Little Mandarin: Learn Chinese through culture and real life

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664What did you do this morning? What are you doing now? How are you feeling?Episode 30 is our Stage 3 challenge. We’ll bring together what we learned in Episodes 21–29: ability, polite refusals, weather, actions happening now, completed actions, feelings, comparisons, and prices.今天很冷。— It’s cold today.我早上喝了咖啡。— I had coffee this morning.我现在在学中文。— I’m learning Chinese right now.我有点儿累。— I’m a little tired.这杯咖啡太贵了。— This cup of coffee is too expensive.We’ll build from short sentences to a connected account of your day, then practise with three passages that gradually get longer, translating between Mandarin and English.By the end, you’ll be ready to put these expressions together and tell your own version of today.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664How much is it? Could it be a little cheaper? And do you actually want it?In this episode of Little Mandarin, learn to ask prices, understand answers with 块, and react with 太贵了 — “That’s too expensive.” We’ll start with short questions and build up to a shopping conversation, bringing back 比 from our last lesson.这个多少钱？— How much is this?太贵了。— That’s too expensive.可以便宜一点儿吗？— Could you make it a little cheaper?我要这个。— I’ll take this one.不要了，谢谢。— I’ll pass, thanks.We’ll also explain 块 and 元, briefly introduce the Mandarin names for US dollars, euros, and British pounds, and leave space for you to answer out loud.By the end, you’ll be able to ask a price, request a lower one where bargaining is appropriate, and say whether you’ll take it.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664Is today colder than yesterday? Does your coffee taste better than mine?In this episode of Little Mandarin, we’ll use 比 (bǐ) to make everyday comparisons. We’ll start with short sentences like “You’re taller than me,” then build up to comparing weather, prices, coffee, and languages.你比我高。— You’re taller than me.这个比那个贵。— This one is more expensive than that one.今天比昨天冷。— Today is colder than yesterday.你的咖啡比我的咖啡好喝。— Your coffee tastes better than mine.中文比法文难吗？— Is Chinese harder than French?Along the way, you’ll try changing words, answer questions, and choose sentences that are true for you. We’ll also cover why we leave out 很 in this pattern and how to shorten a comparison when it’s clear what we’re talking about.By the end, you’ll be able to make your own comparisons and turn them into questions with 吗.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664How are you feeling today? In this episode of Little Mandarin, learn to say you’re tired, hungry, thirsty, sleepy, busy, or not feeling well.We’ll practise two everyday patterns — 我很… and 我有点儿… — and the difference between 累 (tired) and 困 (sleepy).我今天很累。— I’m tired today.我有点儿饿。— I’m a little hungry.我很困。— I’m sleepy.我今天有点儿不舒服。— I’m not feeling very well today.我想休息。— I want to rest.With listen-and-repeat practice and translation exercises in both directions, you’ll learn to say how you feel and what you need in a few short Mandarin sentences.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664In Lesson 26, we’re learning how to talk about actions that already happened in Mandarin.The key structure is:Subject + Verb + 了 + ObjectIn English, the past is often built into the verb form. In Mandarin, the verb itself stays the same, so today we focus on the sentence pattern instead.You’ll learn sentences like:我吃了饭。I ate / I had a meal.我喝了咖啡。I drank coffee.我买了东西。I bought something.我看了电影。I watched a movie.We’ll also use 已经, meaning “already,” to say:我已经吃了饭。I already ate.There are other uses of 了, but in this episode we only focus on one beginner-friendly rule: put 了 right after the verb to show that the action happened.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664In Lesson 25, we’re learning how to say what you are doing right now in Mandarin.The key structure is:在 + verbYou already know 在 for places, like 我在家 or 我在咖啡馆. In this episode, we use 在 with actions:我在工作。I’m working.我在学中文。I’m studying Mandarin.我在喝咖啡。I’m drinking coffee.我在看电影。I’m watching a movie.You’ll also learn useful real-life phrases like 我现在有点儿忙 and 不好意思，我现在不太方便 — softer ways to say you’re busy or not available right now.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to describe what you are doing now in simple Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664In Lesson 24, we’re learning how to talk about weather in Mandarin.Weather may not be the most exciting topic, but it is one of the easiest ways to start a small conversation.In this episode, you’ll learn useful weather sentences like:今天很冷。Today is cold.外面下雨。It’s raining outside.天气不好。The weather is bad.我们在家吧。Let’s stay home.We’ll also learn simple words like 冷, 热, 下雨, 刮风, and 天气, and use them to talk about real-life situations: bad weather, staying home, and making easy small talk.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to describe the weather around you in Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664In Lesson 23, we’re learning how to describe people, places, and things in Mandarin.You’ll learn one of the most common Mandarin patterns:subject + 很 + adjectiveWe’ll use it to describe real things around you: a beautiful café, good coffee, delicious cake, expensive clothes, a busy day, and tired people.You’ll hear sentences like:她很漂亮。She is beautiful.这家咖啡馆很漂亮。This café is beautiful.咖啡很好喝。The coffee tastes good.这个很贵。This is expensive.今天很忙。Today is busy.We’ll also talk about why 很 does not always really mean “very.” In many Mandarin sentences, 很 simply makes an adjective sentence sound natural.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to look around and describe simple things in Mandarin.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664In Lesson 22, we’re learning how to politely decline an invitation in Mandarin.Sometimes people invite you to dinner, coffee, a movie, or something on the weekend — and you want to say no without sounding too direct.In this episode, you’ll learn useful phrases like:不好意思，我今天有点儿忙。Sorry, I’m a little busy today.我想去，但是今天不行。I want to go, but today doesn’t work.下次吧。Maybe next time.我们下次再约。Let’s meet another time.We’ll also look at why Chinese refusals often go “around the corner” a little: saying sorry first, giving a soft reason, and leaving space for next time.A simple but very useful episode for real-life Mandarin conversations.

🎓 Learn Mandarin with Me — 1-on-1 on Preply!💸 Get 30% OFF your first class🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/?pref=NjkzNjk1Mw==&id=1753189602.091521&ep=⁠📋 Check out my full profile:🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664In Lesson 21, we’re learning two very useful ways to say “can” in Mandarin:会 and 能They can both be translated as “can,” but they are not the same.会 is usually about a learned skill — something you know how to do, like 我会说中文, 我会开车, or 我会做饭.能 is more about possibility, permission, or whether the situation allows something, like 我今天能去, 我现在不能喝咖啡, or 我今天不能开车.We’ll also look at one very common question:你会说中文吗？Can you speak Chinese?And we’ll practise natural answers like 我会说一点儿中文 and 一点点.By the end of this episode, you’ll understand the basic difference between 会 for skill and 能 for possibility.