Ever tried to bluff your way through an exam, a project, or even a date? In this episode, we dive into the hilarious (and slightly sneaky) Chinese idiom 蒙混过关, which literally means “to muddle through a checkpoint.” We’ll chat about this useful expression, when it’s risky, and how Chinese people use it in daily life.

🎧 Learn Mandarin through real examples, personal stories, and our usual dose of laughter!

Sentence Examples

Practice your Mandarin with a chilling Chinese ghost story 空无一人的巷子! Learn spooky new words like 纸钱 (zhǐqián) “ghost money,” 低语 (dīyǔ) “whisper,” and 门缝 (ménfèng) “crack of a door” as you follow 小王 (Xiǎo Wáng) through a deserted alley late at night.
🎧 Listen for comprehension, build vocabulary, and test yourself with our mini-quiz at the end! Perfect for intermediate learners who love stories, culture, and a little bit of creepiness in their study routine.

Story:

深夜，小王下班回家，经过一条空无一人的小巷。
Shēnyè, Xiǎo Wáng xiàbān huí jiā, jīngguò yì tiáo kōng wú yī rénde xiǎoxiàng.
Late at night, Xiao Wang washeading home from work, passing through a deserted alley.

风吹过，纸钱飘舞。
Fēng chuī guò, zhǐqián piāowǔ.
The wind blew, andghost money fluttered in the air.

他忽然听见身后有人轻声喊他的名字。
Tā hūrán tīngjiàn shēnhòu yǒu rén qīngshēng hǎn tā demíngzi.
Suddenly, he heard someone softly callinghis name from behind.

回头，却什么也没有。
Huítóu, què shénme yě méiyǒu.
He turned around, butnothing was there.

加快脚步时，耳边又传来低语：“别走那么快……”
Jiākuài jiǎobù shí, ěrbiān yòu chuánlái dīyǔ: “Bié zǒu nàmekuài……”
As he quickened his pace, a whisperbrushed past his ear: “Don’t walk so fast…”

小王吓得跑回家，猛地关上门，透过门缝，却看到一双苍白的手，缓缓拍着门板。
Xiǎo Wáng xià de pǎo huí jiā, měng de guān shàng mén, tòuguò ménfèng, què kàndào yì shuāng cāngbái de shǒu, huǎnhuǎn pāizhe ménbǎn.
Terrified, Xiao Wang ran home andslammed the door shut. Through the crack, he saw a pair of pale hands slowly tapping on the door.

Mini-Quiz:

1. 故事发生在什么时候？
(When does the story take place?)

2. 小王在什么地方听见有人叫他？
(Where was Xiao Wang when he heard someone call his name?)

3. 小王回到家后，从门缝里看到了什么？
(What did Xiao Wang see through the crack of the door?)

In this episode, we explore the Chinese phrase 离不开 (lí bù kāi) — which means “can’t live without.” Learn how native speakers use it to express dependence, habits, and deep connections. We’ll break it down with clear examples, a short dialogue, and pronunciation practice to help you sound more natural when speaking Mandarin.

Examples:

1. 他离不开咖啡，每天都要喝。

Tā lí bù kāi kāfēi, měitiān dōu yào hē.

He can’t live without coffee; he drinks it every day.

2. 他离不开他的家人。

Tā lí bù kāi tā de jiārén.

He can't be apart from his family

3. 成功离不开努力和机会。

Chénggōng lí bù kāi nǔlì hé jīhuì.

Success depends on both effort and opportunity.

4.这件事离不开大家的努力。

Zhè jiàn shì lí bù kāi dàjiā de nǔlì.

This matter can't succeed without everyone's effort.

🗣 Dialogue: 离不开 (Lí bù Kāi)

A: 你觉得你离不开什么东西？
Nǐ juéde nǐ lí bù kāi shénme dōngxī?
What do you think you can’t live without?

B: 我觉得我离不开手机和家人。
Wǒ juéde wǒ lí bù kāi shǒujī hé jiārén.
I think I can’t live without my phone and my family.

A: 为什么手机排在第一位呢？
Wèishénme shǒujī páizài dì yī wèi ne?
Why is your phone in first place?

B: 因为手机帮我工作，也让我跟朋友保持联系。
Yīnwèi shǒujī bāng wǒ gōngzuò, yě ràng wǒ gēn péngyǒu bǎochí liánxì.
Because my phone helps me with work and lets me stay in touch with my friends.

A: 是啊，现在大家都离不开手机了。
Shì a, xiànzài dàjiā dōu lí bù kāi shǒujī le.
Yeah, these days everyone can’t live without their phones.

B: 对，而且家人也很重要，离开他们我会很孤单。
Duì, érqiě jiārén yě hěn zhòngyào, lí kāi tāmen wǒ huì hěn gūdān.
Right, and family is very important too — without them, I’d feel really lonely.

In this episode, we dive into the Chinese slang phrase 露馅儿 (lòu xiànr) — literally “the filling is showing.” Learn how native speakers use it to describe moments when secrets slip out, someone accidentally reveals too much, or a cover-up fails. We’ll share clear examples, cultural context, and easy practice sentences so you can start using 露馅儿 naturally in conversation.

在这一集节目里，我们要聊一聊中文俚语“露馅儿 (lòu xiànr)”——字面意思是“馅儿露出来了”。它常常用来形容秘密被揭穿了、有人不小心说漏了嘴，或者掩饰失败的情况。我们会分享清晰的例子、文化背景，以及简单的练习句子，帮助你在对话中自然地使用“露馅儿"。

Zài zhè yì jí jiémù lǐ, wǒmen yào liáo yī liáo Zhōngwén lǐyǔ “lòu xiànr” —— zìmiàn yìsi shì “xiànr lòu chū lái le.”
Tā chángcháng yòng lái xíngróng mìmì bèi jiēchuān le, yǒu rén bù xiǎoxīn shuō lòu le zuǐ, huòzhě yǎnshì shībài de qíngkuàng.
Wǒmen huì fēnxiǎng qīngxī de lìzi, wénhuà bèijǐng, yǐjí jiǎndān de liànxí jùzi, bāngzhù nǐ zài duìhuà zhōng zìrán de shǐyòng “lòu xiànr.”

Conversation 1:

小张: 你不是说你今天请假是去看医生吗？

(Xiǎo Zhāng): Nǐ bù shì shuō nǐ jīntiān qǐngjià shì qù kàn yīshēng ma?

小李: 是啊，怎么了？

(Xiǎo Lǐ): Shì a, zěnme le?

小张: 可是我在商场看到你在排队买鞋，你露馅儿啦！

(Xiǎo Zhāng): Kěshì wǒ zài shāngchǎng kàndào nǐ zài páiduì mǎi xié, nǐ lòu xiànr la!

小李: 哎呀，被你发现了……

(Xiǎo Lǐ): Āiyā, bèi nǐ fāxiàn le……

English Translation – Conversation 1:

Xiaozhang: Didn’t you say you took the day off to see a doctor?

Xiaoli: Yeah… why?

Xiaozhang: I saw you at the mall lining up to buy shoes—your cover’s blown!

Xiaoli: Aiya, you caught me…

Conversation 2:

小美: 你是不是偷偷喜欢他？

(Xiǎo Měi): Nǐ shì bù shì tōutōu xǐhuan tā?

小芳: 没有啊，别乱说！

(Xiǎo Fāng): Méiyǒu a, bié luàn shuō!

小美: 可你一听到他的名字就脸红，早就露馅儿啦！

(Xiǎo Měi): Kě nǐ yì tīng dào tā de míngzì jiù liǎnhóng, zǎo jiù lòu xiànr la!

小芳: 啊？我有吗？

(Xiǎo Fāng): A? Wǒ yǒu ma?

English Translation – Conversation 2:

Xiaomei: Do you secretly like him?

Xiaofang: No way—don’t say that!

