Welcome to Little Mandarin, your weekly companion for exploring the Chinese language and culture! Each topic is presented in two versions:
🎙 Tuesday – English Episode: Perfect for beginners (HSK1–3). We explore key grammar, useful vocabulary, and cultural context.
🎙 Thursdays: Mandarin real talk for intermediate learners and curious beginners. A more intimate look into modern Chinese life
Hosted by Eudora — born in China, shaped in London, now recording from Paris.
▶ Lessons: https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1750365014.903645&ep=
▶ YouTube: The Mandarin Edit
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Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
Flirting in Mandarin 😏 Learn playful Chinese expressions, from “thinking of you” to “want to grab coffee together?” 💫 Perfect for fun daily chats, bar talk, or texting with someone special.
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
Learn how to give cute compliments in Mandarin 💕 From “you’re so cute” to “your smile is so bright,” this episode will teach you natural, everyday expressions that make conversations warmer. Perfect for friends, partners, and anyone you want to make smile!
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
🍢🍜 After karaoke comes the best part — midnight snacks! In this episode, we explore Chinese 夜宵 culture, from BBQ skewers to hot dry noodles. Learn how to use “要不要…?” to invite friends, plus key Mandarin words you can use at a late-night food stall. Perfect for learners who want real-life, tasty Mandarin! 🌙✨
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
🎤 Ready to sing your heart out? In this episode, we dive into karaoke nightlife in China — also known as KTV! Learn how to say “I want to sing,” how to order songs, and some fun cultural details about Chinese karaoke. Perfect for beginners (HSK1–3) who want to practice Mandarin in a fun, real-life context. Don’t miss Thursday’s follow-up episode on late-night snacks after karaoke! 🍢🍜
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
🍡🥟 Sweet or salty? In this episode, we compare China’s favorite snacks — tanghulu, jianbing, baozi, and youtiao. You’ll learn how to make comparisons in Mandarin, expand your snack vocabulary, and enjoy a cozy reflection on how these little foods connect people.
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
🍠🌰🌽 Let’s talk about the cozy street foods of autumn in China — roasted sweet potatoes, corn, and chestnuts! In this episode, you’ll learn useful Mandarin words, how to say your “favorite,” and enjoy a warm reflection on why these simple snacks make life feel so comforting.
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
🌸 In this episode, we learn polite and respectful ways to talk with seniors in Mandarin. Practice using “请” with “您,” review 又 and 再, and discover expressions full of warmth and care.
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
Let’s talk about autumn activities in Mandarin and the Chongyang Festival (重阳节). Learn new seasonal words, practice grammar with 又 and 再, and discover the meaning of this traditional festival.
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
Let’s explore the five flavors of Chinese food — sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty! In this episode, you’ll learn how to describe taste in Mandarin, practice the grammar 很 / 有点, and discover how flavors are also a metaphor for life.
Let’s learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
🍲🔥 Let’s talk about Chinese hotpot (火锅 huǒguō)! In this episode, you’ll learn fun and useful Mandarin words to describe hotpot, practice the grammar 一边…一边… (doing two things at the same time), and discover why hotpot is not just food, but also a way of connecting with friends. Cozy, warm, and delicious!
English translation: After singing, we went to eat late-night snacks. 🎤🍢 There were many food stalls: skewers, hot dry noodles, spicy hotpot. We ordered some lamb skewers and beer. Everyone was eating and chatting at the same time. Even very late at night, there were still many people on the street. That night, we felt tired, but also very happy.
唱歌 – to sing
I like singing.
跳舞 – to dance 他们在房间里跳舞。 They are dancing in the room.
麦克风 – microphone 请把麦克风给我。 Please give me the microphone.
点歌 – to choose a song 我想点一首中文歌。 I want to choose a Chinese song.
好听 – sounds good 这首歌很好听。 This song sounds very nice.
朋友 – friend 我跟朋友一起唱歌。 I sing with my friends.
喝酒 – to drink alcohol 我们唱歌的时候也喝酒。 We drink when we sing karaoke.
Sentence Examples
A: 你想唱歌吗？ (Nǐ xiǎng chànggē ma?) Do you want to sing?
B: 好啊，我想点一首周杰伦的歌！ (Hǎo a, wǒ xiǎng diǎn yī shǒu Zhōu Jiélún de gē!) Sure, I want to choose a Jay Chou song!
