In this episode, I explain how to ask your friends "You're a closed box"  "A hard nut to crack." in Japanese. I heard this one in Black Mirror (TV Show). Check it out!

Takeshi's 2 minutes Japanese!

How to say "You're a closed box!" in Japanese. (From Black Mirror)

👅 Expression and Interaction test  
🌔 Days to take the exam 
🕐 Amount of time to complete the tasks 
📕 Task 1 
📗 Task 2 
📘 Task 3 
✅ Acting skill pass the test with flying colors 
💯 preparation for exams with Andrea https://teach.italki.com/teacher/3876134 Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

DELE and CCSE for Spanish citizenship

How to get 25% in Oral Expression and Interaction test in DELE A2

Did you know? Even if you don't speak Japanese, knowing Mandarin can help you get around Japan!
你知道嗎？就算不會說日文，會中文也可以讓你在日本走得很順！

In this episode, we explore the secret of Japanese kanji, some mean the same as in Mandarin, but some are completely different! Plus practical Mandarin phrases for travelling. Level: A2–B1.
這一集我們要聊聊日文漢字的秘密，有些跟中文一樣，有些意思完全不一樣！還有幾句旅行時最實用的中文句子。

本集學習內容 / What you'll learn:

✦ 請問地鐵站在哪裡？ Qǐngwèn dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?
"Excuse me, where is the subway station?"

✦ 請問門票多少錢？ Qǐngwèn ménpiào duōshǎo qián?
"Excuse me, how much is the entrance ticket?"

✦ 我要兩張票，謝謝。 Wǒ yào liǎng zhāng piào, xièxiè.
"I'd like two tickets, please."

✦ 這個是什麼？ Zhège shì shénme?
"What is this?"

✦ 我可以試穿嗎？ Wǒ kěyǐ shì chuān ma?
"Can I try this on?"

✦ 好吃！ Hǎo chī!
"Delicious!"


Next time you're in Japan, look out for kanji and see if you can guess the meaning! ✈️🧡

📨 Subscription plans of 1-on-1 Mandarin lessons are now open with discounted pricing. From your very first lesson, we speak real, practical Mandarin, no textbook Chinese, just language you can actually use. DM me if you'd like to set up a regular schedule or start with a trial lesson first!

Chiānese Mandarin

EP.7｜在日本看漢字學中文 — Learn Mandarin Through Japanese Kanji

All the colour words in Malayalam — and the surprise inside them: several of the core colours are not adjectives at all. They are verbs.

I am Dr. Reshmi R. Nair, an applied linguist from Kerala. I have taught hundreds of learners to speak Malayalam as it is actually spoken.

THE WORD FOR COLOUR
നിറം - niram - colour
ഏത് നിറം? - ethu niram? - which colour?
ഈ നിറം എനിക്ക് ഇഷ്ടമാണ് - ee niram enikku ishtamanu - I like this colour

THE BASIC TERMS
വെളുപ്പ് - veluppu - white
കറുപ്പ് - karuppu - black
ചുവപ്പ് - chuvappu - red
പച്ച - pacha - green
മഞ്ഞ - manja - yellow
നീല - neela - blue
തവിട്ട് - thavittu - brown
ചാരനിറം - charaniram - grey, from ചാരം (charam), ash
ഓറഞ്ച്, പിങ്ക്, വയലറ്റ് - orange, pink, violet, borrowed from English

THE COLOURS THAT ARE VERBS
വെളുക്കുക - velukkuka - to become white, and also to dawn
വെളുത്ത - veluttha - white (the participial adjective)
കറുക്കുക - karukkuka - to become black
കറുത്ത - karutha - black
ചുവക്കുക - chuvakkuka - to become red
ചുവന്ന - chuvanna - red
So ഒരു വെളുത്ത ഷർട്ട് is literally a shirt that has whitened.

