Thinking in Chinese Podcast | Speak Fluent Mandarin with Stories

Do you always say what you really think, or is it sometimes easier to just nod along to avoid conflict?

Today we’re diving into an ancient Chinese story (指鹿为马) where a powerful leader forced an entire court to call a deer a horse.

We’re going to look at how this plays out in real life, and how you can talk about peer pressure and over-pleasing using a few key Chinese expressions.

✅Join our Patreon to get the full transcript & vocab list: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese/posts/full-transcript-165525876

Perfect for Intermediate to Advanced learners (HSK 3+) who want to learn Chinese through fun stories instead of just textbooks.

当你的想法和别人不一样的时候，你会直接说出自己的想法吗？还是因为不想和别人冲突，就跟大家说一样的话？今天，我们来听一个成语故事“指鹿为马”。

📝Today's Vocab:

·睁着眼睛说瞎话 (zhēng zhe yǎnjing shuō xiāhuà) – [slang] to lie through one's teeth

·讨好 (tǎohǎo) – to people-please

·毫无疑问 (háo wú yíwèn) – without a doubt

·看不过去 (kàn bu guòqù) – [slang] can't stand to watch / unable to tolerate (something unfair or wrong)

·得罪 (dézuì) – to offend / to displease someone

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#learn Chinese #Chinese podcast #Chinese listening #Chinese story #hsk4 #hsk5 #hsk6 #Intermediate Chinese #AdvancedChinese #learn Chinese through stories

"Guzheng City"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ever worried so much about something that turned out to be nothing? 2,000 years ago in China, someone's imagination actually made them sick!

In this episode, we’ll dive into this classic story to learn the idiom 杯弓蛇影 (bēi gōng shé yǐng) and daily slang like 硬着头皮 (yìng zhe tóu pí).

✅Get full transcript & vocab list on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese/posts/its-all-in-your-165335384

Perfect for Intermediate to Advanced learners (HSK 3+) who want to learn Chinese through fun stories instead of just textbooks.

📝Today's Vocab:

·起色 (qǐsè) – sign of recovery / improvement

·养病 (yǎngbìng) – to recuperate / take sick leave

·一头雾水 (yì tóu wùshuǐ) – totally confused / baffled

·硬着头皮 (yìng zhe tóupí) – to bite the bullet / force oneself to do something

·提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) – to be on pins and needles / anxious

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Find us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📮Contact me: [email protected]

🌟If you enjoy this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help more Chinese learners discover it! Thank you!

#learn Chinese #Chinese podcast #Chinese listening #Chinese story #hsk4 #hsk5 #hsk6 #Intermediate Chinese #AdvancedChinese #learn Chinese through stories

"Guzheng City"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Have you ever had a dream that felt so real? When you woke up, you couldn't tell if it actually happened. That's the exact vibe of the idiom "Zhuāng zhōu mèng dié." In today's episode, we'll dive into the story behind this idiom and explore how to use it in daily life!

This podcast is perfect for Intermediate to Advanced learners (HSK 3+) who want to learn Chinese through fun stories instead of just textbooks.

✅Get full transcript & vocab list on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese/posts/bonus-episode-164307127

你有没有做过很真实的梦？醒来的时候，不知道刚才发生的事情，是不是真的？这种状态，就是成语“庄周梦蝶”。今天，我们一起来学习这个成语的故事和日常用法吧！

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉 Find us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠⁠

📮Contact me: [email protected]

📒If you enjoy this episode, please leave a 5-star review to help more Chinese learners discover it. Thank you!

#learn Chinese #Chinese podcast #Chinese listening #Chinese story #hsk4 #hsk5 #hsk6 #Intermediate Chinese #AdvancedChinese #learn Chinese through stories

"Guzheng City"

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Have you ever wondered how Lao Tzu’s famous book, the Tao Te Ching, actually came to be? Today, we continue the story of Lao Tzu. Let’s find out the secret origin of the Tao Te Ching and learn some useful expressions along the way.

你有没有想过，老子著名的《道德经》到底是怎么写出来的？今天的节目，我们继续聊聊老子的故事。让我们一起来看看，《道德经》背后的故事，同时还能学到一些很实用的中文表达。

✅Get full transcript & vocab list on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese/posts/full-transcript-163675462

📖 Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

04:03 The Birth of the Tao Te Ching

14:22 Vocab Breakdown 1: "铁杆粉丝" (Die-hard fan)

16:14 Vocab Breakdown 2: "高兴坏了" (Thrilled)

17:43 Vocab Breakdown 3: "这怎么行" (That won't do)

20:39 Vocab Breakdown 4: "要不这样" (How about this/Tell you what)

22:14 Vocab Breakdown 5: "一干二净" (Completely clean/Spotless)

👉 Find us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music: [Guzheng City] by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

We always say, "Opportunity favors the ready." When you've prepared well and feel super confident, that’s exactly what "胸有成竹" means. Starting with a quick chat about the World Cup, this lesson dives into the historical story behind the idiom, its true meaning, and how to use it in daily life.

今天，我们从聊世界杯看球开始，一起来学习“胸有成竹”这个成语吧！

✅Get full transcript & vocab list on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese/posts/ni-zhun-bei-hao-163398510⁠

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Music: [Guzheng City] by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Have you ever come across a Chinese verb that seems to mean absolutely everything? They're like "catch-all" words that pop up everywhere, which can make them pretty confusing to figure out.Take the word "搞" (gǎo), for example. Do you actually know how to use it?In today’s video, we’re going to break down the 5 most common ways native speakers use "搞".

