In this edition: the earthquake in Myanmar, Cycling around Qinghai Lake, AI in China, iShowSpeed’s China tour, Chinese slang words and we look back on China’s Cultural Revolution with French sinologist Marie Holzman.
The day after the Myanmar – Thailand earthquake
This video gives a first hand account by Eileen who happened to be in Bangkok when the earthquake (地震 – dìzhèn) happened. The day after, she decided to visit the site of the collapsed building that was under construction where about 80 people were trapped inside, their fates unknown.
Difficulty level: HSK 5
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation非常的吓人fēicháng de xiàrénVery frightening往楼下冲wǎng lóuxià chōngRush downstairs地震dìzhènEarthquake晃动huǎngdòngShaking, swaying困在里面kùn zài lǐmiànTrapped inside我的心在扑通扑通地跳wǒ de xīn zài pūtōng pūtōng de tiàoMy heart was pounding正在修建的大楼zhèngzài xiūjiàn de dàlóuA building under construction在几秒内完全坍塌zài jǐ miǎo nèi wánquán tāntāCompletely collapsed within seconds成为一堆废墟chéngwéi yì duī fèixūBecame a pile of rubble生死未卜shēngsǐ wèibǔLife or death unknown无法停止思考wúfǎ tíngzhǐ sīkǎoUnable to stop thinking我的情绪几乎崩溃wǒ de qíngxù jīhū bēngkuìMy emotions almost collapsed / I nearly broke down
Cycling around Qinghai Lake
Spoiler alert: it turns out you can’t cycle around Qinghai Lake (青海湖 – Qīnghǎi Hú), the “eye” of the map’s rabbit-shaped province. Most roads are closed off and monitored by cameras, but you can camp by the lakeside if you’re willing to brave the loneliness and cold like this Chinese YouTuber did. Also, hats off to the beautiful drone (无人机 – wúrénjī) footage of this giant lake on the Chinese highlands.
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation青海湖Qīnghǎi HúQinghai Lake骑行qíxíngCycling防晒帽子fángshài màoziSun-protection hat无人机wúrénjīDrone野生动物yěshēng dòngwùWild animals真的是一分价钱一分货zhēn de shì yì fēn jiàqián yì fēn huòYou get what you pay for (lit. one price for one quality)补充能量bǔchōng néngliàngReplenish energy春暖花开了chūnnuǎn huākāi leSpring has arrived (lit. warm spring, flowers bloom)不起作用bù qǐ zuòyòngDoesn’t work / ineffective露营lùyíngCamping
Socializing for Chinese people
Reading between the lines is a well-known expression (听话听音 – tīng huà tīng yīn – is a Chinese expression with a similar meaning). And no matter how much you have read about Chinese etiquette and manners, it can still happen time and again that you miss crucial signals and think you are being invited to dinner when in fact they mean the opposite (“我改天请你吃饭”). This video is about exactly that. It reassures me somewhat that the Chinese themselves do not always interpret everything correctly and actually find it a lot of hassle – the politeness and maintaining a huge network of ‘guanxi’ (关系) with all the informal obligations that entails.
Difficulty level: HSK 5
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation我改天请你吃饭wǒ gǎitiān qǐng nǐ chīfànI’ll treat you to a meal another day社交的礼仪shèjiāo de lǐyíSocial etiquette找关系zhǎo guānxiLook for connections (to get help/favors)托关系tuō guānxiPull strings / use connections做手术zuò shǒushùHave surgery杀熟shā shoúTake advantage of someone you know含蓄地拒绝别人hánxù de jùjué biérénSubtly reject someone以后再说吧yǐhòu zài shuō baLet’s talk about it later (often a polite decline)听话听音tīng huà tīng yīnRead between the lines我再考虑考虑wǒ zài kǎolǜ kǎolǜI’ll think it over some more你有过这样的误会吗？nǐ yǒu guò zhèyàng de wùhuì ma?Have you ever had this kind of misunderstanding?很委婉hěn wěiwǎnVery tactful / euphemistic无效社交wúxiào shèjiāoIneffective social interaction交浅言深jiāo qiǎn yán shēnSpeaking too deeply in a shallow relationship (too much too soon)
Do The Chinese Fear AI? | Street Interview
You thought the Chinese are scared of AI? Absolutely not – they’re early adapters. At least, that’s true for most people interviewed by Asian Boss in this video. I wouldn’t be surprised that developments around AI in China are going much faster than here in Europe. It will certainly be interesting to watch this video again in a few years and see where we stand then.
