五分钟中文 5 Minute Chinese

Hello everyone! Happy Lunar New Year! In today's podcast I talk about Lunar New Year celebratory activities at school. We went on a field trip on Tuesday, including a hotpot buffet meal and a visit to the Asian supermarket next door. We also did various other activities such as Chinese paper cutting and a "Cake Day" on Friday, where students brought cakes to celebrate. I also share...

Hello everyone! In this episode I discuss the difficulty of learning Chinese compared to other languages, using the Foreign Service Institute's categorization. It classifies languages into four levels of difficulty for English speakers. Chinese is considered a "super-hard language," requiring approximately 88 weeks (2200 class hours) to achieve general professional fluency. By compa...

Hello everyone! Welcome to a new episode of 5 Minute Chinese. I want to begin by thanking you for listening to my podcast. I sincerely hope that it helps make learning Mandarin Chinese authentic and fun.  Secondly, I want to update you on the busy period from the end of last year to the beginning of 2024. I share the unusually short winter break , lasting less than two weeks. After the brief break...

Hi all! Welcome to another episode of '5 Minutes Chinese'! In today's episode, we delve into the intriguing world of '轻断食' or intermittent fasting. I share my personal experiences with intermittent fasting and talk about the potential benefits, from weight management to improved insulin sensitivity, and overall health. Have you tried light fasting, or do you have questi...

Hello everyone! In this episode of 5-Minute Chinese, I want to share my personal experience with my recently purchased Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset. I talked about what VR is and my experience with the popular game Beat Saber. I also acknowledge some comfort issues, especially for glasses wearers like me. But overall I'm really satisfied with the virtual experience and look forward to...

Hello everyone! In this episode, I explore the modern hustle culture in the US and the pursuit a slower-paced living.  I delve into the good and bad the contrasting worlds of relentless ambition and intentional simplicity and talk about how we can balance both life styles.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show 如果您喜欢我的播客，欢迎通过下方方式表达您的支持。您的支持对我来说是巨大的鼓励。但无论如何...

Hello everyone! In today's episode, I answer the question: Do Chinese people celebrate Thanksgiving? The short answer is no. Thanksgiving is not a holiday in China. However, China has its own harvest festival: the Mid-Autumn Festival. Though only a handful of countries celebrate "Thanksgiving",  a lot of cultures have harvest festivals with a family feast  focusing on family reunion...

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another episode of 5 Minutes Chinese! In today's episode I want to share how I celebrated my birthday with a wonderful performance by the Beijing Dance Theater based on the Oscar Wilde fairy tale "The Nightingale and the Rose." Thank you for tuning in. Find the script and useful expression below. Have a great week! 大家好欢迎收听新一期的5分钟中文！大家这...

Hello everyone! Today I talk about a friend's recent trip to China. This episode is not scripted like I always do. As my friend just returned to the US today,  I asked her about her experiences. If you recall, in Episode 114, I discussed why you might want to think twice about traveling to China. In today's episode, we talk about how her trip aligns with the challenges I previously menti...

Hello everyone! In today's episode I describe my first time experience watching a cross country race at a local park and share the excitement and joy of seeing my students participate in the race, and the sense of fulfillment that comes from witnessing their accomplishments. It was such a positive experience to be part of students' success and the wider community.  Scripts and useful exp...

Hello everyone! Hope you are each well! Today's episode discusses the topic of foreign celebrities who can speak Chinese. The first two notable examples are Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, who made an effort to speak Chinese during a visit to Beijing, and Kevin Rudd, the former Australian Prime Minister, who is known for his deep understanding of Chinese culture and fluency in Mandarin. Las...

In this episode of "5 Minutes in Chinese," I discuss the influence of traditional Chinese medicine and wellness principles from the ancient classic The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic or "Huangdi Neijing." I specifically highlights the concept of the "Five Strains," which are habits or postures that can harm health if not managed. I also emphasize the importance o...

Hello everyone! In today's episode, I do a recap of my recent school camping trip experience and reflect on seven years of memories marked by the K-pop girl group Blackpink. I also share an update of my Blackpink-related YouTube channel, which almost has 6k subscribers now. I want to express my gratitude to all my followers here and on YouTube with whom I share my life. Thank you.  Scripts an...

