Last time we discussed ‘sicknesses’. Today we are talking about an almost equally annoying topic which is ‘learning Chinese’. All of the tone struggles, countless characters and diverse accents can sometimes really give Chinese learners the headache. Let’s talk it all through and hopefully it eases up our frustration. 

Note: This podcast is intended for language learning ONLY. Not for promoting or criticizing any political party or ideology. Let’s keep it friendly and accessible to all :)

Also, all of the experiences are the hosts’ own experiences so please do your own research if you need more information.



Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

Is Learning Chinese That Hard? We Share Your Struggles!

* 귀로 듣는 한국어 책 * Korean Audio Book

안녕하세요. 오늘은 고솜이님의 <수요일의 커피하우스>를 읽었습니다. 
내용도 어렵지 않고 책의 분위기가 따뜻해서 제가 정말 좋아하는 책이에요🥰
오늘도 좋은 하루 되세요.

귀로 듣는 한국어 책 Korean Audio Book

<수요일의 커피하우스> Wednesday's Coffee House -1-

[conversation]

A : 진아 씨, 이분은 누구세요?
B : 우리 아버지세요.
A : 아버지는 무슨 일을 하세요?
B : 은행에서 일하세요.
A : 이 사람은 누구예요?
B : 제 동생이에요.
A : 동생은 뭘 해요?
B : 학생이에요.

A : Jina, who is this?
B : My father.
A : What does he do for a living?
B : He works at a bank.
A : Who is this?
B : My younger brother.
A : What does he do?
B : He is a student.


[vocabulary]

할아버지 grandfather 할머니 grandmother 아버지 father 어머니 mother
형 elder brother (from a male perspective) 누나 elder sister (from a male perspective)
오빠 elder brother (from a female perspective) 언니 elder sister (from a female perspective)
남동생  younger brother 여동생 younger sister 동생 younger brother or sister
가족 family
이분 this person (honorific) 저분 that person (honorific)

[grammar]

N의 N
When expressing possessive case, '의' is added to posessor, N.
Also note that '의' is often omitted.

N(이)세요
-(이)세요 is a combination of -이에요/예요 and -(으)시-, which shows respect towards the subject.
nouns ending with a vowel + -세요
nouns ending with a consonant + -이세요

무슨 N
무슨 is used when asking someone to choose and answer from a pool of options.



Reading Korea.

Family

Did you know?

Fun Fact about Crocodiles

In Chinese, there are a lot of ways to say washroom. Like ‘洗手间、厕所、卫生间’and so on. The ones Crystal often used are ‘洗手间’and ’卫生间’.‘洗手间(xi3 shou3 jian1)’ is like washroom in English, literally meaning ‘the room to wash hands’.’卫生间(wei4 sheng1 jian1)’’s literal meaning is hygiene room. The usage of these two is almost equally as frequent. The other one is ‘厕所(ce4 suo3)’, like the toilet in English. But I don't use it so often, to girls it's coarse.

OK, let's learn this Chinese together! ‘Excuse me, Where's the washroom?’-“请问，洗手间在哪儿？”’请问(qǐng wèn)’ is often used when you ask questions to others—for example,  asking for directions, asking the time. It's like Excuse me in English. “洗手间(xǐ shǒu jiān)”means toilet, “洗手间”. In“在哪儿(zài nǎr)”, “在” means ‘at’, “哪儿“means where “在哪儿” is “where is”。 So, “Excuse me, where is washroom” in Chinese is ”请问，洗手间在哪儿(qǐng wèn, xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎr?)

Crystal Gao's Chinese Language Journey

3. 洗手间在哪儿？/ Where’s the washroom? 

Building a strong professional network is no longer optional. It's a powerful tool that can open doors to new opportunities, provide valuable insights, and accelerate your career growth. But simply collecting business cards isn't enough. Here are the top 10 best practices for effective professional networking:

1.Develop a compelling elevator pitch (highlight your value).
2.Actively listen and engage in conversations (build genuine connections).
3.Attend industry events and online communities (expand your network).
4.Leverage your network for informational interviews (explore career paths).
5.Provide value to your network (support, referrals, introductions).
6.Follow up with new connections (solidify relationships).
7.Maintain a strong online presence (professional profile and social media activity).
8.Nurture existing relationships (stay in touch and offer support).
9.Be strategic with your networking efforts (focus on relevant connections).
10.Uphold professional etiquette (be respectful, reliable, trustworthy).

The Global Professional Podcast

Top 10 Best Practices of Professional Networking 

Nick discusses this unusual IELTS question. 

IELTS with Nick - World Knowledge 

What are the benefits of uniforms at work? 

In this episode I talk about creating a Habit Tracker Sheet for August.
Take an English Lesson with Carl https://italki.com/teacher/1947582