Does going back to work after a long holiday make your head hurt too? In this episode, Joeru talks about 開工 — the feeling of returning to work after Lunar New Year. From early mornings and endless group chats to seeing your boss again, we explore why 開工 feels so painful… and how workplace relationships (and 開工紅包 👀) can change everything.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
– What 開工 really means in everyday Mandarin
– Why many people feel stressed or tired before returning to work
– How workplace relationships can change how you feel about your job
– A common Lunar New Year tradition in Taiwanese companies: 開工紅包

🗣 Listener Challenge:
對你來說，開工是讓你期待，還是讓你頭痛的事情？
開工前，你會調整生活習慣或心情嗎？
If you were the boss, how would you make going back to work more exciting? Come share your thoughts with us on Instagram 👉 @bitesize.chinese ☕️✨

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

☕️ About Bitesize Talks:
Welcome to ☕️ 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 ☕️ — a podcast series designed for A1–A2 level Mandarin learners who want a bit more challenge! Join Mindy and Joeru as they share casual, real-life stories in natural Mandarin, helping you grow your confidence one conversation at a time.

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

This week, Mindy and Joeru kick off our Back to Work 開工 theme with simple, practical office vocabulary for everyday Mandarin which you can use right away. From coworkers and clients to going into the office or working from home, this episode helps you talk about your work life in clear, beginner-friendly Mandarin.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 Today’s Topic: Back-to-work office vocabulary

🗝 Key Sentence: 你明天會進辦公室嗎？(Nǐ míngtiān huì jìn bàngōngshì ma?)
— Will you go into the office tomorrow?

🗣 Listener Challenge:
明天你會進辦公室，還是在家工作？
Try answering in Mandarin and tag us on Instagram @bitesize.chinese!

🍰 About Bitesize Basics 🍰
Welcome to 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 — a podcast series for beginner Mandarin learners (A1)! Each episode teaches one useful grammar point or vocabulary set through fun, practical conversations. Learn with Mindy and Joeru and build your Mandarin step by step!

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

This week on Bitesize News, Joeru and Amber explore the story behind Taiwan’s Mazu pilgrimage. What does 媽祖 represent? What exactly is 進香? And why do thousands of people walk for days as part of this tradition? We also go through the 2026 白沙屯媽祖進香 schedule and key news vocabulary in simple Mandarin.

本集將用清楚易懂的中文討論帶你了解 2026 年白沙屯媽祖進香的最新日程安排、相關宗教用語，以及為什麼這場 8 天 7 夜的活動，被形容為「考驗信眾體力」的年度盛事。

News source: 今日新聞網, 2026/02/02, 潘毅 (https://www.nownews.com/news/6782335*)*

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

In this episode, we cover:
– 2026 白沙屯媽祖進香日程正式揭曉 (2026 Baishatun Mazu pilgrimage schedule announced)
– 「揭曉」、「考驗」、「信眾」等新聞關鍵詞解析 (Key vocabulary from the headline explained)
– 擲筊、起駕、回宮等宗教專有名詞 (Religious terms like zhíjiǎo, qǐjià, and returning to the temple)
– 「為期 + 時間 + 的活動」、「採…的制度」、「視 + N + V」句型用法 (Useful news sentence patterns for intermediate learners)
– 為什麼媽祖進香吸引大量信眾與外國遊客？ (Why this pilgrimage attracts both locals and international visitors)

🌏 Bitesize News series brings you real-world Mandarin through one timely story every two weeks. Our hosts break down the headlines in clear, structured Chinese, helping B2–C1 learners build advanced listening skills while staying informed. Stay curious — and let the Bitesize Chinese newsroom become your Mandarin classroom.