Hello everyone! In this episode I wanted to explain why I wasn't able to update this weekend. First, I woke up super early at 5 AM to watch an online concert by Blackpink, which took place in Seoul, South Korea, with a significant time difference from my location. It left me feeling tired all day. Additionally, I need to prepare for a school trip, similar to the one I went on last year, invol...

Hello everyone! In this episode I discuss the Chinese solar term "Bailu," its cultural significance, and presented some traditional advice for this transitional period from summer to autumn which includes dietary and dressing recommendations. Hope everyone stay healthy as fall draws near. Script and useful expressions below. 大家好，欢迎收听新一期的五分钟中文。今天我想跟大家聊一聊中国的...

Hello everyone! In this episode I share my first-hand experience about my new YouTube channel, which has gained over 1000 subscribers in just two weeks. It has been a lot of fun sharing content and learning about video uploading tips. I plans to continue sharing BLACKPINK concert videos, but I also plan to start another channel for podcast-like content. If you have any suggestions, please email me...

Hello everyone! Welcome to another episode of 5 Minute Chinese. First I want to apologize for the extended gap between my episodes. And since it's been some time, I want to give you an update on what I've been doing recently, including the start of the school this week, the two Blackpink concerts in Newark last weekend, my ear infection, and my new gym. Hope you like it! Please email me...

Hello everyone! Hope you are doing well. Today's episode discusses why traveling to China might not be as easy as expected. While China offers rich cultural experiences, great historic and natural sites, and friendly locals, there are challenges such as limited flights and high costs, internet restrictions (Great Firewall) & barriers with local apps, and specific accommodation requirement...

Hello everyone! In today's episode I discuss three important points to consider when hiking alone. Firstly, choose popular trails where there are more people around for safety and assistance if needed. Secondly, pack essential supplies such as clothing, food, and equipment, and rely on yourself rather than others. Lastly, allow for extra time and be aware of your own physical capabilities to...

Hello everyone, in today's episode I share two more observations made by my parents about the US from our recent road trip. Firstly, they found that meat is cheaper in the U.S. compared to China, and they enjoyed eating it during their visit. Secondly, they felt Americans are more outgoing and friendly, with less negative energy, compared to the increasingly competitive and tense atmosphere i...

Hello everyone! Long time no see! I just came back from my road trip with my parents. We had a blast. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend such an amazing time with them after four years. In today's episode I want to share 3 things in the US that my parents think are different from China: cheap clothing, temperature of comfort, crowdedness of parks. Hope you enjoy!  大家好...

Hello everyone! Welcome to a new episode of 5 Minute Chinese. Before anything, I want to apologize for the delay in updating. We are almost half way through the year, and it has been the busiest for me. First, we did so much work around the house: putting down new floors and remodeling the kitchen. I also spent a lot of time researching and planning my parents' upcoming visit to the US. Lastl...

In this episode we talk about some tips on how to reduce stress in our school and daily life. 大家好，欢迎收听新一期的五分钟中文。今天是五月的第一天。五月是我们这个学年最后一个月了。期末马上就要到了。所以我想跟大家谈谈如何科学合理地减少期末这个月的压力。即使你不是学生，没有期末考试，也可以听听这些怎么减少压力的建议。因为我觉得我们现代人每天的压力真的太大了。 期末考试是很多人感到压力的时期，所以我...

Hello everyone, in today's episode I talk about prom in the US and why China doesn't have this tradition. Script and useful expressions below (by paragraph). Email me or leave a comment if you have any feedback on the show. Have a great day! 1）大家好，欢迎收听新一期的五分钟中文。今天我想跟大家介绍一下美国的prom：就是高中毕业舞会。美国高中学生快毕业以前，学校通常会举行一次“毕业舞会”。毕...

Hi everyone! In this episode I talk about Easter, it's traditions, and whether China has Easter. The script and useful expression are below. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me.  Thank you and have a great week! 0:00 (1)大家好，欢迎收听新一期的《五分钟中文》。今天我想跟大家聊一聊复活节。复活节是复活节是一个基督教节日，是为了纪念耶稣基督在三天后从死里复活的事...