Mandarin Monkey Podcast

Unusual Hobbies (特殊的爱好 - tè shū de ài hào)Extreme Ironing (极限熨烫) – jí xiàn yùn tàngQuidditch (魁地奇) – kuí dì qíCheese Rolling (奶酪滚动比赛) – nǎi lào gǔn dòng bǐ sàiToy Voyaging (玩具旅行) – wán jù lǚ xíngCompetitive Duck Herding (竞技赶鸭子) – jìng jì gǎn yā ziTrainspotting (火车观察) – huǒ chē guān cháMooing Competitions (学牛叫比赛) – xué niú jiào bǐ sàiSoapbox Racing (肥皂盒赛车) – féi zào hé sài chēBog Snorkeling (泥潭浮潜) – ní tán fú qiánStone Skipping (打水漂比赛) – dǎ shuǐ piāo bǐ sàiFerret Legging (裤子养雪貂比赛) – kù zi yǎng xuě diāo bǐ sàiWife Carrying Race (扛妻比赛) – káng qī bǐ sàiBeetle Fighting (甲虫格斗) – jiǎ chóng gé dòuCardboard Tube Dueling (纸板管决斗) – zhǐ bǎn guǎn jué dòuUnderwater Hockey (水下曲棍球) – shuǐ xià qū gùn qiúCompetitive Air Guitar (空气吉他比赛) – kōng qì jí tā bǐ sàiCanine Freestyle (狗狗舞蹈比赛) – gǒu gǒu wǔ dǎo bǐ sàiLawn Mower Racing (割草机比赛) – gē cǎo jī bǐ sàiSoap Carving (肥皂雕刻) – féi zào diāo kèPencil Sharpening as an Art (削铅笔艺术) – xuē qiān bǐ yì shùUnusual Cultural Activities (特殊的文化活动 - tè shū de wén huà huó dòng)La Tomatina (番茄大战) – fān qié dà zhànBaby Jumping Festival (跳婴节) – tiào yīng jiéMonkey Buffet Festival (猴子自助餐节) – hóu zi zì zhù cān jiéGoose Pulling (拔鹅比赛) – bá é bǐ sàiPolterabend (婚前碎瓷习俗) – hūn qián suì cí xí súGurning Contests (扭脸比赛) – niǔ liǎn bǐ sàiFamadihana (换尸节) – huàn shī jiéUp-Helly-Aa (维京火节) – wéi jīng huǒ jiéKanamara Matsuri (钢铁阴茎祭) – gāng tiě yīn jīng jìNaki Sumo (婴儿哭泣相扑赛) – yīng ér kū qì xiàng pū sàiThe Battle of the Oranges (橙子大战) – chéng zi dà zhànTunarama Festival (金枪鱼投掷节) – jīn qiāng yú tóu zhì jiéToe Wrestling (脚趾摔跤) – jiǎo zhǐ shuāi jiāoGolden Retriever Festival (金毛犬节) – jīn máo quǎn jiéKrampusnacht (克朗普斯之夜) – kè lǎng pǔ sī zhī yèBlackened Teeth (染黑牙齿, 日本旧习俗) – rǎn hēi yá chǐ, rì běn jiù xí súFrozen Dead Guy Days (冰冻死人节) – bīng dòng sǐ rén jiéGiant Omelette Festival (巨型煎蛋节) – jù xíng jiān dàn jiéHadaka Matsuri (裸体祭, 日本裸祭) – luǒ tǐ jì, rì běn luǒ jìCooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (库珀山奶酪滚动比赛) – kù pò shān nǎi lào gǔn dòng bǐ sàiFestival (节日) – jié rìCompetition (比赛) – bǐ sàiTraditional (传统的) – chuán tǒng deCultural Event (文化活动) – wén huà huó dòngUnusual (特殊的) – tè shū deWeird (奇怪的) – qí guài deChallenge (挑战) – tiǎo zhànSport (运动) – yùn dòngActivity (活动) – huó dòng

In this episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we chat about the Eisenhower Matrix (艾森豪威尔矩阵, Àisēnháowēi’ěr jǔzhèn)—not as experts, but just as two people trying to figure out where all our time goes. We’ve all been there: feeling 忙碌 (mánglù, busy) but not necessarily productive (有成效的, yǒu chéngxiào de). So, what actually makes something 重要 (zhòngyào, important) versus just 紧急 (jǐnjí, urgent)?我们不是在教你如何管理时间，而是聊聊我们自己是怎么思考这些问题的。为什么有些任务看起来很急 (hěn jí)，但其实没什么意义？为什么真正重要的事情，往往被推到最后才做？我们的生活中有哪些任务是“假忙碌”？我们讨论了工作、生活、甚至一些让人忍不住拖延的事。听完后，你有没有类似的感受？你的时间管理方式是怎样的？欢迎留言和我们一起讨论!放松 (fàngsōng) – Relax压力 (yālì) – Pressure享受 (xiǎngshòu) – Enjoy节奏 (jiézòu) – Rhythm/Pace平衡 (pínghéng) – Balance忙碌 (mánglù) – Busy幸福 (xìngfú) – Happiness瞬间 (shùnjiān) – Moment简单 (jiǎndān) – Simple呼吸 (hūxī) – Breathe