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

Why does Lunar New Year make so many people anxious? In this episode of Bitesize Convos, Mindy and Joeru talk about one of the most relatable (and stressful) parts of Lunar New Year in Taiwan — awkward questions from relatives.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 In this episode, we cover:
– Why Lunar New Year family gatherings often feel stressful
– The most common “awkward” questions about work, relationships, and life progress
– The cultural idea of caring through asking questions and where it comes from
– How people cope with family pressure, from vague answers to humor and avoidance

🧠 Listener Challenge:
What’s the most awkward question you’ve ever been asked? 你被親戚問過最尷尬的一個問題是什麼？😅

🗣 Bitesize Convos series help you bridge the gap between classroom Mandarin and how people actually speak — with all the quirks, slang, and culture that come with it. Each bi-weekly episode is a bite-sized challenge designed to stretch your skills and bring you from intermediate to almost advanced — one conversation at a time. Tune in, take a bite, and keep growing with us!

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

This episode is all about the Mandarin you’ll hear during Lunar New Year in Taiwan. 🧧 Mindy and Joeru break down the most common New Year dates and what people usually do on those days — from reunion dinners and visiting relatives to resting, praying, and heading back to work. It’s a practical look at the kind of Mandarin you’ll actually hear during the holiday.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 Today’s Topic:
How to talk about Lunar New Year dates and traditions using simple, natural Mandarin

🗝 Key Sentence:
大年初一去拜年。(Dànián chū yī qù bàinián.) On the first day of Lunar New Year, we visit people and say Happy New Year.

🗣 Listener Challenge:
你覺得農曆年的哪一天最有趣？ Which Lunar New Year day do you find the most interesting?

🍰 About Bitesize Basics 🍰
Welcome to 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 — a podcast series for beginner Mandarin learners (A1)! Each episode teaches one useful grammar point or vocabulary set through fun, practical conversations. Learn with Mindy and Joeru and build your Mandarin step by step!

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

As Lunar New Year gets closer, Mindy tells the classic story behind the 十二生肖 (Chinese zodiac) in simple Mandarin. From the zodiac race to the rat, the dragon, and the missing cat, this episode helps you understand where the twelve animals come from — and why people still talk about zodiac signs today.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• 十二生肖 (Chinese zodiac signs): 🐭 鼠 (shǔ)、🐮 牛 (niú)、🐯 虎 (hǔ)、🐰 兔 (tù)、🐲 龍 (lóng)、🐍 蛇 (shé)、🐴 馬 (mǎ)、🐐 羊 (yáng)、🐵 猴 (hóu)、🐔 雞 (jī)、🐶 狗 (gǒu)、🐷 豬 (zhū)

• The story behind the zodiac order

• Why the rat and the cat became enemies

🗣 Listener Challenge:
你屬什麼？What’s your Chinese zodiac sign?

☕️ About Bitesize Talks:
Welcome to ☕️ 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 ☕️ — a podcast series designed for A1–A2 level Mandarin learners who want a bit more challenge! Join Mindy and Joeru as they share casual, real-life stories in natural Mandarin, helping you grow your confidence one conversation at a time.
🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

How do people talk about age in Mandarin — without directly asking? 🧧🐎 In this episode, Mindy and Joeru break down the most common ways to ask and answer age-related questions in Mandarin — and introduce a very Taiwanese twist: using zodiac signs to roughly guess someone’s age. You’ll learn how to talk about age, birth year, and zodiac signs in a natural, conversational way — just in time for Lunar New Year.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 Today’s Topic:
Talking about age, birth year, and zodiac signs in everyday Mandarin

🗝 Key Sentence:
我屬馬。(Wǒ shǔ mǎ.) – I’m a Horse. / I was born in the Year of the Horse.

🗣 Listener Challenge:
「你屬什麼？」
If you’re not sure, look up the zodiac animal for your birth year and give it a try!
Share your sentence with us on Instagram and tag @bitesize.chinese — we’d love to see it 😊

🍰 About Bitesize Basics 🍰
Welcome to 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 — a podcast series for beginner Mandarin learners (A1)! Each episode teaches one useful grammar point or vocabulary set through fun, practical conversations. Learn with Mindy and Joeru and build your Mandarin step by step!