പച്ച — THE MOST INTERESTING WORD IN THE SET
പച്ച means green, and also raw, unripe, fresh, uncooked, unprocessed.
പച്ചവെള്ളം - pachavellam - plain unboiled water
പച്ചക്കറി - pachakkari - vegetables
പച്ചമാങ്ങ - pachamanga - an unripe mango
പച്ചയായി പറയുക - pachayayi parayuka - to speak bluntly, without softening

AND ONE FINDING WORTH KNOWING
Across hundreds of unrelated languages, colour terms enter in a fixed order. Malayalam's own etymology preserves that sequence: black, white, red, green, yellow and blue are native Dravidian; brown and grey are built from other native words; orange, pink and violet were borrowed last.

What colour is the shirt you are wearing? Answer in Malayalam below.

#LearnMalayalam #Malayalam #Kerala

Speak Real Malayalam | Slow • Clear • Natural

Colours in Malayalam — Every Colour Word and the Grammar Inside | Learn Malayalam #321

Transcrição do episódio (caracteres limitados) 

Hoje nossa viagem falada vai nos levar até o Norte do Brasil, a maior região do país em extensão territorial, onde a Amazônia domina a paisagem e inspira o coração.
São sete estados incríveis: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima e Tocantins. Lá, a natureza é majestosa, e a vida — muitas vezes rural, outras vezes urbana — tem um ritmo todo seu, marcado por rios e por lendas antigas.
Ao falar do Norte, a primeira imagem que vem à mente é a Floresta Amazônica, a maior floresta tropical do mundo — um verdadeiro veículo verde cheio de biodiversidade. Ela abriga milhares de espécies de plantas, animais e insetos que você não verá em nenhum outro lugar.
E por falar em rios… O Rio Amazonas, com seus afluentes, forma a maior bacia hidrográfica do planeta. É como se o mundo respirasse ali. Barcos, pequenas comunidades ribeirinhas, peixes gigantes como o pirarucu… Tudo isso faz parte do cotidiano de quem vive às margens desses rios — inclusive em Manaus, a “cidade da selva”.
E você sabia que em alguns lugares do Norte existe o ** ocorrência da cheia e da seca**, e as casas ficam sobre palafitas para acompanhar o sobe e desce da água? É uma adaptação incrível — simples e elegante.
A cultura do Norte é rica em festividades e expressões artísticas. Tem o Festival Folclórico do Amazonas, o boi-bumbá no Pará — com destaque para o famoso Boi-Bumbá de Parintins — e tradições indígenas que mantêm vivas suas línguas, opiniões e saberes.
E a gastronomia… ah, essa é de emocionar! Tem tacacá, maniçoba, pato no tucupi, jambu, além de belíssimos frutos amazônicos, como o açaí, o cupuaçu e o tucumã. O gosto é forte, exótico e inesquecível.
A região também é símbolo de resistência — tanto ecológica quanto cultural. Comunidades indígenas, quilombolas e ribeirinhas lutam para preservar a floresta e suas tradições, enfrentando desafios para manter o equilíbrio entre o homem e a natureza.


Curiosidades sobre o Brasil

5 curiosidades sobre o Brasil

Tune in this week to learn about idioms and phrases in English. You'll learn how to use A Fan of (Someone or Something), Cut Down, Have Your (Fair) Share of Something, and more!

This episode is part two of “Why You Should Write Your Own Resume.” You will learn twelve idioms and phrases in English. Expanding your English vocabulary will allow you to communicate better with native English speakers. And as always, you’ll get some homework at the end so you can continue to improve your English communication skills.

If you want my tips on preparing for a job interview, I invite you to visit my website for my free five-step job interview preparation checklist. This checklist has already helped thousands of people worldwide perform well in interviews and get jobs they love. To sign up, visit my website at express-to-impress.com.

This podcast is listener-supported. So if you get a new job or a raise in part because of something you learned on the podcast, I invite you to make a donation to keep the podcast on the air. 100% of any amount you give will go to production expenses. 

Episode originally published March 26, 2021.

Original theme music by Lucas Knutter

Read the transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/idioms-and-phrases-in-english/
Join the Express to Impress community on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/express-to-impress/.

See infographics for this episode on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/ExpresstoImpress/_created/.

Express to Impress

Idioms and Phrases in English

In this episode, I’ll explore the meanings of “平面” and “立体” in Chinese. You’ll learn how these words are used in both math and storytelling! Plus, get some vivid examples to help you tell a flat character from a truly three-dimensional one~