Positive thoughts for the New Year!
This is from a blog post I wrote at the start of 2021, but I think it is still really important now.

The Social Evolutionary

Last year was bad? Let's remember the good things.

🌸📚 Explore the beauty of cherry blossom festivals in this lesson! Listen to the audio and test your knowledge with a fun quiz! Join us now for an engaging episode! 🌸🎥📝

Holidays and Event 🌎🎉

🌸 Cherry Blossom Festivals 🌸

Итак, после небольшой простуды и поездки в Питер, я вернулась! Ура! Продолжим чтение русской литературы повестью Александра Сергеевича Пушкина “Барышня-крестьянка”. Да, стихи пока не будем брать, сегодня - проза.

Слова, которые объясняю в эпизоде: жи́ли - жить - to live; вообрази́ть - представить себе мысленно - to imagine; пре́лесть - очарование, вызываемое чем-то или кем-то красивым, приятные, пленяющие явления, впечатления - beauty, delight, loveliness, fascination; уе́здные ба́рышни - county young ladies; воспи́танный - человек с хорошим воспитанием, умеющий хорошо вести себя - fostered, mannerly, civilized; тень - shadow; садо́вые я́блони - garden apple trees; зна́ние - knowledge; почерпну́ть - взять, заимствовать откуда-нибудь - to gather, take; уедине́ние - пребывание в одиночестве - privacy, solitude, isolation; развива́ть - to develop, evolve, build; страсть - сильное увлечение, сильная любовь с преобладанием чувственного влечения - passion, desire; рассе́янный - не умеющий сосредоточиться, невнимательный - dispelled, distracted; звон колоко́льчика - bell ringing; бли́жний - наиболее близкий по расстоянию - near, neighbor; полага́ть - считать, думать -  to  believe, think, suppose; посеще́ние - visiting; ве́чное воспомина́ние - eternal memory.

Спасибо всем, кто слушает мой подкаст! Подписывайтесь, ставьте лайки и обязательно пишите, что еще хотите вместе почитать. Ведь чтение по-русски углубляет ваши знания языка! Хороших вам книг, друзья! 

Reading Russian

Отрывок из повести “Барышня-крестьянка” А.С. Пушкин

“Hit the Nail on the Head” *Hey everyone! Let’s dive into a useful idiom: “hit the nail on the head.” It means to say or do exactly the right thing. Imagine your friend explains perfectly to you,why you’re tired and he says
“You’ve been working too much.”
You could say, “You hit the nail on the head!” It’s great for emphasizing accuracy in ideas or actions. Can you think of a time you hit the nail on the head?

Mini podcasts about Idioms, Expressions, Vocabulary and so on...

Hit the Nail on the Head

建议同学们先听，如果有听不懂的地方再看文本。
《免费》
听完后，看下面的问题，你能做对吗？请把答案写下来告诉我，我会为你批改
1）关于亲情，可以知道：
      A.比爱情更重要
      B.渐渐被人们忽视
      C.不会随时间而改变
      D.是朋友对你的鼓励

2）根据上文，下列哪项正确？
      A.有希望才有奇迹
      B.普通人的生活更幸福
      C.年纪大的人更容易满足
      D.生活对每个人都很大方

3）为什么说“目标也是免费的”？
      A.想要就可以得到
      B.不需要别人的指导
      C.不需要花太多金钱
      D.己经被家人安排好了

4）最适合做上文标题的是：
      A.学会珍惜
      B.爱情的力量
      C.幸福在哪里
      D.今天你消费了吗


听力内容：
        在这个世界上，最珍贵的东西是免费的。
　　阳光是免费的。没有谁能够离开阳光活下去，然而，可曾有谁为自己享受过的阳光支付过一分钱？空气是免费的。一个人只要活着，就需要不停地呼吸。可又有谁为他呼吸过的空气付账？无论普通人还是大明星，他们一样自由地呼吸着天地间的空气。
　　亲情是免费的。每一个婴儿来到世上，都受到了父母无微不至的关爱，那是一份不求回报的疼爱。父母的这份爱，不因孩子的成年而减少，更不因父母的衰老而削弱。友情是免费的。寂寞时默默陪伴你的那个人，摔倒时向你伸出手臂的那个人，伤心时将你搂在怀里的那个人，可曾将他的付出算成现金，然后要你还钱？爱情是免费的。那份不由自主的爱，那份无法忍住的思念，那份一路相伴的深情，正是生命中最深切的安慰与最坚实的依靠。而这一切，都是免费的，更是金钱买不来的。
　　目标也是免费的。无论王子，还是流浪儿，只要愿意，就能为自己的人生确立一个目标。这个目标既可以伟大也可以平凡，既可以辉煌也可以朴素，只要你愿意，你就能拥有。
　　还有信念、希望、意志、梦想……所有这一切，，都是免费的，只要你想要，你就能得到。生活是公正的，更是慷慨的，它早已把最珍贵的一切，免费地赠送给了每一个人。


Merry's voice (HSK六）

HSK 六 《免费》

This episode introduces three idioms that use the word bush. Listen to the examples to hear how to use them. Please send me a message if you would like a copy of the audio script.

Idiom Corner

Bush

안녕하세요? 
2023년 5월 26일 금요일 

한국어 강사 세이디예요. 
👉 오늘은 감정과 관련된 표현에 대해서 배워볼까 해요. Let’s learn 10 expressions related to emotions today. 

1.행복하다 be happy 오늘 아주 행복해요. I am so happy today . 

2.기쁘다 be glad  다시 만나게 되어 너무 기뻐요. I’m so glad to see you again.

3.슬프다  be sad   슬픈 영화를 보고 나서 슬퍼졌어요. I feel sad after seeing a sad movie. 

4. 화(가) 나다  be upset  그녀는 나 때문에 화가 났어요.  She is angry because of me. 

5.걱정되다 be worried  시험이 걱정돼요.  I'm worried about exams 

6.기대되다 be looking forward to  첫 한국어 수업이 너무 기대돼요. I'm looking forward to the first Korean class.

7.짜증나다 be annoyed  지하철에 사람이 너무 많아서 짜증이 났어요. I was annoyed because there were so many people on the subway. 

9.당황스럽다 be embarrassed  갑자기 수업이 취소되서 당황스러웠어요. I was embarrassed because the class was suddenly canceled.

10.부끄럽다 be ashamed  저는 이런 이야기를 하는 것이 부끄러워요. I am ashamed to tell you this.

Learn Korean with Sadie

감정(Emotions)

Wat-san appears in "Minna no Nihongo," but can everyone pronounce the name correctly?

It's Wat, not "Waat." This pronunciation is very important. Many students pronounce it without properly stopping the sound. Even if you don't pronounce "Wat-san" correctly, most people will understand. However, many similar words will come up later, such as "kite," "kitte," "kaite," and "katte."

If you don't properly skip the small "っ," even Japanese people can get confused often.

Please try pronouncing it once: "Wat-san." You shouldn’t hold your breath tightly in your stomach. You also shouldn’t hold the air in your mouth. If you do, you’ll definitely end up saying "Waat-san" again. Use a little of your throat and stomach. It’s "Wat-san."

OK, that’s it for today.

Oh, regarding my course, the "Minna no Nihongo Course" and "Minna no Nihongo Group Lesson" are currently half price for the first time. If you're interested, please give it a try. Good luck with your studies! Bye!
