The Trilingual Chatbox

Hi, welcome (back) to the Trilingual Chatbox Podcast. In this episode, Mai talks about her memorable experiences about language learning in Japanese, followed by an English version of the talk. You can find a full transcript at the bottom. -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress：https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/  ● 📽️ YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2OS4WSgv3qQEm6cRiAiaA &nb...

今天的聽力內容較為容易，語速也會慢一些。歡迎大家一起來學習！ Today's episode is on a relatively easier level at a slower speed. All episodes come with full transcripts*. Come learn with us and check your listening comprehension skills! -- 💠 Vocabulary 1. 古色古香 gǔsègǔxiāng | [set expression] have an antique feel 2. 在…的心目中 zài...dexīnmùzhōng | in one's mind(refers to one's opinion, perspect...

Hi, welcome (back) to the Trilingual Chatbox Podcast. In this episode, Mai talks about her favorite place in Taiwan in Japanese, followed by an English version of the talk. You can find a full transcript at the bottom. -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress：https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/  ● 📽️ YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2OS4WSgv3qQEm6cRiAiaA   ● 📱 twitter：htt...

如果你在學中文，這一集就是屬於你的！如標題，今天Lori要介紹一個台灣必訪的觀光景點。快來測試你的中文聽力吧！  If you're learning Chinese, the new series can help with your Chinese listening skills. All episodes come with full transcripts*. Join us today to check your listening comprehension skills!   -- 💠 Vocabulary 1. 特輯 tèjí：special issue or collection 2. 特地 tèdì：especially;...

Hi, welcome (back) to the Trilingual Chatbox. In this episode, Mai talks about her favorite place in Japan in Japanese first, then in English. You can find a full transcript at the bottom.  --  🆔 About Us   ● 📝 WordPress：https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/  ● 📽️ YouTube：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2OS4WSgv3qQEm6cRiAiaA   ● 📱 twitter：https://t...

Have you ever wondered how the three frequently used Chinese words "可以," "能," and "會" actually work? Today we share our knowledge about the nuances of using them from a native perspective. There's something curious about the mentality of using them - even when certain word pairs seem to be used interchangeably. Tune in today to find out about the do's and don'ts. For detailed rules, examples a...

Have you ever wondered how and when Japanese people decide to use "Honorific Japanese" or "Casual Japanese?" In today's episode, we casually discuss when to use Honorific Japanese (Keigo | 敬語) and when to use Casual Japanese (Tamego | タメ語)  in general. At the end of this episode, Lori introduces some Keigo in Chinese as well. Stay till the end! As always, a digital copy of today's handou...

Hey y'all! We're thrilled to introduce to you the first Taiwanese movie to win the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, "A City of Sadness" (悲情城市, 1989). The historical drama takes viewers on a journey to dig deeper into Taiwanese history. Besides where the movie was based, namely Jiufen (九份), today's episode also covers some other Taiwanese as well as Japanese cities that boomed a...

It's true. Certain usages of the word "到" could be rather confusing, or intimidating, even. But join us today where plenty of examples are given to help you master this word. Plus, you will have a chance to check your understanding by the end of today's episode. Come, challenge awaits! As always, a digital copy of today's handout is on our WordPress website .  -- 🎥 Reference videos ● A City...

In the first part, we introduce a Japanese word で (それで), which was used a lot in our YouTube video about Japanese local shrines. The way で is used in the video is colloquial and used a lot by locals. But since it is not a proper word, you may not find it in textbooks.  In the second part, we focus on the cultural aspect of our video and talk about some of the features of temples in Taiwa...

In today's episode, we introduce how to make a comparison in Japanese and Chinese with five example sentences related to writers, which is the conversation topic for the second half of this episode. -- 🔅Outline for today's episode: 1) Word bank Writer: 作家 Novelist: 小說家/小説家 Popular: 受歡迎(的)/人気がある Publish: 出版 Useful: 有用(的)/役立つ Comic book: 漫畫/漫画 Detective novels: 推理小說...

