Chinese Bites — with Jianying | HSK3️⃣

I heard it’s going to rain this weekend, so I’m planning to stay home and watch a movie. Let’s learn how to say “I heard / people say” in Chinese. 听说 （tīng shuō) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 听说这周末要下雨。 Tīng shuō zhè zhōumò yào xià yǔ. I heard it’s going to rain this weekend. 所以我打算在家休息，看一部新电影。 Suǒyǐ wǒ dǎsuàn zà...

We went to a restaurant last night, but there were too many people, so I said, “How about we go somewhere else?”Let’s learn how to say “how about / otherwise / why not” in Chinese. 要不 （yào bù) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 昨天晚上我和朋友约好出去吃饭。 Zuótiān wǎnshang wǒ hé péngyou yuē hǎo chūqù chī fàn. Last night, my friend and I pl...

I love autumn — especially that cool feeling in the morning air, and the sound of golden leaves under my feet. Let’s learn how to say “especially / in particular” in Chinese. 特别是 （tè bié shì) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 我很喜欢秋天， Wǒ hěn xǐhuan qiūtiān, I really like autumn, 特别是早上空气凉凉的那种感觉。 tèbié shì zǎoshang kōngq...

Everyone has their own way to relax. Take my friend for example — she likes hiking, while I prefer staying home with coffee and a book. Let’s learn how to say “take … for example” in Chinese. 拿……来说 （ná … lái shuō) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 最近我发现，很多人都有自己的放松方式。 Zuìjìn wǒ fāxiàn, hěn duō rén dōu yǒu zìjǐ de fàngsōng...

This morning I thought it was a bit cold, so I decided to wear one more layer — but then the sun came out! Let’s learn how to say “a little bit / slightly” in Chinese. 稍微 (shāo wēi) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. 今天早上我出门的时候，天气有点儿凉。 Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ chūmén de shíhou, tiānqì yǒu diǎnr liáng. This morning when I went out, it felt a bit cool. 我想了...

I saw someone running toward the subway this morning, talking on the phone — clearly in a hurry to get to work! Let’s learn how to say “in a hurry / rushing to” in Chinese. 急着 (jí zhe) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. 今天早上我出门的时候，看到楼下有一个人， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ chūmén de shíhou, kàn dào lóu xià yǒu yí gè rén, This morning when I left home, I saw someo...

I’ve been ordering from the same restaurant every day, but now I’m really getting tired of it! Let’s learn how to say “tired of / fed up with” in Chinese. 腻 (nì) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. 最近我每天中午都点同一家餐厅的饭。 Zuìjìn wǒ měitiān zhōngwǔ dōu diǎn tóng yì jiā cāntīng de fàn. Recently, I’ve been ordering lunch from the same restaurant every day. 一开始...

I wanted to sleep more but also wanted to get to work early —I thought, “Ugh, I’m so conflicted!” Let’s learn how to say “conflicted / to have mixed feelings” in Chinese. 矛盾 (máo dùn) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. 昨天我加班到很晚， Zuótiān wǒ jiābān dào hěn wǎn, Yesterday I worked overtime until late, 今天早上闹钟响的时候，我特别想再睡一会儿。 Jīntiān zǎoshang nào...

My friend asked if I liked working from home. I said, “To be honest, I feel a bit conflicted — it’s nice, but sometimes too quiet.” Let’s learn how to say “to be honest / honestly speaking” in Chinese. 说实话 (shuō shí huà) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. 昨天朋友问我： Zuótiān péngyou wèn wǒ: Yesterday my friend asked me: “你喜欢在家工作吗？” “Nǐ xǐhuan zài jiā gōngzu...

I got up early and left home in a great mood, but just as I reached the subway — it started raining! Let’s learn how to say “just / unfortunately / against expectations” in Chinese. 偏偏 (piān piān) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我起得特别早，想早点出门上班。 Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qǐ de tèbié zǎo, xiǎng zǎo diǎn chūmén shàngbān. This...

The subway was so crowded today that I could barely move. I thought, “Oh no, I really can’t stand this anymore!” Let’s learn how to say “can’t stand / can’t take it anymore” in Chinese. 受不了 (shòu bù liǎo) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天地铁上人特别多。 Jīntiān dìtiě shàng rén tèbié duō. The subway was super crowded today. 大家都挤在...

On the subway yesterday, someone next to me kept sneezing. I thought, “Oh no, I hope I don’t catch a cold,” and quietly said,“Stay a little farther away from me!” Let’s learn how to say “stay away / back off a bit” in Chinese. 离我远点儿 (lí wǒ yuǎn diǎnr) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 昨天我在地铁上，旁边有个人一直打喷嚏。 Zuótiān wǒ zài...

