Listen and Learn Chinese

For the second iteration of Mandarin Comprehensible input we analyze a passage from the extremely popular TED talk by Simon Sinek “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” There’s a lot of vocabulary in this short episode, so be sure to check out the PDF in the link below.

Comprehensible Input is a powerful and efficient way of learning a language in which a learner consumes high volumes of target-language media content and lets their brain do the task of pattern recognition to learn vocabulary in context and infer grammar rules intuitively. We are taking Mandarin content and making it just the right amount comprehensible for beginner and intermediate learners, and this first episode breaks down a high-yield paragraph from Angela Lee Duckworth's TED Talk "Grit: The power of passion and perseverance".

For more on Comprehensible input please visit: Listenandlearnchinese.com/comprehensibleinput

An arsenal of learning tools can supercharge your learning and help you get the most out of your time. In this episode we go through phrases that will help you to acquire more vocabulary and the super dictionary app pleco and a chrome extension that provides pronunciation and definitions on mouse hover.

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien get the journey started with a basic “hello how are you” conversation and also talk about what motivates them to learn Mandarin.

Hasnaien and Max talk about their passion and reasons for learning languages. As the resident polyglot Hasnaien makes the connections between Plains Cree and Mandarin, Swahili, and Urdu, and teaches how to accept compliments in Chinese. In this episode, we speak in English.

Can’t believe it took us 17 episodes to explain numbers but here we are! Numbers (shùjù) in Chinese are crucially important to know because shùjù affect your tones, grammar, and word choice while speaking Mandarin. Max and Hasnaien explain the shùjù system in Chinese and by the end of this episode, you’ll have the building blocks to recognize and make virtually any basic number you’ll come across.

Paying (fùqián) is a universal aspect of ordering food (diǎncài) at a restaurant (cāntīng) and requires navigating options and cultural dynamics. Capping off our basic restaurant conversation, Max and Hasnaien provide an example discussion of how you might be able to retain your honor at the end of the meal.

Ordering food at a restaurant (cānguǎn) is all about choice. It is important to learn how to navigate choices of food (shíwù), drink (yǐnliào), and utensils. An extensive addition to our basic restaurant conversation, Max and Hasnaien develop on booking a reservation and add additional vocabulary like fish maw soup, Peking duck, and Shanghai fried noodles.

A standard part of any restaurant (cānguǎn), experience is setting up a reservation (yùdìng) and the small talk that happens before you place an order.

Building on our basic restaurant conversation, Max and Hasnaien introduce booking a reservation and add additional vocabulary like egg fried rice, black tea, and green tea.

Dining in a Chinese restaurant (cāntīng) is a deceptively complex linguistic challenge that requires knowledge of numbers, polite phrases such as xiǎng, and one’s favourite food (shíwù). Building on the basic restaurant conversation from Episode 12, Max and Hasnaien introduce the name of the restaurant and add additional vocabulary like spring rolls (chūnjuǎn), kung pao chicken (gōngbàojīdīng), and salt and pepper fried squid (jiāoyán yóuyú).

Chinese Food (shíwù)! Everyone has either eaten (chīle) it or they've at least heard of it! In this episode, we learn the basic conversation of how to dine in a Chinese restaurant (cāntīng). This will include getting seated and ordering (diǎncān). Being the first episode of our Restaurants (Cāntīng) Miniseries, this episode will be a framework upon which we build a progressively more complex conversation to cover every aspect of the cāntīng experience.

Max and Hasnaien interview Jessica Yan, Hasnaien’s first Chinese lǎoshǐ (teacher), who offers sage advice on how Mandarin learners can find success in their learning journey.

#10 - The Party Don’t Stop!

Unlike the Western New Year, xīnnián isn’t a single-day event, but rather an action-packed 16 days of fun that are deeply rooted in family, tradition, and culture.

#9 - Holiday Hunger

Food (shíwù) is a big part of Chinese culture, but never more than during xīnnián. Xīnnián shíwù (Chinese New Year food) also has a lot of tradition and a cultural meaning behind it.

#8 - Beyond Hěnhǎo

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien provide add more adjectives to their working vocabulary and apply them in a conversation to get to know someone’s interest in movies and film.

#7 -  New Year New Me

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien provide you with the key phrases you’ll need for Chinese New Year.

#6 - The Final Say

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien discuss the many final sounds of pīnyīn and how best to pronounce them.

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien discuss the initial sounds of pīnyīn and how best to pronounce them.

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien run through a basic introduction in Mandarin Chinese.

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien explore another dimension of tones by reviewing exception rules that change their pronunciations. You'll never look at the Third Tone the same ever again!

In this episode, Max and Hasnaien explain tones. In Mandarin, the way you say a word has just as much importance as its meaning.