In episode #392 of Mandarin Monkey, we speculate about what it’s like moving to the mountains in Taiwan (we don't live in the mountains) and the joys (and challenges) of using Starlink for internet. We also dive into the differences between nosy neighbors in English and Taiwanese culture—who’s watching, who’s gossiping, and who just doesn’t care? Finally, we put our translation skills to the test with I Do It Anyway by Yoshi 2.0. Some lyrics make sense, some... not so much. Tune in for a mix of language, culture, and a few laughs along the way!

In this episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, Tom and Ula dive into the world of untranslatable words—those linguistic gems that exist in Mandarin but leave English speakers scratching their heads, and vice versa. They explore phrases like "懒得理 (lǎn de lǐ)"—the perfect expression for when you just can’t be bothered—and "面子 (miànzi)", the all-important social concept of saving face.From the emotional richness of "心酸 (xīn suān)"—that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia—to the English quirk of feeling "hangry" when hunger turns you into a monster, this episode uncovers the fascinating differences that shape how we express ourselves across cultures.Plus, they challenge each other to guess the meaning behind some of the weirdest literal translations—like "wolf swallows, tiger gulps"—and invent some brand-new words for those everyday moments we all recognize but never knew how to name.Tune in for laughs, language insights, and a new appreciation for the wonderfully weird world of words!

In this engaging episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, hosts Tom and Ula delve into the fascinating world of literal translations between Mandarin and English. They explore how certain phrases, when translated word-for-word, can lead to humorous or confusing interpretations due to cultural and linguistic differences. The discussion includes idioms and expressions from both languages, highlighting the challenges and amusement that arise in translation. Listeners are treated to examples such as "It's raining cats and dogs" and its potential literal Mandarin translation, as well as Mandarin idioms like "一日三秋" (yī rì sān qiū), which literally means "one day, three autumns," but conveys the feeling of missing someone deeply. This episode offers a delightful blend of language learning and cultural insights, making it a must-listen for those interested in the nuances of Mandarin and English expressions.

Ula and Tom speak about some confusing Mandarin and English words. All in Mandarin and English (Chinglish) for your listening pleasure.Mandarin Lessonswww.mandarinmonkey.com帶 (dài) vs. 戴 (dài)帶 (dài): to bring/carry (請帶你的護照。Qǐng dài nǐ de hùzhào. – Please bring your passport.)戴 (dài): to wear (accessories) (她戴了一條項鍊。Tā dài le yī tiáo xiàngliàn. – She wore a necklace.)買 (mǎi) vs. 賣 (mài)買 (mǎi): to buy (我買了一本書。Wǒ mǎi le yī běn shū. – I bought a book.)賣 (mài): to sell (這家店賣衣服。Zhè jiā diàn mài yīfú. – This store sells clothes.)見 (jiàn) vs. 見面 (jiànmiàn)見 (jiàn): to see (我昨天見到了他。Wǒ zuótiān jiàn dào le tā. – I saw him yesterday.)見面 (jiànmiàn): to meet (我們下週見面。Wǒmen xià zhōu jiànmiàn. – We will meet next week.)聽 (tīng) vs. 停 (tíng)聽 (tīng): to listen (請聽我說。Qǐng tīng wǒ shuō. – Please listen to me.)停 (tíng): to stop (請停車。Qǐng tíngchē. – Please stop the car.)還 (hái) vs. 還 (huán)還 (hái): still/yet (我還沒吃飯。Wǒ hái méi chīfàn. – I haven’t eaten yet.)還 (huán): to return something (請還我書。Qǐng huán wǒ shū. – Please return my book.)做 (zuò) vs. 作 (zuò)做 (zuò): to do/make (我要做飯。Wǒ yào zuò fàn. – I am going to cook.)作 (zuò): to act as or create (這是他的作品。Zhè shì tā de zuòpǐn. – This is his work.)借 (jiè) vs. 接 (jiē)借 (jiè): to borrow/lend (我可以借你的筆嗎？Wǒ kěyǐ jiè nǐ de bǐ ma? – Can I borrow your pen?)接 (jiē): to pick up (phone/person) or receive (我要去機場接他。Wǒ yào qù jīchǎng jiē tā. – I am going to the airport to pick him up.)試 (shì) vs. 是 (shì)試 (shì): to try (請試試這個。Qǐng shì shì zhège. – Please try this.)是 (shì): to be (我是老師。Wǒ shì lǎoshī. – I am a teacher.)借 (jiè) vs. 還 (huán)借 (jiè): to borrow (他借了我的書。Tā jiè le wǒ de shū. – He borrowed my book.)還 (huán): to return (請還我書。Qǐng huán wǒ shū. – Please return my book.)光 (guāng) vs. 亮 (liàng)光 (guāng): light (陽光很好。Yángguāng hěn hǎo. – The sunlight is nice.)亮 (liàng): bright (這盞燈很亮。Zhè zhǎn dēng hěn liàng. – This lamp is very bright.)換 (huàn) vs. 變 (biàn)換 (huàn): to exchange/change (我要換錢。Wǒ yào huàn qián. – I need to exchange money.)變 (biàn): to transform (他變了很多。Tā biàn le hěn duō. – He has changed a lot.)想 (xiǎng) vs. 要 (yào)想 (xiǎng): to think or miss someone (我想你。Wǒ xiǎng nǐ. – I miss you.)要 (yào): to want or need (我要喝水。Wǒ yào hē shuǐ. – I want to drink water.)近 (jìn) vs. 進 (jìn)近 (jìn): near (我家很近。Wǒ jiā hěn jìn. – My home is close.)進 (jìn): to enter (請進來。Qǐng jìnlái. – Please come in.)難 (nán) vs. 男 (nán)難 (nán): difficult (這題很難。Zhè tí hěn nán. – This question is very difficult.)男 (nán): male (他是男生。Tā shì nánshēng. – He is a boy.)

