Mandarin Monkey Podcast

This episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast takes a strange turn.We somehow ended up playing a “tiny acting” game we found online… which is great for YouTube and absolutely terrible for podcast listeners.Expect awkward silence, ridiculous acting challenges, and one very questionable scenario involving a dog in a waiting room.Along the way we also talk about: • why words start to feel strange when you repeat them too much • life stress after moving countries • how comments about your voice can stick with you for years • why sometimes the best thing you can do is just laugh and relaxIf you enjoy learning Mandarin through real conversations, chaos, and the occasional terrible idea… welcome to Mandarin Monkey.Listen to the full podcast and learn Chinese with us.

Can you really learn Mandarin while doing the dishes? What about while running, driving, or just surviving family life on broken sleep?In this Mandarin Monkey mailbag episode, we dive into real listener stories and questions about learning Chinese in the middle of normal life. From passive listening and bilingual parenting to sleep deprivation, kids climbing into bed sideways, and the never-ending mystery of 了, this one goes everywhere.In this episode:learning Mandarin while doing the disheswhy some people understand more while running than studyinga 58-year-old dad starting Mandarin in retirementraising bilingual children outside Taiwan and Chinawhether natural input is enough for kidswhy 了 still confuses everyonesleep, parenting, and recovering from SwitzerlandIf you're learning Mandarin and trying to make it fit around work, family, or everyday chaos, this episode is for you.Tell us in the comments:Where do you listen to Mandarin Monkey?Doing the dishes? Driving? Walking? Hiding from your children for five minutes?Mandarin Monkey is a bilingual Mandarin Chinese and English podcast designed to help you improve your listening through real conversation, humour, and everyday life.#LearnMandarin #MandarinChinese #ChineseListeningPractice #BilingualPodcast #LanguageLearning #MandarinMonkey

We just spent 36 hours in Zurich, Switzerland filming an event at the FIFA Museum… and somehow turned it into a mini travel adventure.In this episode we talk about:• flying to Switzerland with camera gear • our first taste of real Swiss chocolate • accidentally spending £50 on chocolate • riding electric scooters around Zurich • trying kangaroo steak in an Australian restaurant • discovering how expensive Switzerland really is • meeting our Uber driver with a powerful story about Iran • exploring Lake Zurich early in the morningIt was a very short trip, but Zurich turned out to be one of the most beautiful and peaceful cities we've visited.This episode is also great for Mandarin learners, as Ula shares thoughts and stories in Mandarin while we talk about the experience in English.If you've ever been to Switzerland, tell us your favourite place!

We just recorded 40 minutes of podcast… and realised we never pressed record.So here we are doing it again.In this episode we talk about:• Our first corporate filming job in London• Why we're suddenly flying to Zurich next week• The launch of our new gaming channel Monkey Plays• Whether language exchange apps actually work• Why Pleco is amazing (but not perfect)• Why people in Taiwan don’t really say 你好吗• And how to actually use podcasts to improve your MandarinPlus we answer your emails about:Using Mandarin podcasts for learningCantonese vs Mandarin situationsLanguage exchange apps like TandemStudy methods and common mistakes learners makeIf you want to send us a question for a future mailbag episode, email us!chat@mandarinmonkey.comMonkey PlaysOur new gaming channel where you can learn Mandarin while watching games:RaftOvercooked 2Peak(and more coming)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxuNENWdUdcvRMuMiADUFmQFull playthroughs and interactive vocab games are available on Patreon.patreon.com/monkeyplaysgamesMandarin Monkey LinksPodcast: https://mandarinmonkey.comLessons: https://mandarinmonkey.com/lessonsPatreon: https://patreon.com/mandarinmonkey

This week’s mailbag episode is… painful.• A freelance translator loses a business contract because he didn’t understand 面子 (miànzi). • Someone tries to compliment their manager… and accidentally calls him a bastard. • Another listener’s Chinese name sounds dangerously close to “horse sh*t.”We talk about cultural competence in business Mandarin, tone disasters, gaming as a language-learning method, and why choosing a Chinese name is more serious than you think.If you’ve ever made a language mistake that keeps you awake at night, this one’s for you.Don’t lose confidence. Just don’t translate “losing face” word for word.

Episode 450 is here! 🎉In this fun and chaotic bilingual episode, we chat about life getting back to normal after the holidays, the challenges of new projects, and a possible Mandarin retreat idea… before things take a very British turn 😅We dive into one tiny English word — “piss” — and explore the MANY ways British people actually use it in real life. If you’ve ever been confused by British slang, this episode is for you.This podcast is spoken in both Mandarin and English, making it perfect for learners who want natural, real-world listening practice.What you’ll hear in this episode:Real couple conversation in Mandarin + EnglishBritish slang explained in contextCultural differences in language useRelaxed, natural listening practiceWhether you're a beginner or advanced learner, come hang out and improve your Mandarin the natural way.📩 Got a story to share? Email us: chat@mandarinmonkey.com🎓 Want to learn with us? Try a free trial lesson!

This week on the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we read three powerful emails from listeners whose Mandarin journeys couldn’t be more different — yet share the same courage.From feeling fluent for the first time, to reconnecting with family and heritage, to quitting a job and moving to Taiwan for love and language…These are real stories from real learners navigating confidence, shame, identity, relationships, and bold life decisions — all through Mandarin.Whether you’re:A beginner starting from scratchA heritage learner feeling pressureDating someone TaiwaneseOr dreaming of living in TaiwanThis episode is for you.We speak naturally in both Mandarin and English throughout the episode, so learners of all levels can follow along and build real-world listening skills.💛 Mandarin isn’t just grammar and vocab lists. It’s connection, risk, community, and growth.加油 — we’re in this together.

Chinese New Year is here… but we’re not just talking about red envelopes and dumplings.In this episode:Who should give red envelopes (and when it stops)The weird firework pranks from childhoodWhy we chose not to vlog our kidsAnd… our idea for a 48-hour Mandarin-only retreatCould you survive two full days speaking only Chinese?No English. No safety net. Just immersion.Let us know if you’d actually come.🎧 Listen on Spotify📩 Join our community🧧 Happy New Year

This week’s mailbag:a learner understands his mother-in-law at the worst moment,a tone mistake turns into a workplace disaster,and a four-year-old becomes the teacher.Plus: how to ask to camp in Taiwan without sounding like a tourist.