Difficulty level: HSK 5/6
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation非常的火爆fēicháng de huǒbàoExtremely popular / trending支持收银收入zhīchí shōuyín shōurùSupports cashier revenue / helps increase earnings我基本上每天都会用wǒ jīběn shàng měitiān doūhuì yòngI basically use it every day有利也有弊yǒulì yě yǒu bìThere are pros and cons有好有坏yǒu hǎo yǒu huàiThere are pros and cons用AI的频率很多yòng AI de pínlǜ hěn duōAI is used very frequently有一定的了解yǒu yídìng de liǎojiěHave a certain level of understanding深度学习shēndù xuéxíDeep learning算法suànfǎAlgorithmAI的革命AI de gémìngThe AI revolution高脑力的工作gāo nǎolì de gōngzuòHigh-cognitive (mental) work
We were so broke teaching Chinese
Extremely interesting to hear from two Chinese teachers what they earned at the beginning of their careers. It was very little. I know it all too well as a former freelance German teacher. Two hours commuting for one hour of teaching, students who don’t show up, little money for much preparation etc. Yet you notice that both ladies are not dissatisfied with their work and life situation. After all, teaching offers a lot of creative space, freedom and also meaning through supporting others.
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation乱花钱luàn huā qiánSpend money recklessly那个时候你有多穷nàge shíhou nǐ yǒu duō qióngHow poor were you at that time?住过最差的地方zhù guò zuì chà de dìfāngLived in the worst place接受这样的条件jiēshòu zhèyàng de tiáojiànAccept such conditions厕所不能冲水cèsuǒ bù néng chōng shuǐThe toilet couldn’t flush每天浪费很多时间在路上měitiān làngfèi hěn duō shíjiān zài lùshàngWaste a lot of time commuting every day当中文老师必须要经历的dāng Zhōngwén lǎoshī bìxū yào jīnglì deSomething Chinese teachers must go through房间不透气fángjiān bù tòuqìThe room is not ventilated硬币yìngbìCoin我也有差不多的经历wǒ yě yǒu chàbuduō de jīnglìI had a similar experience遇到不尊重你的人yùdào bù zūnzhòng nǐ de rénEncounter people who don’t respect you对老师很苛刻duì lǎoshī hěn kēkèVery harsh toward teachers理想主义lǐxiǎng zhǔyìIdealism自己开心比赚很多钱更重要zìjǐ kāixīn bǐ zhuàn hěn duō qián gèng zhòngyàoBeing happy is more important than making lots of money疯狂买东西fēngkuáng mǎi dōngxīGo on a shopping spree / shop like crazy让你充实的工作ràng nǐ chōngshí de gōngzuòWork that makes you feel fulfilled
iShowSpeed in China explained (by Wang Zhi An)
Chinese Journalist in exile 王志安 recaps iShowSpeed’s much-watched China tour and gives his take on the matter. Was this extended visit possible without top-level approval? Were the livestreams staged? For 王志安, there is no doubt about it. In fact, Chinese newspapers are full of praise for the American influencer’s arrival in China (and that’s usually a sign). Finally, the world can behold the “unfiltered China”, the big Chinese newspapers titled. 王志安 and his team dig even deeper (from minute 30) and show that Chinese “communication experts” (to avoid the word ‘propaganda’) have published extensively on the use of foreign influencers to improve the image of China abroad.
Difficulty level: HSK 6
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation甲亢哥jiǎkàng gē“Hyperthyroid Brother” (nickname for someone overly energetic or intense, often used online)表情非常夸张biǎoqíng fēicháng kuāzhāngExaggerated facial expressions反反复复唱fǎn fǎn fù fù chàngSing repeatedly / over and over阳光彩虹小白马yángguāng cǎihóng xiǎo báimǎSunshine Rainbow Little White Horse (a meme/viral song title with overly sweet vibes)少林寺ShàolínsìShaolin Temple传统文化chuántǒng wénhuàTraditional culture没有滤镜的真实中国méiyǒu lǜjìng de zhēnshí ZhōngguóThe real China without filters抹黑中国mǒhēi ZhōngguóSlander China / Paint China in a bad light
18 Chinese Slang words You Need TO KNOW
Looking for some Chinese slang words to pretend you’re native? I think this video covers some pretty interesting ones. My personal favorites, although not included in the video:
1. 狗肉包子
Pinyin: gǒuròu bāozi
Literally: “a steamed bun stuffed with dog meat”
Meaning/usage: Something or someone whose true nature or quality is hidden beneath a pleasant exterior or deceptive appearances; “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” (My son has been called this, because he was acting very brave, but when push came to shove, he was actually afraid.)
