This podcast challenges the idea that two words really can have the same meaning. In each episode, we’ll compare two synonyms, and dig deep to find differences in connotation, formality, sense & more.

No Such Thing as a Synonym

小王子仍然还不满足，
The little prince was still not satisfied.
他说，对我来说，如果我有一条围巾，
"If I owned a silk scarf," he said,
我可以用它来围着我的脖子，并且能带走它。
I could put it around my neck and takeit away with me.
我有一朵花的话，我就可以摘下我的花，并且把它带走。
If I owned a flower, I could pluck that flower and take it away with me.
可你却不能摘下这些星星呀！
But you cannot pluck the stars from heaven.
我不能摘，但我可以把它们存在银行里。
No. But I can put them in the bank.
这是什么意思呢？
Whatever does that mean?
这就是说，我把星星的数目写在一张小纸条上，
That means that I write the number of my stars on a little paper.
然后把这张小纸条锁在一个抽屉里。
And then I put this paper in a drawer and lock it with a key.
这就算完事了吗？
And that is all?
“这样就行了。”商人说。
"That is enough," said the businessman.
小王子想道：“真好玩。这倒蛮有诗意，可是，并不算是了不起的正经事。”

"It is entertaining," thought the little prince. "It is rather poetic. But it is of no great consequence."
关于什么是正经事，小王子的看法和大人们的看法非常不同。
On matters of consequence, the little prince had ideas which were very different from those of the grown-ups.
我有一朵花，我每天都给她浇水。
I myself own a flower, he continued his conversation with the businessman, which I water every day.
我还有三座火山，我每星期把它们全都打扫一遍。连死火山也打扫。谁知道它会不会再复活。
I own three volcanoes, which I clean out every week (for I also clean out the one that is extinct; one never knows.
我拥有火山和花，这对我的火山有益处，对我的花也有益处。
It is of some use to my volcanoes, and it is of some use to my flower, that I own them.
但是你对星星并没有用处…
But you are of no use to the stars...
实业家张口结舌无言以对。
The businessman opened his mouth, but he found nothing to say in answer.
于是小王子就走了。
And the little prince went away.
在旅途中，小王子只是自言自语地说了一句：“这些大人们真是奇怪极了。”
"The grown-ups are certainly altogether extraordinary," he said simply, talking to himself as he continued on his journey.

小王子-The Little Prince-Read in Chinese

小王子第32章：不起的正经事

Ukrainian language for everyone

абетка

In this podcast, we go on to talk about advertisements and their role in our society as well as how we can be affected from advertisements.

 Fluency Mastery 101 Podcast

Fluency Mastery 101 Podcast Lesson 3: Advertisements

Hvordan får du oppholdstillatelse i Norge. Her får du en liten oversikt, en rask innføring i emnet. Anbefales før du begynner research på emnet.

Norsk for viderekomne (B1-B2)

EP. 02: Tillatelse til å bo i Norge

粤读时光，看见生命中嘅光。

最近我睇到一篇有趣嘅粤语文章，
读起身琅琅上口，
我觉得好有意思，
所以想分享俾你。

牛耕田, 马食谷, 老窦揾钱仔享福; 
象行田, 马行日, 过河卒仔无退缩; 
兵杀敌, 将闪缩, 功成身退享俸禄; 
男善变, 女易哭, 贫贱夫妻难和睦; 
流水清, 死水浊, 人望高处无满足; 
冰易化, 钱难蓄, 巧妇难煲无米粥; 
水维生, 土长木, 光合作用叶变绿;
赌易学, 书难读, 赌仔何曾买大屋?
命注定, 运难卜, 三衰六旺好难捉; 
仙洒脱, 凡人俗, 犯规和尚食狗肉; 
阳寿尽, 落阴谷, 生老病死乃定局。
趁宜家，仲能郁，快乐享受要知足，
咪再成日困在屋，儿孙自有儿孙福。

呢段话真系几有道理㗎，
呢段话我最中意嘅一句话系，
趁宜家，仲能郁，快乐享受要知足，
人应该学识及时行乐，
而且应该学识知足，
知足系一种对健康生活特别有益嘅感觉，
知足并唔系叫人放弃努力，
而且学识欣赏自己已经拥有嘅一切，
学识看见拥有嘅嘢嘅珍贵性。

