Little Mandarin: Learn Chinese through culture and real life

Episoade

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  BONUS: Top 20 Most Useful Verbs in Mandarin🎧 (Chinese + English Translation) 28.07.2026 5min

  🎓 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/2970664This bonus episode is a simple verb list for beginners: 20 of the most useful verbs in Mandarin, with the Chinese first and the English translation right after.No long explanations, no example sentences — just a clean and useful review you can come back to anytime.It’s a good episode to replay, save, and use as a quick verb foundation alongside the main lessons.If you’re preparing for class, reviewing before an exam, or just want a stronger base in everyday Mandarin, this is a very good place to start.
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  S2E15 I Wake Up at 7🌅 (How to Talk About Basic Actions with Time in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 15 28.07.2026 14min

  🎓 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 15, we’re learning how to attach time to action in Mandarin.You’ll learn a few very useful daily verbs like 起床, 去公司, 吃饭, 回家, and 睡觉, and more importantly, the sentence structure behind them:subject + time + actionWe’ll also look at one key difference between English and Chinese: English usually uses a preposition like at, while Mandarin often just puts the time directly before the action.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say simple sentences like 我七点起床 and 我九点去公司 much more naturally.And don’t miss the bonus episode for this lesson, where I’ve prepared a list of the top 20 most useful verbs in Mandarin.
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  S2E14 Why China Has Only One Time Zone🕰️ (How to Place Time in Context in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 14 21.07.2026 21min

  🎓 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 14, we’re learning how to place time in context in Mandarin with four very useful words: 上午, 中午, 下午, and 晚上.You’ll learn how to say things like eight in the morning, twelve at noon, three in the afternoon, and seven in the evening, and connect these expressions with the time phrases from the last lesson.We’ll also look at why this matters so much in spoken Chinese: everyday Mandarin usually prefers a 12-hour system, and one official time zone stretches across the whole country.There’s also a small character note on 午, and why sometimes learning Chinese characters becomes much easier once you start seeing the shape, not just memorising the strokes.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to place time much more naturally in Mandarin and sound much more precise when you talk about the day.
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  S2E13 What Time Is It?⏰ (How to Tell the Time in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 13 14.07.2026 22min

  🎓 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 13, we’re learning how to tell the time in Mandarin.You’ll learn the key words 点, 分, 半, 刻, and 小时, and how to use them to say things like three o’clock, five thirty, seven fifteen, and eight forty-five.We’ll also look at one important distinction: 点 is for clock time, while 小时 is for duration.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to ask 几点了？, tell the time much more naturally, and understand why spoken Mandarin time expressions often sound so clear and rhythmic.
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  S2E12 I’m at the Coffee Shop☕ (How to Say Where You Are in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 12 07.07.2026 20min

  🎓 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 12, we’re learning how to say where you are in Mandarin with one very useful structure: 在 + place.You’ll learn how to say things like I’m at home, I’m at the coffee shop, I’m at school, and I’m in Paris, as well as how to ask Where are you?We’ll also look at a useful cultural detail: when Chinese describes location, it often moves from big to small — something you can clearly see in the way addresses are written, and also in expressions like 我在巴黎的咖啡馆.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to talk about where you are much more naturally in Mandarin.
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  S2E11 What You Love Says Who You Are❤️ (How to Say Preferences in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 11 30.06.2026 19min

  🎓 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 11, we’re learning how to say what you like, don’t like, and love in Mandarin.You’ll learn how to use 喜欢, 不喜欢, and 爱 to talk about your preferences in a much more natural way — whether that’s coffee, tea, films, music, cities, food, or rainy days.We’ll also look at an important cultural difference: why 爱 in Mandarin often feels stronger and heavier than English I love, and why 喜欢 is usually the more natural choice in everyday conversation.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say what you like, what you don’t like, and make your Mandarin sound much more personal.
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  S2E10 Challenge: Can You Introduce Yourself in Chinese Now?🎤 (Stage 1 Recap) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 10 23.06.2026 18min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is your Stage 1 recap in the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2.In Lesson 10, we’re putting everything from Episodes 1 to 9 together and using it for one very practical task: introducing yourself in Mandarin.You’ll review how to say your name, nationality, age, family, and birthday, and learn how to combine those pieces into a short, clear self-introduction that actually works in real conversation.We’ll also look at one useful cultural detail: in Mandarin, self-introductions are often shorter than learners expect. Usually, you say enough to start the conversation, and then let it continue naturally.By the end of this episode, you should be able to give a simple mini self-introduction in Mandarin with much more confidence.
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  BONUS: Personal Pronouns in Mandarin👤 (我, 你, 他, 她, 它) —Bonus Episode 16.06.2026 18min