Example: 他这个人就是个狗肉包子，看着和气，其实心狠得很。
Tā zhège rén jiùshì ge gǒuròu bāozi, kànzhe héqì, qíshí xīnhěn de hěn.
“This person looks friendly but is actually ruthless—a classic example of deceptive appearances.”
2. 软桃子
Pinyin: ruǎn táozi
Literally: “soft peach”
Meaning/usage: An easy target; someone who’s easy to bully or take advantage of; someone who does not resist or fight back.
Example: 别以为我是软桃子，想欺负我可没那么容易！
Bié yǐwéi wǒ shì ruǎn táozi, xiǎng qīfu wǒ kě méi nàme róngyì!
“Don’t assume I’m an easy target – it’s not that easy to bully me!”
3. 老油条
Pinyin: lǎo yóutiáo
Literally: “old fried dough stick”
Meaning/usage: A slick, worldly-wise, and cunning person, experienced at navigating complicated situations, often with negative connotations of cunning or craftiness. (If you’ve eaten 油条, especially not freshly fried ones, you probably get the meaning)
Example: 他是职场上的老油条了，什么场面都见过。
Tā shì zhíchǎng shàng de lǎo yóutiáo le, shénme chǎngmiàn dōu jiànguò.
“He’s an old hand in the workplace; he’s seen it all.”
Difficulty level: HSK 4-5
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation一帆风顺yī fān fēng shùnSmooth sailing, everything goes well吃瓜群众chī guā qúnzhòngOnlookers (internet slang for people who watch gossip)996jiǔ jiǔ liù996 work schedule (9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week)自由职业者zìyóu zhíyè zhěFreelancer吃土chī tǔ“Eating dirt” (broke, out of money)喝西北风hē xīběifēng“Drink the northwest wind” (poor, no food/money)放羊fàng yángHerding sheep (literally) / Letting things go (figuratively)装逼zhuāng bīPretentious, showing off (vulgar slang)土豪tǔháoRich but uncultured person (“nouveau riche”)二逼èr bīIdiot, fool (vulgar slang)蠢蛋chǔndànFool, idiot斗争到底dòuzhēng dàodǐFight to the end, struggle to the finish吃饱了没事干chī bǎo le méi shì gànNothing better to do (sarcastic remark)不管三七二十一bùguǎn sān qī èr shí yīRegardless of consequences, act recklessly病急乱投医bìng jí luàn tóu yīDesperate times call for desperate measures临时抱佛脚línshí bào fójiǎoLast-minute cramming, seeking help in desperation宅男zháinánHomebody guy, nerd宅女zháinǚHomebody girl, nerd
Interview: China’s Cultural Revolution through the eyes of an international student
Marie Holzman is a French sinologist. To my shame I must admit that I did not know her, but this interview with 王志安 has changed that. In the conversation she talks about her time in Beijing after the death of Mao (the Beijing Spring) and how she later became the voice abroad for Chinese political activists, among other things as a translator and author.
Difficulty level: HSK 4/5
ChinesePinyinEnglish Translation太残酷tài cánkùToo cruel富裕fùyùWealthy, affluent游行yóuxíngParade, protest march恐惧kǒngjùFear监督jiāndūSupervise, monitor看腻了kàn nì leTired of seeing it一遍又一遍yí biàn yòu yí biànOver and over again贴大字报tiē dàzìbàoPost big-character posters (propaganda/slogans)刺激cìjīStimulate; provoke审判shěnpànTrial, judgment法院fǎyuànCourt录音机lùyīnjīTape recorder翻译文章fānyì wénzhāngTranslate articles呼吁释放hūyù shìfàngCall for release拍马屁pāi mǎpìFlatter, suck up被判刑bèi pànxíngBe sentenced人才的浪费réncái de làngfèiWaste of talent谈话喝茶tánhuà hē chá“Have a talk over tea” (euphemism for interrogation by authorities)叛徒pàntúTraitor国家机密guójiā jīmìState secret坐牢zuòláoGo to prison; serve a prison sentence
I hope you enjoyed this April edition. I’ll be back with more Chinese vocabulary notes in the next month!
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