Howto.Zhongwen好土中文

It is not an easy thing to find a suitable apartment in a foreign country. In this episode, Joanne and Lisa will talk about how to rent an apartment in Taiwan. What are the things you need to be careful about renting? Hope everyone can find their perfect place to stay after listening to our podcast. 在台灣租房子要怎麼租？在哪裡可以找到房子的資訊？有哪些需要注意的事情？讓好土中文podcast帶你了解在台...

Is your workplace /school far from your home? Do you need to commute for more than one hour? In this episode, April and Lisa will talk about commuting in Taiwan, including the reason for commuting, the way of commute, the feelings of the commuter, and things you can do during the commute. 你每天早上「通勤」的時間是多長？用什麼方法通勤呢？交通費跟房屋租金，哪一個你願意多付一些？在台灣通勤族通常在通...

Why do people buy more than they need during the annual sale season? In this episode, April and Lisa will introduce the expressions for promoting the big sale. You will also know the elements which form the shopping atmosphere and lead to impulse buying of the shopping festival in Taiwan. 遇到促銷活動的時候，你會不會買很多東西？購物節、週年慶的時候，商店常常會有「全年最低價」、「限時搶購」等各種優...

 Hot pot has always been very popular in winter. Preparing a basic broth (usually a mix of water, spices and salt), meat & seafood, starch, and vegetable, then you can enjoy it! Hot pot is a great way to socialize. 冬天要吃什麼？當然是火鍋啊！一鍋熱騰騰的湯底在桌上，一盤又一盤好吃的肉、菜、火鍋料，喜歡吃什麼就放什麼，這樣吃飯，保有每個人的選擇自由又有互動，是我們聚餐時最喜歡的方式之一。一...

Do you often feel muscle tension or muscle soreness? Do you feel exhausted and don't know how to eliminate tiredness? You may have a massage to help you dealing these unbalanced body/mind issues. In this episode, Joanne and Lisa will introduce you to massage services in Taiwan. You will learn the essential words and sentences for having a comfortable and stress-relieving massage. 坐在電腦前一天，...

Do you like "exams"? Why are exams so stressful? Are exams important? Let's learn why "exams" have a place in our culture! 你喜歡「考試」嗎？考試為什麼會帶來那麼大的壓力？考試重要嗎？用考試來評量能力是好的方法嗎？ 來聽聽「考試」為什麼在我們的文化裡佔有什麼樣的地位吧！  Recommend Level: CEFR A2 (and above) Please preview the keywords of this week on Facebook before you listen to this episode....

In this episode, Joanne and April will talk about the after-school class in Taiwan. Children can do homework, have fun with other kids and even join some art classes. Why is the after-school class so popular in Taiwan? Is there any other options for parents if both of them have full-time job? 很多台灣的小學生在下課後會去「安親班」，他們在安親班做什麼？玩？學習？還是寫作業？如果爸爸媽媽都要工作，除...

Do you want to study Chinese in Taiwan? In this episode April and Joanne will tell you how to choose the language school and its’ application steps. Do not miss this professional introduction to studying in Taiwan. 想來台灣學中文，不知道應該怎麼做？申請學校、申請簽證，應該先做什麼？應該怎麼選學校？專業分享來囉！ Recommend Level: CEFR A2 (and above) Please preview the keywords of this week on Faceb...

September 9th of the lunar calendar is the day for showing respect to the aged in traditional Chinese culture. People give the elders gifts and wish them healthy and happy forever. In this episode, Lisa and April will introduce this special day to you, then investigate the changing meaning of "old age" in contemporary society while the average live age is much longer than before. You will learn ho...

September 28th is the teacher's day in Taiwan, and it is the birthday of Confucious. On this day, students show their gratitude to the teachers. In this episode, you will learn two classic Chinese idioms about teachers and how to say happy teacher's day in Chinese. You will also know why the Chinese respect their teachers and how this respect is shown in how they address their teachers. Do not for...

Riding a bicycle is an excellent way to explore your living environment. People who like cycling usually enjoy the character of its' easy control and the feeling of being free while riding it. In this episode, Joanne and Lisa will talk about their experience riding a bike in Taiwan and introduce why the Taiwanese choose bikes as transportation tools. And they will also show you how to start your m...

There are some traditional rules for women after giving birth. Some rules are for the ancient context, yet some are consistent with modern scientific knowledge. In this episode, Joanne and April will provide you with a quick introduction of these traditional rules. You will see how Chinese people treat the period after women give birth and reflect if there are any commonalities in your culture. 你...