  🎓 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/2970664This bonus episode is a quick and practical review of personal pronouns in Mandarin: 我, 你, 他, 她, 它, and their plural forms.You’ll learn how to use these pronouns in simple real-life sentences, and how they work with 是 and 不是 to help you build clearer, more natural Mandarin.We’ll also look at one very useful detail: in spoken Mandarin, 他, 她, and 它 all sound the same — tā — and the plural forms 他们, 她们, and 它们 all sound the same too.By the end of this short bonus episode, you’ll feel much more confident using Mandarin pronouns in everyday sentences.
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  S2E9 I’m a Teacher. I’m Not a Doctor. Who Are You?👩🏻‍🏫 (How to Use 是 and 不是 in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 9 16.06.2026 17min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 9, we’re learning how to use 是 and 不是 to say who someone is, what they are, and what they are not.You’ll learn how to build simple but essential sentences like 我是老师, 他是医生, and 她不是我妹妹, and start turning the vocabulary you already know into real Mandarin sentences.We’ll also look at an important beginner insight: why 是 in Mandarin matters, but is not used as often as English to be — especially when Mandarin is describing qualities rather than identity.And if you want a quick extra review of personal pronouns like 我, 你, 他, 她, and 它, there’s also a separate bonus episode for that.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to identify people and things much more clearly in Mandarin — and understand one of the most important early grammar patterns in the language.
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  S2E8 “Have You Eaten?” — The Most Chinese Way to Say Hello🥢 (How to Greet More Naturally in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 8 09.06.2026 16min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 8, we’re learning three very natural ways to greet people in Mandarin: 吃了吗？, 最近怎么样？, and 好久不见。You’ll learn what these expressions mean, when to use them, and why greetings in Mandarin often feel more relational, more situational, and more alive than a simple textbook 你好.We’ll also look at the history and emotional meaning behind 吃了吗？ — and why a question about food became one of the warmest and most Chinese ways to say hello.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to greet people in Mandarin in a way that feels much more natural, warm, and real.
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  S2E7 How Old Are You? (And When Not to Ask)🎈 (How to Ask Age Politely in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 7 02.06.2026 23min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 7, we’re learning how to ask and answer age in Mandarin — politely, naturally, and with the right social feeling.You’ll learn three common ways to ask about age: 你几岁？, 你多大？, and 您多大年纪？ — and when each one sounds natural, respectful, or a little too direct.We’ll also look at why asking age in Chinese can sometimes feel completely normal, and sometimes a little sensitive, depending on the situation.And because people do not always want to say their exact age directly, we’ll also explore two more playful and indirect ways to answer: saying the year you were born and saying your Chinese zodiac sign.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to talk about age in Mandarin with much more confidence — and much better social awareness.
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  S2E6 My Family — The Warmest and Most Complicated Words👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 (How to Talk About Close Family in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 6 26.05.2026 20min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 6, we’re learning how to talk about close family in Mandarin — and why family words in Chinese can feel much more specific than they do in English.You’ll learn useful everyday words like 妈妈, 爸爸, 哥哥, 姐姐, 弟弟, and 妹妹, as well as simple pronouns like 我, 你, 他, 她, and 它 to help you build real sentences.We’ll also explore why Chinese family terms are often so detailed, and how ideas about age, family role, and relationships are reflected directly in the language.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to talk simply and naturally about your close family in Mandarin.
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  S2E5 Your Birthday in Chinese🎂 (How to Say Dates Naturally in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 5 19.05.2026 26min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 5, we’re learning how to talk about dates and birthdays in Mandarin — and also how Chinese ways of expressing time are deeply connected to the natural world.You’ll learn how 日, 天, 星期, 月, and 年 work in Mandarin, how to say full dates naturally, and how to talk about your birthday with confidence.We’ll also explore why time words in Chinese often connect to the sun, the moon, the sky, and traditional ways of understanding the calendar — including why Chinese New Year does not always fall on the same date as January 1st.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say dates, talk about birthdays, and understand time expressions in Mandarin in a much deeper and more interesting way.
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  S2E4 Count to 99 Without Panic🔢 (Numbers in Mandarin Made Simple) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 4 12.05.2026 32min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 4, we’re learning how to count from 0 to 99 in Mandarin — one of the most practical and satisfying steps for beginners.You’ll learn how Mandarin numbers are built, how to say numbers more confidently with Pinyin, and how to use them in real life for things like phone numbers and years.We’ll also look at a fun cultural topic: why Chinese people care so much about numbers, and how ideas of luck, sound, and symbolism shape the meanings of numbers like 4, 8, and 9.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to count more confidently in Mandarin and start noticing numbers everywhere around you.
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  Bonus: Full Pinyin Pronunciation Practice🎧 (Initials, Finals, and Repeat with Me) 05.05.2026 21min