Xiaomei: But you blush every time you hear his name. You totally gave yourself away!

Xiaofang: Huh? I did?

Example Sentences:

• 他紧张得说错了话，一下子就露馅儿了。

He got nervous and said the wrong thing—he totally gave himself away.

• 他们本来想骗我，结果一问就露馅儿了。

They tried to fool me, but I caught them right away.

• 假装不知道结果，结果自己先露馅儿了。

Pretended not to know, but ended up revealing it accidentally.

It’s that time of year again — back to school season! In this episode, we dive into the popular Chinese expression 神兽归笼 (“the mythical beasts return to their cages”), a humorous way parents describe sending kids back to school after summer break. You’ll learn how this phrase is used in daily conversation and pick up practical Mandarin expressions to talk about the social aspect of this time of year. Perfect for Chinese learners who want to sound more natural and stay up-to-date with trending slang.

对话：

小李：哎，今天开学第一天，家长群都在刷屏。

Xiǎo Lǐ: Āi, jīntiān kāixué dì yī tiān, jiāzhǎng qún dōu zài shuāpíng.

(Sigh, it’s the first day of school, and the parents’ group is blowing up.)

小王：哈哈，是啊，大家都在感叹“神兽归笼”。

Xiǎo Wáng: Hāhā, shì a, dàjiā dōu zài gǎntàn “shénshòu guī lóng.”

(Haha, yeah, everyone is sighing with relief: “the little beasts are back in their cages.”)

小李：终于能安静一点了，不用每天被孩子吵醒。

Xiǎo Lǐ: Zhōngyú néng ānjìng yīdiǎn le, bùyòng měitiān bèi háizi chǎoxǐng.

(Finally some peace and quiet—no more being woken up by the kids every day.)

小王：可不是嘛. 暑假天天陪着我女儿，累得不行。现在上班反而像休息

Xiǎo Wáng: Kě bù shì ma, Shǔjià tiāntiān péizhe wǒ nǚ’ér, lèi de bùxíng. Xiànzài shàngbān fǎn’ér xiàng xiūxi.

(Tell me about it—During summer vacation I was with my daughter every single day — it was exhausting. Now going to work actually feels like taking a break.”)

小李：现在交给老师了，我们也能喘口气。

Xiǎo Lǐ: Xiànzài jiāogěi lǎoshī le, wǒmen yě néng chuǎn kǒuqì.

(Now that the teachers are in charge, we can finally take a breather.)

小王：不过老师才是真正的英雄，得面对几十只“神兽”！

Xiǎo Wáng: Bùguò lǎoshī cái shì zhēnzhèng de yīngxióng, děi miànduì jǐshí zhī “shénshòu”!

(But the teachers are the real heroes—they have to face dozens of these “little beasts”!)

Fall means Pumpkin Spice Latte season! ☕🍂 In this episode, we dive into the phenomenon of the PSL while teaching you how to order it in Mandarin Chinese. Learn essential café vocabulary, practice real-life dialogues, and discover how seasonal drinks are talked about in Chinese. Perfect for language learners who love coffee and culture.

顾客：你好，我要一杯南瓜香料拿铁。

Gùkè: Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yao yì bēi nánguā xiāngliào nátiě.

Customer: Hello, I'd like a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

咖啡师：好的，要多大杯？中杯还是大杯？

Kāfēishī: Hǎo de, yào duō dà bēi? Zhōng bēi háishì dà bēi?

Barista: Okay, what size? Medium or large?

顾客：中杯就好，谢谢。对了，可以少糖吗？

Gùkè: Zhōng bēi jiù hǎo, xièxiè. Duì le, kěyǐ shǎo táng ma?

Customer: Medium is fine, thank you. Oh, and can you make it less sweet?

咖啡师：没问题，请稍等。

Kāfēishī: Méi wèntí, qǐng shāo děng.

Barista: No problem, please wait a moment.