My colleague looked tired this morning, and when he said he’d worked until 1 a.m., I said, “No wonder you’re so sleepy today!”Let’s learn how to say “no wonder / that explains why” in Chinese. 难怪 （nán guài) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我去公司，发现同事看起来很累。 Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qù gōngsī, fāxiàn tóngshì kàn qǐlái hěn lè...

I wanted to go grocery shopping after work, but I thought, “It’s too crowded — it’d be better to order takeout.” Let’s learn how to say “not as good as / it would be better to” in Chinese. 不如 （bù rú) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 昨天我下班的时候，本来想去超市买菜， Zuótiān wǒ xiàbān de shíhou, běnlái xiǎng qù chāoshì mǎi cài,Yesterday...

My friend said that drinking more coffee will definitely make you feel awake, but I said, “Not necessarily — sometimes it makes me sleepier!” Let’s learn how to say “not necessarily / not always true” in Chinese. 不见得（ bú jiàn de) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 昨天朋友跟我说： Zuótiān péngyou gēn wǒ shuō:Yesterday, my friend told me: “...

My friend asked if I wanted to go hiking this weekend, but I’ve been so busy lately that I said, “Let’s talk about it later.”Let’s learn how to say “we’ll see / let’s talk about it later” in Chinese. 再说吧 （zài shuō ba) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 昨天晚上朋友问我： Zuótiān wǎnshang péngyou wèn wǒ:Last night, my friend asked me: “周末...

On my way to work, I saw a new coffee shop and thought, “If the coffee is good, I’ll come again tomorrow.” And guess what? It really was! Let’s learn how to say “if / suppose” in Chinese. 要是 （yào shi) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我去公司， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qù gōngsī,This morning, I went to the office. 路上看到一家新的咖啡店...

Before going out, I looked at the sky and thought, “I’d better take an umbrella — what if it rains?” And sure enough, it did! Let’s learn how to say “in case / what if” in Chinese. 万一 （wàn yī) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上出门前， Jīntiān zǎoshang chūmén qián,This morning before going out, 我看了看天空，有点儿灰。 Wǒ kàn le kàn...

My friend called me early this morning, and I said, “Why are you calling me so early?” Let’s learn how to say “what for / why / what are you doing” in Chinese. 干嘛 (gàn má) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我刚起床， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ gāng qǐchuáng,This morning, I had just gotten up, 我的朋友就给我打电话。 wǒ de péngyou jiù gěi wǒ...

I was chatting with my friend about countries we want to visit,and I said, “Japan is one of the places I want to go the most.”Let’s learn how to say “one of…” in Chinese. ……之一 (zhī yī) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 昨天我和朋友聊天， Zuótiān wǒ hé péngyou liáotiān,Yesterday I was chatting with a friend, 我们说起最想去的国家。 wǒmen shuō...

When I went out this morning, I saw dark clouds and strong wind —it looked like it was going to rain soon. Let’s learn how to say “it seems / looks like” in Chinese. 看样子 (kàn yàngzi) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我出门的时候， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ chūmén de shíhou,This morning, when I went out, 看到天上有很多黑云。 kàn dào tiān...

It started raining when I went to buy breakfast this morning,so I thought, “Forget it — anyway, I still have bread at home.”Let’s learn how to say “anyway / in any case” in Chinese. 反正 (fǎn zhèng) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我准备去买早餐， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ zhǔnbèi qù mǎi zǎocān,This morning, I was getting ready to buy brea...

This morning, I noticed it was much colder than yesterday — everyone was wearing coats! Let’s learn how to say “much …er / a lot more” in Chinese. 得多（ de duō) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我去上班的路上， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qù shàngbān de lù shàng,This morning on my way to work, 发现天气比昨天冷得多。 fāxiàn tiānqì bǐ zuótiān...

When I arrived at the office this morning, everyone was looking out the window. I asked, “What’s going on?” Turns out, it was snowing heavily outside! Let’s learn how to say “what’s going on / what happened” in Chinese. 怎么回事 （zěnme huí shì) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 今天早上我去公司， Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ qù gōngsī,This morning, I...

I’ve been busy with work these weeks and haven’t really gone out much. When my friend asked what I did this weekend, I said, “Not much — just stayed home.” Let’s learn how to say “didn’t really / haven’t really” in Chinese. 没怎么 （méi zěnme) Hello，大家好，我是Janine。 Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine. Hello everyone, I’m Janine. 这几个星期我工作有点忙， Zhè jǐ gè xīngqī wǒ gōngzuò yǒudiǎn máng,T...