A: 哈哈，你唱得不好听！ (Hāhā, nǐ chàng de bù hǎotīng!) Haha, you don’t sing very well!
B: 没关系，开心就好！ (Méi guānxi, kāixīn jiù hǎo!) No worries, it’s all about having fun!
English translation: Last night, I went to karaoke with my friends. 🎤 First, we ordered songs, and each person chose one. I sang a Chinese song, they sang English songs. Some people sang really well, some didn’t, but everyone was happy. We drank some beer and ate some snacks. 🍟🍺 We sang until very late, still laughing, still singing. That night, we were tired, but very happy.
冬天在北方街头常常能看到糖葫芦。
In northern China, you often see tanghulu in winter.
煎饼 – Chinese pancake / jianbing 早上很多人喜欢吃煎饼。 Many people like to eat jianbing in the morning.
包子 – steamed bun 我早餐经常买包子。 I often buy baozi for breakfast.
油条 – fried dough stick 油条和豆浆是经典的早餐组合。 Fried dough with soy milk is a classic breakfast combo.
甜 – sweet 这杯奶茶太甜了。 This milk tea is too sweet.
咸 – salty/savory 我更喜欢咸的味道。 I prefer savory flavors.
小吃 – snack / street food 夜市有很多好吃的小吃。 There are many delicious snacks at the night market.
选择 – choice 在甜的和咸的之间，你的选择是什么？ Between sweet and savory, what’s your choice?
Actually, whether it’s sweet or savory, street snacks always carry a special vibe. Eating tanghulu in winter makes your mouth sweet, grabbing a jianbing in the morning feels convenient and warm, or sharing soy milk and fried dough with a friend. These snacks are simple, but behind them is connection between people. What you taste isn’t just the flavor, but also the feeling of the moment.
她在路边买了一根玉米。
She bought a corn on the cob from the street vendor.
板栗 – chestnut 热乎乎的板栗很好吃。 Warm chestnuts taste so good.
摊子 – street stall 晚上街上有很多小吃摊子。 At night, there are many food stalls on the street.
You know, these street snacks are really simple, but they always make people happy. In winter, holding a hot roasted sweet potato and eating it while walking makes you feel warm all over. Chestnuts too — peeling the shell slowly while chatting with friends makes time feel slower. It’s not really about the special taste, but about how these little things make the whole day feel more comfortable.
您好 (nín hǎo) — hello (polite)
Hello, Grandma.
请坐 (qǐng zuò) — please sit 爷爷，请坐。 Grandpa, please sit.
请喝茶 (qǐng hē chá) — please have tea 奶奶，请喝茶。 Grandma, please have some tea.
慢走 (màn zǒu) — take care on your way 叔叔，慢走。 Uncle, take care on your way.
保重 (bǎozhòng) — take care of yourself 奶奶，您要保重。 Grandma, please take care of yourself.
您 (nín) — polite “you” 您身体好吗？ How is your health?
身体健康 (shēntǐ jiànkāng) — good health 祝您身体健康。 I wish you good health.
长寿 (chángshòu) — longevity 祝爷爷长寿。 I wish grandpa longevity.
尊敬 (zūnjìng) — respect 我们要尊敬老人。 We should respect the elders.
礼貌 (lǐmào) — politeness 跟老人说话要有礼貌。 When speaking to elders, you should be polite.
🗣 Example Sentences with 请
爷爷，请坐，这里比较舒服。 Grandpa, please sit here, it’s more comfortable.
奶奶，天气冷，请喝茶。 Grandma, it’s cold, please have some tea.
叔叔，请进，家里请。 Uncle, please come in, welcome inside.
奶奶，您累了，请休息一下。 Grandma, you’re tired, please rest a little.
爸爸，请慢走，路上小心。 Dad, take care on your way, please walk slowly.
阿姨，请等等我，一起走。 Auntie, please wait for me, let’s go together.
爷爷，请注意身体，别感冒。 Grandpa, please take care of your health, don’t catch a cold.
In China, when we talk with seniors, we often add a little more politeness. For example, saying “nín hǎo,” or “please sit” — it’s not only about being polite, it’s about showing care. When elders hear it, they feel warm inside. Most of the time, they don’t need big gifts, they just hope you can spend more time with them and say things like “please take care” or “please walk safely.” These small sentences are simple and everyday, but they mean a lot to elders.