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

If you move to Taiwan, THIS social media app will run your life — whether you like it or not. 📱 In this episode of Bitesize Convos, Mindy and Joeru chat about social media in Taiwan — what platforms people actually use, how different generations use them, and the habits (and problems) that come with being constantly online.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 In this episode, we cover:
– Social media platforms commonly used in Taiwan
– Why LINE is essential in daily life
– How Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads are actually used
– Generational differences in social media habits
– Social media issues like oversharing, anxiety, and misinformation

🗣 Listener Challenge:
What’s one thing about social media in Taiwan that surprised you?
今天提到的台灣社群媒體現況，哪一件事最讓你驚訝？😺

🎙️ The Bitesize Chinese Podcast helps you bridge the gap between classroom Mandarin and how people actually speak — with all the quirks, slang, and culture that come with it. Each bi-weekly episode is a bite-sized challenge designed to stretch your skills and bring you from intermediate to almost advanced — one conversation at a time. Tune in, take a bite, and keep growing with us! 🎧💬

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

How do people actually use LINE in Taiwan? 💬📱 In this episode, Mindy and Joeru walk you through the most common ways people use LINE in everyday life — from adding a new contact and sending messages to calling friends and even sending money with LINE Pay. You’ll learn practical verbs and expressions that Taiwanese speakers use all the time, in real conversations.

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

🎯 Today’s Topic:
Essential LINE vocabulary for chatting, calling, and sending money in Mandarin

🗝 Key Sentence:
我打LINE給你。
(Wǒ dǎ LINE gěi nǐ.)
– I will call you on LINE.

🗣 Listener Challenge:
你最常用 LINE 做什麼？
是加朋友、傳訊息、打電話，還是轉 Line Pay？
What do you use LINE for the most? Try answering with one sentence in Mandarin, and tag us on Instagram @bitesize.chinese — we’d love to see how you use today’s expressions!

🍰 About Bitesize Basics 🍰
Welcome to 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 — a podcast series for beginner Mandarin learners (A1)! Each episode teaches one useful grammar point or vocabulary set through fun, practical conversations. Learn with Mindy and Joeru and build your Mandarin step by step! 📱 Follow us on Instagram @bitesize.chinese for this week’s vocabulary recap and practice tips!

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting

In this episode of Bitesize News, Joeru and Amber unpack the latest headlines around the New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) following the conclusion of Taiwan–US tariff negotiations. We break down what exchange rates actually mean, why Taiwan’s investment commitments to the US are raising concerns about currency depreciation, and how economists interpret the short-term and long-term impact on the NTD.

本集將用清楚、易懂的中文新聞語言，帶你了解什麼是匯率、新台幣為什麼會出現「貶值疑慮」，以及這類經濟新聞和一般人的生活有什麼關係。

News source:《台視新聞網》, 2026/01/19, 林品瑄、王秋明 (https://www.gvm.com.tw/article/125373)

📘 Podcast Notes
Full transcripts and structured study support to help you turn listening into real learning.
Now Available here: https://ko-fi.com/bitesizechinese

In this episode, we cover:
– 什麼是「匯率」？為什麼 1 美元兌 30 元台幣很重要
(What an exchange rate actually means, explained simply)
– 台美關稅談判落幕後，台灣承諾對美投資的背景
(Background of the Taiwan–US tariff deal and investment promises)
– 為什麼「對美投資」會引發新台幣貶值的疑慮
(Why overseas investment can trigger depreciation concerns)
– 新聞中常見的金融用語解析： 「落定」、「貶值」、「短線承壓」、「可望」、「區間震盪」
(Key financial expressions you’ll often hear in Mandarin news)

🌏 Bitesize News series brings you real-world Mandarin through one timely story every two weeks. Our hosts break down the headlines in clear, structured Chinese, helping B2–C1 learners build advanced listening skills while staying informed. Stay curious — and let the Bitesize Chinese newsroom become your Mandarin classroom.

🔅 Podcast Notes | 逐字稿＋學習筆記
🔅 Buy us a coffee｜贊助我們一杯咖啡
🔅 Leave a comment | 留言給我
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Website
🔅 Bitesize Chinese 一口中文 Instagram
🔅 Learn Chinese with us | 跟我們學中文

Powered by Firstory Hosting