For a link to the full transcipt of this episode, click here:

https://turboscribe.ai/transcript/share/927741523293021000/vH-Kvog1yzZVTOqVfbfhzLiNOAm6uTTGFWVyJMf6Sg4/pumpkin-spice-latte-the-fall-favorite-explained-in-chinese-or-mandarin-learning-podcast-pre-intermediate

Check out my friend Kapa Zhao's Video on a favorite Shanghai Coffee Spot:

http://xhslink.com/m/3A44hcyH3JV

Want to sound more natural in Mandarin? Learn the Chinese idiom that can mean not only making the kind of mistakes that hurt yourself, but also when your plans to harm someone else backfire.

小李：听说老赵匿名举报同事偷懒。

Xiǎo Lǐ: Tīng shuō Lǎo Zhào nìmíng jǔbào tóngshì tōulǎn.

Xiao Li: I heard Old Zhao anonymously reported a coworker for slacking off.

小王：结果呢？

Xiǎo Wáng: Jiéguǒ ne?

Xiao Wang: And what happened?

小李：结果调查时才发现，他自己摸鱼更严重。

Xiǎo Lǐ: Jiéguǒ diàochá shí cái fāxiàn, tā zìjǐ mōyú gèng yánzhòng.

Xiao Li: Turns out, when they investigated, they found he was slacking off even worse.

小王：哈哈，这不就是搬起石头砸自己的脚嘛！

Xiǎo Wáng: Hāhā, zhè bú jiù shì bān qǐ shítou zá zìjǐ de jiǎo ma!

Xiao Wang: Haha, isn’t that just “lifting a rock only to drop it on your own foot”? (Chinese idiom meaning “to shoot yourself in the foot”)

For a full transcript of this episode, follow the link below:

https://turboscribe.ai/transcript/share/7539025776270928496/jOXVaUiFnSTesYK1gstei-9dv5a0Fb_nF6Iaz4K7OG4/shoot-oneself-in-the-foot

不得已："不得已" is typically used to express that an action or decision was made out of necessity rather than desire, usually because of circumstances that leave no alternative. It's often used in situations where one is reluctantly forced to make a choice.

小明: 你怎么突然辞职了？不是说好要坚持下去的吗？

(Xiǎo Míng): Nǐ zěnme túrán cí zhí le? Bù shì shuō hǎo yào jiānchí xiàqù de ma?

小李: 其实我也很不想辞职，可是公司最近的变化让我不得已做出了这个决定。

(Xiǎo Lǐ): Qíshí wǒ yě hěn bù xiǎng cí zhí, kěshì gōngsī zuìjìn de biànhuà ràng wǒ bù dé yǐ zuò chū le zhège juédìng.

小明: 哦，原来是这样。你打算做什么？

(Xiǎo Míng): Ó, yuánlái shì zhèyàng. Nǐ dǎsuàn zuò shénme?

小李: 我还没想好，但总不能一直这样下去，我得找到更适合自己的工作。

(Xiǎo Lǐ): Wǒ hái méi xiǎng hǎo, dàn zǒng bù néng yīzhí zhèyàng xiàqù, wǒ děi zhǎodào gèng shìhé zìjǐ de gōngzuò.

Translation:

Xiao Ming: Why did you suddenly resign? Didn’t you say you were going to stick it out?

Xiao Li: Actually, I really didn’t want to quit, but the recent changes at the company left me no choice but to make this decision.

Xiao Ming: Oh, I see. So what are you planning to do?

Xiao Li: I haven’t figured it out yet, but I can’t go on like this forever. I need to find a job that suits me better.

Dialogue #2:

小杰: 你为什么不参加今晚的聚会？大家都很期待你来！

(Xiǎo Jié): Nǐ wèishéme bù cānjiā jīn wǎn de jùhuì? Dàjiā dōu hěn qīdài nǐ lái!

小芳: 我本来很想去，但我得照顾生病的妈妈，实在是不得已。

(Xiǎo Fāng): Wǒ běnlái hěn xiǎng qù, dàn wǒ děi zhàogù shēngbìng de māmā, shízài shì bù dé yǐ.