Do you like singing Karaoke? Karaoke is one of the most popular entertainments in Taiwan. In this episode, Joanne and April will lead you to explore Karaokes in Taiwan. They will also introduce the essential words you need to know when you go to Karaoke. Do not miss this episode! Let’s sing together!!  在KTV可以做什麼？台灣人為什麼喜歡去KTV？如果覺得自己不太會唱歌怎麼辦？這一集都會告訴你！如...

Do you like to read on screens or on paper? You like the sense of paper and ink, or you prefer the flexibility of the digital materials. In this episode, Lisa and April will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of e-books and paper books. You will learn several useful words for discussing the reading trends in this modern world.  你喜歡看「紙本書」，還是「電子書」？這兩種書有哪些優點、缺點？你...

After a happy long vacation, do you have difficulties switching back to the work mode? Do you feel tired, anxious, and have difficulty concentrating on work? If the answer is yes, you might have the post-vacation blues. In this episode, Lisa and Joanne will discuss tips to help you out of these blues. Listen to this episode and learn some useful words for restoring your regular life.  假期結...

'Please line up here! Please wait here!' We have many chances to queue daily, from getting on transportation to checking out the purchased items. In this episode, Lisa and April will talk about the culture and situations of lining up in Taiwan and the language you will need during queuing. First come, first served! Do not miss this episode. :)   「排隊」能讓大家更清楚先來後到、更有秩序地輪流...

Taiwanese raise an election every two years. During the campaign, you will see a lot of election advertisements on social media, candidates walking through neighborhoods, and going door-to-door to solicit votes. Taiwanese people seem to be very into election activities. In this episode, Lisa and April will talk about the election language. You will learn some very Taiwanese-style election words....

 Using the weather refers to one's mood, personality, and emotional shocks are often seen in different languages. It makes abstract situations visible and vivid. In this episode, Joanne and Lisa will list several weather words for you to say your joys and sorrows. 你今天的心情是晴天、陰天，還是雨天？我們常用天氣來形容一個人的心情、個性、情況。這樣的用法會讓人感覺更生動、更有畫面喔！來聽聽這些...

If you purchase products in Taiwan, you will receive a uniform invoice after you pay. The uniform invoice shows items and prices and is printed with eight digits on top of it. Every two months, the government announces the winning number of the invoice lottery. Anyone with the same number on the invoice will win the invoice lottery, the prize is from 200 ntd. to 10,000,000 ntd. In this episode, Ap...

The Chinese culture has a complex system for addressing every family member. We can recognize relatives’ relations to our family from the way we address them. In this episode, Joanne and April will introduce this culture and some interesting words about brothers and sisters. 兄弟姐妹為什麼不叫哥弟姐妹？除了親兄弟以外，什麼情況下我們還會稱呼彼此為兄弟、姐妹？來聽聽關於兄弟姐妹的各種用法吧！ Recomme...

The signature drink of Taiwan is TEA, but the more common glass for spare time and the working place is COFFEE. In this episode, Joanne and Lisa are going to talk about the culture and the meaning of having a cup of coffee in Taiwan. You will learn some coffee terms and understand the social purpose of having a cup of coffee with others in the Taiwanese context. Grab a cup of coffee and join us in...

There is an old saying: a good neighbor is more precious than a family far away, which shows the importance of the neighbors. Yet, in the busy modern world, the relations among neighbors are no longer close as in the old days. People tend to keep their distance from others and protect their privacy. In this episode, Joanne and April discuss how to be a good neighbor in the Chinese context and main...

Have you ever binge-watched all episodes of a drama in a few days? As the streaming service provides unlimited films, movies, and series on the internet, binge-watching is no longer an occasional thing for us. In this episode, April and Lisa will discuss the behavior of "binge-watching" and how we decide to watch a drama? Listen to this episode and learn some useful terms about "binge-watching" .&...

Are you busy dealing with the working tasks? Do you feel stressed and anxious all the time? When was the last time you treated yourself well? If you don't remember, you need to have some “Me Time”. In this episode, Lisa and Joanne will discover the meaning of "Me Time", and discuss the possible reasons why "Me Time" has been getting attention recently?  你聽過「me time」嗎？雖然跟家人朋友在一...

Renovating not only restores the house but reconnects you and your neighbors. In this episode, Joanne and April will talk about their experiences with the house renovations. You will learn how to say the often-seen refurbishing works in Chinese and find the key information from a renovation announcement on the bulletin board. Most importantly, you will know what to do to get your neighbors' unders...