  🎓 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/2970664This bonus gives you extra Pinyin pronunciation practice after Lesson 3.We’ll go through the full Pinyin chart together — finals, initials, and simple repeat-with-me practice — to help you hear the sounds more clearly and build a stronger pronunciation foundation.Pinyin ChartInitials (23):b, p, m, fd, t, n, lg, k, hj, q, xzh, ch, sh, rz, c, sy, wFinals (24):a, o, e, i, u, üai, ei, ui, ao, ou, iuie, üe, er, an, en, inun, ün, ang, eng, ing, ongStart with the finals, then move on to the initials, and finally put them together with me in a guided pronunciation practice.
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  S2E3 Why One Sound Can Mean Four Different Things🎵 (An Easy Introduction to Pinyin and Tones) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 3 05.05.2026 20min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 3, we’re starting with one of the most important foundations in Mandarin: Pinyin and tones.Why can one sound mean four different things in Mandarin? In this episode, we explore how tones work, why they are part of the word itself, and how Pinyin helps you read and pronounce Mandarin more clearly.You’ll also hear a seasonal warming-up around Lìxià, the traditional Start of Summer in China, and learn why Chinese ways of marking the seasons can feel a little different from what many English speakers expect.By the end of this episode, you’ll better understand what Pinyin is, why tones matter so much, and how to start hearing Mandarin more accurately from the very beginning.🎧 Bonus: stay to the end for extra Pinyin pronunciation practice.
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  S2E2 Your Name, Your Country, Your Story Starts Here🌍 (How to Introduce Yourself in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 2 28.04.2026 19min

  🎓 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/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 2, we’re learning how to introduce yourself in Mandarin: how to say your name, where you’re from, and how to begin telling your story.You’ll learn 我叫…, 我是…, and 我是…人, and we’ll also look at a small but important cultural detail — why Chinese names usually put the family name first.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to give a simple self-introduction in Mandarin with more confidence.
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  S2E1 The First Thing You Say in Mandarin👋🏻 (It’s Not Always 你好) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 1 21.04.2026 15min

  🎓 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: or search name Xinyue.Z🔗 ⁠https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664This episode is part of the Essential Mandarin series on Little Mandarin Season 2, designed to take you from complete beginner to real-life everyday Mandarin.In Lesson 1, we’re starting with a simple but important question: is the first thing you say in Mandarin always 你好?Not exactly.In this episode, you’ll learn 你好, 您好, 你吃了吗, 去哪儿啊, and 最近怎么样, and discover why greetings in Mandarin are often more situational, relational, and culturally rich than many beginners expect.
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  Season2 is BACK💛 Essential Mandarin Course: Start Speaking Like a Real Person 14.04.2026 4min

  Season 2 is here — and we're starting fresh.This season, Little Mandarin becomes a structured Mandarin course, designed to take you from complete beginner to HSK 2 / A2 level — one small step at a time.Every Tuesday, we'll focus on one simple, useful thing you can actually use in real life. Not textbook Chinese. Real Chinese — the kind that helps you talk about your life, your personality, and the things that matter to you.By the end of this season, you'll be able to introduce yourself, talk about your routine, share what you think and feel — and start to sound like a real person 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/2970664Let's learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙
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  S02 Trailer — Essential Mandarin Course: Start Speaking Like a Real Person🇨🇳☕️ 14.04.2026 4min

  Season 2 is here — and we're starting fresh.This season, Little Mandarin becomes a structured Mandarin course, designed to take you from complete beginner to HSK 2 / A2 level — one small step at a time.Every Tuesday, we'll focus on one simple, useful thing you can actually use in real life. Not textbook Chinese. Real Chinese — the kind that helps you talk about your life, your personality, and the things that matter to you.By the end of this season, you'll be able to introduce yourself, talk about your routine, share what you think and feel — and start to sound like a real person 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/2970664Let's learn with good vibes and great Mandarin! ✨🥂💙