their admiration for him. | |||
| Beginner | 阿姨真的很善解人意 | Auntie is really understanding | Mandarin Chinese Story | 03 août 2024 | 00:00:45 | |
Gao Yue's mom came to visit her at Gao Yue's house last week. Zhang Li knows that Gao Yue's house doesn't have any kitchenware, so she's curious if Gao Yue's mom criticized Gao Yue for that. Gao Yue tells Zhang Li... | |||
| Beginner | 我真不理解他们为什么会喜欢运动 | I really don't understand why they like sports | Mandarin Chinese Story | 27 juil. 2024 | 00:00:44 | |
Gao Jin exclaims that primary school students nowadays really like sports. To this, Li Yang feels that primary school students can enjoy sports because they have been exercising a lot since they were kids. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】无人驾驶的网约车真的来了！ | [Conversation] Unmanned internet cars are really coming! | Mandarin Chinese Story | 27 juil. 2024 | 00:01:01 | |
Lin Meng tells Zhang Ying that she took a driverless internet car over the weekend. Zhang Ying is surprised by this. She's curious if ordinary people can take it. Lin Meng tells her... | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】“剩菜盲盒”在上海火了！ | [Conversation] “Blind boxes for leftovers” are on fire in Shanghai! | Mandarin Chinese Story | 27 juil. 2024 | 00:01:56 | |
Some cafeterias open to the public in Shanghai have introduced “blind boxes for leftovers”. The boxes are cheap, so many people who want to save money like them. Lin Meng and Zhang Ying discuss their views on the “blind leftover box”. | |||
| Advanced | 中国人对东南亚国家偏好的变化 | Changes in Chinese Preferences for Southeast Asian Countries | Mandarin Chinese Story | 20 juil. 2024 | 00:01:08 | |
The article discusses the impact of movies depicting Southeast Asian cybercrime syndicates on tourism, particularly in Thailand. In contrast, Indonesia's welcoming stance towards Chinese investment has increased its appeal, leading to more people visiting and even settling there for business opportunities. | |||
| Intermediate | 美团加大了对商家的“压榨” |Meituan has increased its "squeeze" on merchants | Mandarin Chinese Story | 20 juil. 2024 | 00:00:48 | |
In order to save money, more and more people are starting to cook their own meals at home, especially those who are worried that they may be unemployed. And fewer people ordering takeaways is directly affecting the revenue of takeaway company Meituan. | |||
| Beginner | 为了健康，我们应该早睡早起 | For health, we should go to bed early and get up early | Mandarin Chinese Story | 20 juil. 2024 | 00:00:44 | |
Gao Yue's mother suggests she should change her habit of going to bed too late. Zhang Li agrees with the advice for health reasons, but Gao Yue finds it difficult to achieve. | |||
| Beginner | 我的网店已经开始赚钱了 | My online shop has started making money | Mandarin Chinese Story | 13 juil. 2024 | 00:00:46 | |
Gao Jin's online shop is profitable after four months of hard work without rest. Li Yang congratulates and believes in its future success due to Gao Jin's dedication. | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】我想带我爸妈去泰国参加泼水节 | [Conversation] I want to take my parents to Thailand for the Water-Sprinkling Festival | Mandarin Chinese Story | 13 juil. 2024 | 00:01:14 | |
Lin Meng expresses interest in attending Thailand's Water-Sprinkling Festival after seeing videos, and plans to go next year with her parents. Zhang Ying shares her positive experience but warns that the intensity of the festival might shock or tire the elderly. Lin Meng assures that her parents are adventurous and would enjoy it. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】我觉得当电工更有尊严 | [ Conversation ] I think it's more dignified to be an electrician | Mandarin Chinese Story | 13 juil. 2024 | 00:00:59 | |
Zhang Jun plans to switch to an electrician job, feeling it's more dignified than office work. Wang Jun agrees but can't become a carpenter due to his mother's concern about prestige. | |||
| Beginner | 我妈觉得年龄大了后减肥变难了 | My mum thinks it's harder to lose weight when you're older | Mandarin Chinese Story | 06 juil. 2024 | 00:00:53 | |
Gao Yue's mother has been struggling with weight loss, while Zhang Li's mother has had success. Gao Yue asks if Zhang Li's mother could share her experience, and Zhang Li agrees to arrange a call. | |||
| Intermediate | 宠物用品市场依旧繁荣 | The pet supplies market remains prosperous | Mandarin Chinese Story | 06 juil. 2024 | 00:00:45 | |
Despite a poor economic climate, people continue to spend on pets, prompting many to start businesses in pet supplies. This has increased the number of factories producing pet products. However, pet brands face challenges in survival and are researching unique demands of buyers from different countries to stay competitive. | |||
| Advanced | 为什么很多中国家长想让孩子读国际学校 | Why many Chinese parents want to send their children to international schools | Mandarin Chinese Story | 06 juil. 2024 | 00:01:27 | |
Many Chinese parents send their children to international schools for better education, resulting in fluent English from a young age and a broadened worldview due to diverse student backgrounds. Despite this, students are not idle, often busy cultivating skills to meet the admission preferences of top global universities, including excelling in sports. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】很多人因为觉得自己学历高而不想“讨好”企业 | [ Conversation ] Many people don't want to ‘please’ companies because they think they are highly educated | Mandarin Chinese Story | 29 juin 2024 | 00:01:05 | |
This conversation discusses the complexities of finding jobs for highly educated individuals. Many with high degrees struggle to find employment, and some regret pursuing further studies. While qualifications are important, employers value practical skills and emotional intelligence as well. | |||
| Beginner | 我真的很想去减肥营 | I really want to go to the weight loss camp | Mandarin Chinese Story | 29 juin 2024 | 00:00:46 | |
Li Yang plans to go to a weight loss camp for seven days during the holiday to lose weight, as he has been busy with business trips and has no time to do so. Gao Jin offers to help him lose weight based on his experience, but Li Yang insists on attending the weight loss camp. | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】好多企业都在为中东业务招人 | [ Conversation ] A lot of companies are hiring for Middle East business | Mandarin Chinese Story | 29 juin 2024 | 00:01:42 | |
The conversation discusses the growing popularity of Middle East market for job opportunities. Companies are recruiting with high standards, seeking candidates with international exposure and cultural adaptability. | |||
| Intermediate | 中国大陆最大的外卖平台成功占领香港市场 |Mainland China's largest takeaway platform successfully captures Hong Kong market | Mandarin Chinese Story | 22 juin 2024 | 00:00:52 | |
Meituan's Hong Kong business, KeeTa, has reportedly become the number one takeaway service company in the city, owning about 45 per cent of the market share. And that's less than a year after Meituan entered the Hong Kong market. | |||
| Advanced | 庞大的“教育移民”需求让小众的移民项目备受关注 | Huge demand for ‘educational immigration’ puts niche immigration programmes in the spotlight | Mandarin Chinese Story | 22 juin 2024 | 00:01:23 | |
In order to keep their children from taking the highly competitive college entrance exams, many middle-class families are migrating early. And the huge demand for immigration beyond expectation has made the immigration requirements of popular countries higher. This makes people start to pay attention to some niche immigration programmes. | |||
| Beginner | 我妈不希望我经常出差 | My mum doesn't want me to take a lot of business trips | Mandarin Chinese Story | 22 juin 2024 | 00:00:40 | |
The conversation between Gao Yue and Zhang Li focuses on Gao Yue's mother's concern about her daughter working at Huawei due to frequent business trips. Zhang Li disagrees, expressing her preference for such a job. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】我学习AI绘画的微信群被解散了 | [Conversation] My WeChat group for learning AI painting was disbanded | Mandarin Chinese Story | 15 juin 2024 | 00:01:11 | |
The conversation is about Wang Jun's dissatisfaction with an AI painting course he bought online. The WeChat group for the course was disbanded. Zhang Jun understood Wang Jun's mood of hoping to use AI to improve the efficiency of working. | |||
| Beginner | 我觉得我上司疯了 | I think my boss is crazy | Mandarin Chinese Story | 15 juin 2024 | 00:00:53 | |
Gao Jin thought his boss was crazy. Because his boss now not only required them to be at the company at eight in the morning, but also didn't allow them to eat breakfast at the company. In response, Li Yang felt that eight o'clock was too early to go to work. | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】我一直很喜欢用网盘储存我的照片 | [Conversation] I have always been fond of using cloud storage to store my photos | Mandarin Chinese Story | 15 juin 2024 | 00:01:14 | |
Wang Jun says his wife won't let him use the Baidu.com drive anymore. Wang Jun and Zhang Jun thus discuss the Baidu.com drive and the issue of data privacy. | |||
| Beginner | 王军想给你介绍一个男生 | Wang Jun wants to introduce a boy to you | Mandarin Chinese Story | 08 juin 2024 | 00:00:54 | |
Gao Yue's boyfriend Wang Jun wants to introduce his friend to Zhang Li. So Gao asked Zhang if she wanted a boyfriend now. | |||
| Intermediate | 谷歌面临新的挑战 | Google faces a new challenge | Mandarin Chinese Story | 08 juin 2024 | 00:00:35 | |
Microsoft has released hardware with many AI services in it. Many people have begun to speculate whether Google will also release such a device. | |||
| Advanced | 一些欧洲国家要抵制自行车 | Some European countries want to boycott bicycles | Mandarin Chinese Story | 08 juin 2024 | 00:01:11 | |
It is well known that many Europeans like to travel by bicycle. However, it has been reported that there is a boycott of bicycles in some European countries. | |||
| Advanced | 【对话】你可以尝试做一个数字人来穿你的旗袍 | [Conversation] You can try to make a digital person to wear your cheongsam | Mandarin Chinese Story | 01 juin 2024 | 00:01:48 | |
CHatGPT appears in the credits of Indian comedies. Thus, Lin Meng and Zhang Ying discussed the use of AI to make videos and digital people. | |||
| Beginner | 妈妈们真的可以为了孩子付出一切 | Mothers really can do anything for their children | Mandarin Chinese Story | 01 juin 2024 | 00:00:54 | |
Gao Jin's mom now goes to Gao Jin's sister's house every day after work to cook for his sister and take care of the kids for her. He thinks his mom is working too hard. Li Yang said that if Gao Jin's mom doesn't go, the one who works hard is Gao Jin's sister. For this reason, Li Yang sighs that moms can really give everything for their children. | |||
| Intermediate | 【对话】王军因为没完成销售目标而感到沮丧 | [Conversation] Wang Jun was frustrated because he didn't meet his sales target | Mandarin Chinese Story | 01 juin 2024 | 00:01:00 | |
Wang Jun lamented that although he had not taken a break for 16 days, he still had not met his sales target. Zhang Jun reassured him that this was because the current market was not good. | |||
| Intermediate | 去县城度假的年轻人变多了 | More and more young people are going to the county for holidays | Mandarin Chinese Story | 25 mai 2024 | 00:00:55 | |
For vacations, young people prefer to have a good rest than traveling in crowded places. They do not want to continue to consume themselves while on vacation. Therefore, some counties with fewer people and less expense and nice scenery have become the first choice of young people for vacation. | |||
| Beginner | 把房子租出去的话，你住哪儿？ | Where will you live if you rent out the house? | Mandarin Chinese Story | 25 mai 2024 | 00:00:44 | |
Gao Jin decides to rent out his house. But Li Yang is curious where Gao Jin will live if he rents out his house. Gao Jin says he'll stay at his parents' house because... | |||