小杰: 哦，那就没办法了，家人最重要。

(Xiǎo Jié): Ó, nà jiù méi bànfǎ le, jiārén zuì zhòngyào.

Translation:

Xiaojie: Why aren’t you coming to the gathering tonight? Everyone’s looking forward to seeing you!

Xiaofang: I really wanted to go, but I have to take care of my sick mom. I really have no choice.

Xiaojie: Oh, then there’s nothing we can do. Family is the most important.

Example Sentences:

1. 他们这样做是出于不得已。(Tāmen zhèyàng zuò shì chū yú bùdéyǐ.) They did it that way b/c they had no choice.

2. 不到万不得已，他不亲自出马。(Bù dào wànbùdéyǐ, tā bù qīnzì chūmǎ) Unless absolutely necessary, he never appears in person.

3. 他知道这只是万不得已的办法。(Tā zhīdào zhè zhǐshì wànbùdéyǐ de bànfǎ.) He knew it was the last resort.

In our most recent short video, Vicky takes us to explore some of the highlights of New York City. Come along with us as we take in the sights of The Big Apple, all in Chinese.

"见怪不怪" (Upper Intermediate)—a dialogue about adapting to unusual phenomena, such as colleagues wearing slippers in the office. Includes example sentences for practice.

Dialogue:

A：你看，那个新同事居然在办公室里穿拖鞋！

(A: Nǐ kàn, nàgè xīn tóngshì jūrán zài bàngōngshì lǐ chuān tuōxié! )

A: Look, the new guy is wearing slippers in the office!

B：哎，见怪不怪了，现在很多人工作时都喜欢随意些。

(B: Āi, jiàn guài bù guàile, xiànzài hěnduō rén gōngzuò shí dōu xǐhuān suíyì xiē.)

B: Oh, I no longer even notice that. Now many people like to be casual at work.

A：也是，越来越多公司不再强调穿着了。

(A: Yěshì, yuè lái yuè duō gōngsī bù zài qiángdiào chuānzhuóle.)

A: That’s true, more and more companies no longer emphasize dressing.

B：对，毕竟大家更重视工作成果，穿得舒服也有助于放松心情。

(B: Duì, bìjìng dàjiā gèng zhòngshì gōngzuò chéngguǒ, chuān dé shūfú yěyǒu zhù yú fàngsōng xīnqíng )

B: Right, after all, everyone pays more attention to work results, and wearing comfortable clothes can also help people relax.

Example Sentences:

1. 他刚开始觉得公司里的规矩很奇怪，但工作久了也就见怪不怪了。

( Tā gāng kāishǐ juédé gōngsī lǐ de guījǔ hěn qíguài, dàn gōngzuò jiǔle yě jiù jiàn guài bù guàile.)

He thought the rules in the company were strange at first, but he got used to it after working for a long time.

2. 这个地方交通混乱，行人和车辆争道，但当地人似乎都见怪不怪。

(Zhège dìfāng jiāotōng hǔnluàn, xíngrén hé chēliàng zhēng dào, dàn dāngdì rén sìhū dōu jiàn guài bù guài.)

The traffic in this place is chaotic, with pedestrians and vehicles competing for the road, but the locals seem to be used to it.

3. 作为老师，面对学生的各种小聪明，她早已见怪不怪。

(Zuòwéi lǎoshī, miàn duì xuéshēng de gè zhǒng xiǎocōngmíng, tā zǎoyǐ jiàn guài bù guài.)

As a teacher, she is no longer surprised by all kinds of cleverness of students.

4.在网络上，每天都有新鲜的热点和事件，网友们早已见怪不怪。

(Zài wǎngluò shàng, měitiān doū yǒu xīnxiān de rèdiǎn hé shìjiàn, wǎngyǒumen zǎoyǐ jiàn guài bù guài.)

There are new hot topics and events on the Internet every day, and netizens have long been accustomed to them.

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