中文里，你是不是经常会碰到一些“万能”动词？“万能”，是说这些动词可以用在很多地方，很容易让人“搞不懂”。比如这个“搞”字，你知道它怎么用吗？今天的视频里，我们就来讲清楚，万能动词“搞”最常用的5种用法。

📍 Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Part 1: "搞" + Everyday Life: 搞卫生/搞活动/搞钱 (Cleaning / Events / Making Money)

03:37 Part 2: "搞" + Professions & Industries: 搞研究/搞艺术/搞创作 (Research / Art / Creative Writing)

05:43 Review of Parts 1 & 2

06:29 Part 3: "搞" + Situations & Personality Traits: 搞笑/搞怪/搞鬼 (Funny / Quirky / Playing Tricks)

10:21 Part 4: "搞" + Outcomes & Results: 搞错/搞定/搞坏 (Mistakes / Settled / Broken)

14:16 Part 5: "搞" + Mental States: 搞清楚/搞懂/搞不懂 (Clarity / Understanding / Confusion)

17:09 Final Review

18:24 Summary

📝 Get your lesson notes, vocabulary list, and exercise pack on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠

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How a librarian became one of the greatest thinkers in history? In this episode, we continue the story of Lao Tzu. You heard about his library job last time. But today, you'll step inside: What will you see in a library 2,500 years ago with no paper? What did Lao Tzu actually do there every day? And why he chose to leave it all behind?一个图书管理员，怎么成了历史上最伟大的思想家之一？这期节目，我们继续来讲老子的故事。上一期我们提到了，他在国家图书馆工作。今天我们一起来看看：2500年前，没有纸的图书馆是什么样的？老子每天在图书馆的工作，具体是做什么的？还有，他为什么最后选择离开？

📖 Timestamps:00:00 Introduction00:42 Is being a librarian a great job?04:57 Chapter 1: What would you see inside Lao Tzu‘s library with no paper？14:27 Chapter 2: What did Lao Tzu actually do?17:02 Chapter 3: Why did he leave it all behind?22:11 Vocabulary Breakdown

📝 FREE Transcript available on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠

👉 Find us on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese⁠⁠⁠

Music: [Guzheng City] by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

We all know The Daodejing is full of amazing wisdom. But have you ever wondered if the man behind it, Lao Tzu, was actually a real person?

Today, we're starting part one of our Lao Tzu series to find out who he really was, why he got that unusual name, and if he was a real person or just a legend.

你知道《道德经》吗？很多人都喜欢这本书。但是，写这本书的“老子”，到底是一个真实的人，还是一个传说？

今天的节目，我们一起聊聊老子背后的故事，看看老子到底是谁。

📖 Timestamps:00:00 Introduction02:43 The 2500-Year-Old Mystery: Are we sure he even existed? 07:36 Chapter 1: Decoding the Name: What was his actual name? 11:32 Chapter 2: The Making of a Legend: What makes Lao Tzu so mysterious? 18:41 Chapter 3: The Era of Lao Tzu: When He Met Confucius26:38 Vocabulary Breakdown

📝 Transcript available on Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese⁠⁠

👉 Find us on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese⁠⁠

Music: [Guzheng City] by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Understand Chinese perfectly but struggle to sound natural when you speak?

In this episode, you’ll learn 8 daily expressions that Chinese people use all the time. They’ll help you move past that "textbook" feel and make your conversations sound way more natural and authentic.

你能听懂中文，自己说的时候，却总是有些生硬，不够地道？

今天，你将学会中国人每天都在说的8个实用表达。学会以后，你的中文不只是说得对，还会听起来更像中国人聊天的感觉。

📍 Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:39 不太清楚 (bú tài qīng chu) - Not quite sure.

02:09 没事 (méi shì) - It’s okay.

03:46 算了 (suàn le) - Forget it.

05:13 要不 (yào bù) - How about.

07:54 没听过 (méi tīng guo) - Never heard of it.

08:59 挺不容易的 (tǐng bù róng yì de) - It's really not easy.

10:36 累死了 (lèi sǐ le) - Exhausted.

12:30 到时候再说吧 (dào shí hou zài shuō ba) - Let's see when the time comes.

📝 Transcript available on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese⁠

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese⁠

👉 Find us on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese

How many hours a day do you spend scrolling on your phone? Could you survive a single day without it?

Today, we dive into a real-life experiment of a young man who traveled throughout China for 134 days without a phone.

We explore how smartphones have penetrated our lives so deeply and what happens when we finally turn them off and look up. You'll also learn some highly practical Chinese vocabulary about technology and modern life.

你每天花多少时间刷手机？如果一天不用手机，你能受得了吗？

今天，我们要聊聊一个很有意思的真实故事。一个中国小伙子做了个实验，他不带手机，在中国旅行了134天。

我们会一起聊聊智能手机是怎么改变我们生活的，以及放下手机以后，世界会变成什么样。另外，你还能学到很多关于科技和现代生活的实用中文词汇。

📖 Timestamps:

00:18 开始 Introduction

02:29 小测试 Quiz question

04:30 挑战不带手机：在中国旅行134天 Going phone-free: 134 days traveling around China

09:26 离开智能手机，生活到底有多难？Life without a smartphone: How hard is it?

12:28 放下手机后，那些意想不到的收获 Unexpected benefits of putting down your phone

15:57 总结与思考：在数字时代找到生活的平衡 Reflection: Striking a balance in a digital age

18:56 核心词汇讲解 Vocabulary Breakdown

📝 Transcript available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginchinese

☕️ Support me with a coffee so I can keep making content for you: https://ko-fi.com/thinkinginchinese

👉 Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginchinese