Little Mandarin: Learn Chinese through culture and real life

S2E22 Sorry, I’m Busy Tonight🙏 (How to Politely Decline in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 22 15.09.2026 19мин

🎓 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.

S2E21 Can You Speak Chinese? 会 vs 能🗣️ (Ability and Possibility in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 21 08.09.2026 16мин

🎓 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.

S2E20 Challenge: Describe Your Day in Chinese🗓️ (Stage 2 Recap) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 20 01.09.2026 20мин

🎓 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/2970664Lesson 20 is the final recap of Stage 2.In this challenge episode, we’ll put together everything we learned in the last few lessons: time, daily actions, drinks, sentence order, small connecting words, and 不 / 没.The goal is simple: describe a normal day in Mandarin.You’ll practise sentences like 我早上七点起床, 我早上喝一杯咖啡, 我上午九点去公司, 我中午十二点吃饭, and 我晚上看电影，然后睡觉.We’ll also review why Mandarin often puts time early in the sentence, and how Chinese daily routines usually move in a clear order: morning, noon, afternoon, evening.By the end of this episode, you should be able to say a short daily routine in Mandarin using words and patterns you already know.

S2E19 Two Ways to Say No🙅🏻‍♀️ (不 vs 没 in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 19 25.08.2026 18мин

🎓 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 19, we’re learning two important ways to say “no” in Mandarin:不 and 没They can both make a sentence negative, but they are not used in the same way.In this episode, we’ll review patterns you’ve already seen, like 是 / 不是 and 有 / 没有, then look at the difference between sentences like:我不喝咖啡。I don’t drink coffee.我没喝咖啡。I didn’t drink coffee.You’ll learn how 不 often works for general negation, habits, choices, or things that are not true, while 没 often works for absence, not having something, or actions that did not happen.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say things like 我不是学生, 我不喝茶, 我没有时间, and 我没吃早饭.Before the next lesson, remember to review the earlier episodes about 是 / 不是 and 有 / 没有.

BONUS: How to Say My, Your, Her, and Their in Mandarin🎧 (The Possessive 的) 18.08.2026 11мин

🎓 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 this bonus episode, we’re learning one simple beginner use of 的: the possessive 的.This is the word Mandarin uses to say things like my, your, her, and their.The basic structure is:pronoun + 的 + nounYou’ll learn phrases like 我的咖啡, 你的电脑, 她的手机, and 他们的学校, and practise simple sentences like 这是我的猫 and 这是我的咖啡.We’ll also briefly look at why native speakers sometimes drop 的 with close relationships, like 我妈妈 instead of 我的妈妈.A short and useful bonus if you want to understand one of the most common small words in Mandarin.

S2E18 Small Words That Make You Sound Human🪡 (和, 也, 然后 in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 18 18.08.2026 16мин

🎓 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 18, we’re learning three small but very useful words that make Mandarin sentences sound more natural:和 — and / with也 — also / too然后 — then / and thenThese words help you connect simple ideas, instead of speaking in separate little sentences.You’ll learn how to say things like 手机和电脑, 我和朋友看电影, 我也学中文, and 我吃饭，然后睡觉.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to connect nouns, talk about doing something with someone, say “also / too,” and describe two actions in order.And don’t miss the bonus episode for this lesson, where we’ll talk about 的, the small word Mandarin uses for phrases like my family, your teacher, his book, and her phone.

S2E17 A Very Chinese Sentence Order🧩 (Time + Action + Object in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 17 11.08.2026 21мин

🎓 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 17, we’re learning a very important Mandarin sentence order:subject + time + action + objectIn English, you can say: I drink coffee in the morning.But in Mandarin, we usually say: 我早上喝咖啡。The time often comes before the action.In this episode, we’ll build fuller everyday sentences with words you already know, like 喝, 吃, 看, and 学.By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to say sentences like 我早上喝咖啡, 我中午吃午饭, 我下午学中文, and 我晚上看电影.A simple but very important episode if you want your Mandarin sentence order to sound cleaner and more natural.

BONUS: Top 20 Most Useful Measure Words in Mandarin🎧 (Chinese + English Translation) 04.08.2026 8мин

🎓 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 clean beginner list of the top 20 most useful measure words in Mandarin.In Chinese, we often need a measure word between a number and a noun. For example: 一杯咖啡, 一本书, 一个人.In this episode, you’ll hear common measure words like 个, 杯, 瓶, 碗, 本, 张, 件, 家, 间, 台, 块, 份, and 次.No long grammar explanation — just the Chinese, the pinyin, and the basic English meaning or common use.A simple episode to save, replay, and use as a quick review when you start building longer Mandarin sentences.

S2E16 Coffee or Tea? What You Drink Tells a Story☕🍵 (How to Talk About Drinks in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 16 04.08.2026 20мин

🎓 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/2970664Coffee or tea?In Lesson 16, we’re learning how to talk about drinks in Mandarin with the verb 喝.You’ll learn useful drink words like 水, 咖啡, 茶, 牛奶, 果汁, 可乐, 啤酒, 红酒, 热水, and 奶茶.We’ll also learn how to use 一杯 to say things like 一杯咖啡, 一杯茶, and 一杯水.By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to say simple sentences like 我喝咖啡, 我不喝茶, and even a longer sentence like 我早上七点喝一杯热水.Culture note: in China, 茶 usually means real tea leaves, or sometimes flowers — not just a tea bag.And don’t miss the bonus episode for this lesson: Top 20 Most Useful Measure Words in Mandarin.

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

🎓 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.

S2E15 I Wake Up at 7🌅 (How to Talk About Basic Actions with Time in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 15 28.07.2026 14мин

🎓 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.

S2E14 Why China Has Only One Time Zone🕰️ (How to Place Time in Context in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 14 21.07.2026 21мин

🎓 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.

S2E13 What Time Is It?⏰ (How to Tell the Time in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 13 14.07.2026 22мин

🎓 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.

S2E12 I’m at the Coffee Shop☕ (How to Say Where You Are in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 12 07.07.2026 20мин

🎓 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.

S2E11 What You Love Says Who You Are❤️ (How to Say Preferences in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 11 30.06.2026 19мин

🎓 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.

S2E10 Challenge: Can You Introduce Yourself in Chinese Now?🎤 (Stage 1 Recap) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 10 23.06.2026 18мин

🎓 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.

BONUS: Personal Pronouns in Mandarin👤 (我, 你, 他, 她, 它) —Bonus Episode 16.06.2026 18мин

🎓 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.

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 17мин

🎓 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.

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 16мин

🎓 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.

S2E7 How Old Are You? (And When Not to Ask)🎈 (How to Ask Age Politely in Mandarin) —Essential Mandarin Lesson 7 02.06.2026 23мин

🎓 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.