I visit the elders.
爬山 (pá shān) — to climb a mountain 我们去爬山。 We go climb a mountain.
秋天 (qiūtiān) — autumn, fall 秋天来了。 Autumn has arrived.
天气凉快 (tiānqì liángkuai) — the weather is cool 秋天的天气很凉快。 The autumn weather is cool.
喝茶 (hē chá) — to drink tea 秋天我喜欢喝茶。 In autumn, I like to drink tea.
吃糕 (chī gāo) — to eat cake/pastry 我们在节日吃糕。 We eat cake during the festival.
晒太阳 (shài tàiyáng) — to enjoy the sunshine 我们在秋天晒太阳。 We enjoy the sunshine in autumn.
散步 (sànbù) — to take a walk 傍晚我们去散步。 We take a walk in the evening.
看风景 (kàn fēngjǐng) — to enjoy the scenery 我们去山上看风景。 We go to the mountain to enjoy the scenery.
树叶 (shùyè) — leaves 秋天的树叶很漂亮。 The autumn leaves are beautiful.
野餐 (yěcān) — picnic 他们在公园里野餐。 They have a picnic in the park.
旅游 (lǚyóu) — to travel 秋天我们去旅游。 We travel in autumn.
拍照 (pāi zhào) — to take photos 他们喜欢在秋天拍照。 They like to take photos in autumn.
买水果 (mǎi shuǐguǒ) — to buy fruit 秋天我去市场买水果。 In autumn, I go to the market to buy fruit.
In China, the Chongyang Festival is not really a “big and noisy” holiday. It feels more like a reminder — that the elders at home need our company. Many people are busy, but on this day, they remember to make a phone call, to go back for a visit. Climbing a mountain, eating cake, drinking tea — these all seem like small things, but really, they’re reasons to bring family together. Doing it again every year — that’s the meaning of a festival.
苦 – bitter 咖啡有点苦。 Coffee is a little bitter.
辣 – spicy 四川火锅很辣。 Sichuan hotpot is very spicy.
咸 – salty 这碗汤有点咸。 This bowl of soup is a little salty.
酱油 – soy sauce 火锅蘸料里有酱油。 There is soy sauce in the hotpot dipping sauce.
醋 – vinegar 我喜欢在饺子里放点醋。 I like adding vinegar to dumplings.
English translation: Have you noticed that sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty are not just flavors? In life, we also experience them. Sour is when you feel sad and want to cry; sweet is those happy, joyful moments; bitter is when you work late or study hard — tired, but you keep going; spicy is like facing challenges — a little painful, but unforgettable; and salty is the daily routine, sometimes plain, but it’s the foundation of life. Just like hotpot needs many different seasonings, life also needs all these flavors mixed together to be complete.
羊肉 – lamb
Beijing people eat lamb hotpot while drinking tea.
鱼 – fish 她一边夹鱼，一边说“好吃”。 She picks up fish while saying “delicious.”
豆腐 – tofu 我们一边吃豆腐，一边看手机。 We eat tofu while looking at our phones.
蔬菜 – vegetables 你一边吃蔬菜，一边听音乐。 You eat vegetables while listening to music.
汤 – soup 我一边喝汤，一边和朋友说话。 I drink soup while talking with my friends.
辣 – spicy 他一边吃辣火锅，一边流汗。 He eats spicy hotpot while sweating.
蘑菇 – mushroom 我们一边吃蘑菇，一边开玩笑。 We eat mushrooms while joking around.
土豆 – potato 她一边吃土豆，一边笑。 She eats potato while laughing.
米饭 – rice 我一边吃米饭，一边看电视。 I eat rice while watching TV.
饮料 – drink 他们一边喝饮料，一边等火锅。 They drink beverages while waiting for the hotpot.
一起 – together 我们一起吃火锅，很开心。 We eat hotpot together and feel happy.
好吃 – delicious 火锅真的很好吃！ Hotpot is really delicious!
In China, hotpot is not only food, it’s also a way of socializing. Friends gather together, chatting slowly, eating slowly. When eating hotpot, you don’t need to rush, because the most important thing is the company.