In this episode, we introduce Japanese and Chinese measure words - 助数詞 and 數量詞 - to count five different things. There are countless measure words in both Japanese and Chinese, but today we just introduce five frequently used ones that you must know to communicate in those languages. Also, in the second half of the episode, we recommend some Japanese and Chinese books that beginner language...

How much do you know about performing arts in Japan and Taiwan? Today Mai introduces Japanese traditional entertainment such as 歌舞伎(Kabuki) and unique Japanese styles of comedy performances, 漫才(Manzai). Lori tells you about the go-to places when you want to watch a good live show in Taipei. Learn all about performing arts in Japan and Taiwan with us so that you know how to pick a show when yo...

One man's meat is another man's poison. But today Lori and Mai talks about their meat in the Japanese and Mandarin movie industry. We introduce 6 movies that make you think, and not just those. There's more about the movie cultures in Japan and Taiwan coming up! -- 🔅Outline for today's episode: 1. Movie genres in Japanese and Chinese 2. Japanese/Chinese translations of movie titles  3. On mo...

Do you enjoy music like we do? What do you listen for when you listen to a song, the melody or the lyrics? Today we introduce our favorite songs about a theme of our choice. Lori introduces Taiwanese songs that cuddle you up when you lose your loved ones, while Mai shares Japanese songs that cheer you up when you hit a wall. Songs we love always make us feel connected in a way, don’t they? Tune in...

In the bonus episode, we talk about loanwords in Japanese and Chinese. We give examples according to five different categories: food, sports, musical instruments, other objects, and abstract concepts. And again, the episode ends with a battle between the two language learners. Have fun with us! -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtu...

In the bonus episode, we talk about loanwords in Japanese and Chinese. We give examples according to five different categories: food, sports, musical instruments, other objects, and abstract concepts. And again, the episode ends with a battle between the two language learners. Have fun with us! -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtu...

If you speak English and you are now learning Chinese, you will most likely find it perplexing when you try to translate a Chinese sentence with the word ‘把’ in it, or vice versa. It usually gets lost in translation. When and how exactly do Chinese-speaking people use it? Come join us on today’s episode and learn the gist of the 'Disposal Construction!' -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://the...

In this episode, we discuss four different meanings of “れる・られる”, and compare them to one another. 「先生はきれいに食べられる。」「先生にお菓子を食べられる。」「先生はなんでも食べられる。」If you can't tell the difference among those three 食べられる, come check it out!   -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtube.com/@trili...

This is the second part of a two-part recording. Visit the first episode here if you haven't. As a follow-up, this episode explores three more concepts of the word "就" and offers example sentences to help with the understanding of the nuances of all seven concepts.  -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtube.com/@trilingual-chat...

Today we discuss Japanese indirect passive voice (suffering passive), which is different from the passive voice in English. After listening to this episode, you will be able to express what happened was unpleasant to you without changing your tone of voice.  -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtube.com/@trilingual-chatbox ● 📱...

This is the first part of a two-part recording. We discuss the four concepts of the Chinese word "就" and present several examples for the audience to grasp the meanings of it. Join our quiz to test your understanding! -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtube.com/@trilingual-chatbox ● 📱 twitter： https://twitter.com/3lingualcb ● 📬...

This is the sequel to the last Japanese episode, What's the difference between くれる and あげる? . In today's episode, we are introducing the verb もらう (to receive) and discussing the usage of particles used with あげる (ageru), くれる (kureru) and もらう (morau). After listening to these two episodes, we hope you get a better grasp of using the verbs あげる、くれる and もらう. Look for the scr...

Today Lori and Mai discussed the use of the very confusing particle '了' in Chinese. It is usually used both to express the completion of an action and a change of a situation . But is it only used to indicate an action in the past? What exceptions are there? Tune in to find out more! -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtube.com/@tr...

In this Japanese episode, we are talking about the difference between あげる（Ageru）and くれる（kureru), which are both translated as "give." It seems difficult for Japanese learners to understand the difference between them because it is greatly related to Japanese culture.   -- 🆔 About Us ● 📝 WordPress： https://thetrilingualchatbox.wordpress.com/ ● 📽️ YouTube： https://youtube.com/@tril...