Unpleasant Sounds or Awkward Pronunciation膩 (nì) – Greasy, overly rich (often used for food but also for excessive behavior).黏 (nián) – Sticky, clinging (can refer to textures or overly attached people).齁 (hōu) – Overly sweet or salty (common in Taiwanese Mandarin but sounds rough).癢 (yǎng) – Itchy (some dislike the way it sounds when spoken).喳喳叫 (zhā zhā jiào) – Chattering noisily (annoying both in sound and meaning).Gross or Unpleasant Associations痰 (tán) – Phlegm.膿 (nóng) – Pus.流湯 (liú tāng) – To ooze fluid (used for wounds or food, can sound disgusting).爛 (làn) – Rotten, bad quality (commonly used to insult things or people).發臭 (fā chòu) – To stink.Overused or Annoying Phrases in Taiwanese Culture馬上 (mǎ shàng) – "Right away" (often said but not always meant literally).隨便啦 (suí biàn la) – "Whatever" (can sound dismissive or rude).沒差啦 (méi chā la) – "Doesn’t matter" (casual, sometimes frustrating to hear).你家在哪裡？(nǐ jiā zài nǎ lǐ?) – "Where’s your house?" (Common but feels nosy in Taiwan).這樣可以嗎？(zhè yàng kě yǐ ma?) – "Is this okay?" (Overused in customer service settings).Forced Taiwanese Internet Slang母湯 (mǔ tāng) – Taiwanese Hokkien loanword meaning "don’t do that," some find it cringey.87 (bā qī) – Internet slang for "idiot" (八七 sounds like 白癡 bái chī, meaning stupid).安安 (ān ān) – Taiwanese internet greeting, can feel outdated.尬聊 (gà liáo) – "Forced awkward chat" (often overused online).好扯哦 (hǎo chě ò) – "So ridiculous!" (Overused in younger circles).Taiwan-Specific Business or Social Annoyances報稅 (bào shuì) – Tax filing (dreaded every year).塞車 (sāi chē) – Traffic jam (a huge problem in Taiwan).外送 (wài sòng) – Food delivery (used too often in daily conversation).可以加LINE嗎？(kě yǐ jiā LINE ma?) – "Can we add each other on LINE?" (Some find it intrusive).租屋 (zū wū) – Renting a house (frustrating for many due to high prices in Taiwan).

The U.S. is taking steps to ban TikTok—so what does this mean for users, creators, and businesses? In this episode of Mandarin Monkey, Ula (speaking Mandarin) and Tom (speaking English) dive into the controversy surrounding TikTok’s potential ban in America. We discuss why the U.S. government is pushing for it, what might happen next, and whether TikTok can survive this legal battle.Join us for a bilingual discussion that breaks down the issue from multiple angles—political, economic, and cultural. Is this really about security, or is something else at play? Tune in and find out!

In this episode, Tom and Ula dive into the ultimate holiday debate: Do you plan every detail of your trip, have one big activity in mind, or just relax the entire time? Ula speaks in Mandarin, while Tom responds in English, creating a perfect mix of conversational practice for Mandarin learners. Whether you’re planning your next getaway or looking to improve your listening skills, this episode offers an engaging discussion to help you practice Mandarin while exploring different travel styles.