粤读时光，看见生活中嘅光。

 Advanced Cantonese listening material

Let's read a poem

在深圳工作的李先生5月回湖南看太太和儿子。
zài Shēnzhèn gōngzuò de Lǐ xiānsheng wǔ yuè huí Húnán kàn tàitai hé érzi.
在家的时候，儿子喜欢拿他的手机玩游戏。
zàijiā de shíhou, érzi xǐhuan ná tā de shǒujī wánr yóuxì.
李先生6月回深圳后，发现回家一个月时间手机有近50条转账记录，一共超过4.7万元。
Lǐ xiānsheng liù yuè huí Shēnzhèn hòu, fāxiàn huíjiā yíge yuè shíjiān shǒujī yǒu jìn wǔshí tiáo zhuǎnzhàng jìlù, yígòng chāoguò sì diǎn qī wàn yuán.
李先生发现，这50条转账记录都是手机游戏充值，5月27日一天就花出去2.6万元（3100元一笔，5000元两笔，最大的一笔9999元）。
Lǐ xiānsheng fāxiàn, zhè wǔshí tiáo zhuǎnzhàng jìlù dōu shì shǒujī yóuxì chōngzhí, wǔ yuè èrshíqī rì yìtiān jiù huā chūqù èr diǎn liù wàn yuán (sānqiān yìbǎi yuán yìbǐ, wǔqiān yuán liǎngbǐ, zuìdà de yìbǐ jiǔqiān jiǔbǎi jiǔshíjiǔ yuán).
李先生和几家游戏公司联系，想把这些钱拿回来，因为这些钱是给儿子看病的。
Lǐ xiānsheng hé jǐjiā yóuxì gōngsī liánxì, xiǎng bǎ zhèxiē qián ná huílai, yīnwèi zhèxiē qián shì gěi érzi kànbìng de.
有些公司说要调查，有些公司拒绝了他。
Yǒuxiē gōngsī shuō yào diàochá, yǒuxiē gōngsī jùjuéle tā.

Vocabulary：
花 (动) huā - spend
近 (动) jìn - almost
游戏 (名) yóuxì - game
条 (量) tiáo - measure word
转账 zhuǎnzhàng - transfer money
记录 (名) jìlù - record
充值 chōngzhí - recharge
笔 (量) bǐ - measure word for money or business
联系 (动) liánxì - contact
调查 (动) diàochá - investigate; survey
拒绝 (动) jùjué - refuse; reject


Grammar：
1. Serial Verb Construction (连动句)
• "回湖南看太太和儿子" (Return to Hunan to see wife and son)
• Two verbs share one subject to express purpose or sequence

2.  "是...的" for Emphasis (是...的)
• "是给儿子看病的" (It was for son's medical treatment)
• Emphasizes the purpose or nature of an action

3. Adverb "就" (就)
• "一天就花出去2.6万元" (In just one day spent 26,000 yuan)
• Indicates something happens earlier/faster than expected

4. "有些...有些..." Structure (有些...有些...)
• "有些公司说要调查，有些公司拒绝" (Some companies said they'd investigate, some refused)
• Contrasts different groups/options

Question：
1.李先生到湖南是做什么?Lǐ xiānsheng dào Húnán shì zuò shénme?
2.李先生发现被转走的钱一共有多少?Lǐ xiānsheng fāxiàn bèi zhuǎnzǒu de qián yígòng yǒu duōshao?
3.李先生的这些钱是做什么的?Lǐ xiānsheng de zhèxiē qián shì zuò shénme de?

Intermediate Chinese Listening

Game recharge 游戏充值

Camila y yo invitamos a la nutrióloga Lucía Alvarez para charlar sobre algunos temas de nutrición.
Para escuchar la otra parte de este episodio.


Mucho que decir

Hablemos de nutrición

English spelling can be difficult when there are many ways to write the vowel sounds.
There are many websites that convert text to speech so you can listen and read at the same time. Practice makes perfect!