Little Mandarin: Learn Chinese through conversations

• Don’t Cry After Your Haircut 💇‍♀️ – Mandarin Survival Guide! Speak Up at the Salon S01E39【ENG】别剪哭了：理发店实用中文表达

  🚀 Love learning Mandarin like this? Let’s level up together!Join my 1-on-1 Mandarin classes on Preply — personalized, fun, and built around real-life topics like food, travel, culture, and daily life. 💬🎒🥟🎉 New students get 30% OFF your first class!👉 Click here to book & save 30%Or check out my full profile:👉 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664Let’s make Mandarin your favorite part of the day. 🌞🎧✂️ Getting a haircut in a foreign country can be... terrifying. In this episode, we’ll make sure you walk out of the salon in China smiling — not crying 😅 Learn how to describe your hairstyle, say "just a little bit!", and avoid common haircut disasters — all in Mandarin.This episode is perfect for HSK1–3 learners who want real, useful, and funny Mandarin for everyday life.[Grammar of the Day – 4–5 min]Here are two grammar patterns you need to survive the salon:想 (xiǎng) + Verb – to want to do something我想剪头发。I want to cut my hair.我想换一个发型。I want to change my hairstyle.一下 (yīxià) – to soften a request我想问一下。I’d like to ask something.可以看一下颜色吗？Can I quickly see the color?再 (zài) + Verb – do something more再剪一点点。Cut just a tiny bit more.With just these, you can already start sounding more polite and more natural.[Vocabulary & Real-Life Survival Phrases – 8–10 min]Let’s break it down. I’m giving you the real words that will actually save your hair.💇‍♀️ Basic Actions剪头发 – jiǎn tóu fa – to cut hair我想剪头发。I want a haircut.洗头 – xǐ tóu – to wash hair请洗一下头。Please wash my hair.吹头发 – chuī tóu fa – blow-dry要吹干吗？Do you want it blow-dried?染头发 – rǎn tóu fa – to dye hair我想染头发。I want to dye my hair.挑染 – tiāo rǎn – highlights可以挑染一点吗？Can I get a few highlights?🎨 Describing Style & Length发型 – fà xíng – hairstyle我想换一个发型。I want a new hairstyle.刘海 – liú hǎi – bangs刘海不要太短。Don’t cut the bangs too short.层次 – céng cì – layers剪一些层次。Add some layers.修一点点 – xiū yì diǎn diǎn – trim a little只修一点点，真的一点点。Just trim a tiny bit. Really.不要太短 – bú yào tài duǎn – not too short上次太短了，我哭了。Last time was too short... I cried.自然一点 – zì rán yì diǎn – more natural可以自然一点吗？Can it be a bit more natural?柔顺 – róu shùn – soft and smooth我想做一个柔顺。I want a smoothing treatment.🚫 What You Don’t Want不要太蓬 – bú yào tài pēng – not too puffy我头发已经够蓬了。My hair is already too puffy.不要太卷 – bú yào tài juǎn – not too curly卷一点，但不要太卷。Some curls, not too much.不要染太亮 – bú yào rǎn tài liàng – not too bright要自然，我还要上班呢。I still have to go to work.不要动刘海 – bú yào dòng liú hǎi – don’t touch the bangs刘海我自己剪的，不要动！I cut my bangs myself. Don’t touch them!🙋‍♀️ Polite & Helpful Phrases你觉得我适合什么发型？What do you think suits me?帮我看一下哪里要剪。Can you help me see where to cut?我觉得这里不对称。This part seems uneven.[Survival Tips – 2–3 min]💡 Survival Tip 1: Bring a photo. Always. Mandarin or not, a picture is the real universal language.💡 Survival Tip 2: Say what you don’t want, even more than what you do.💡 Survival Tip 3: If you’re really nervous, say:“剪一点点就好。”“Just a little bit, please.”And say it twice. With eye contact.

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• 5 A.M. Light ☕️🌅 – A Morning Routine That Grounds Me in Summer S01E38【ENG】夏天，从早上五点开始

  🚀 Love learning Mandarin like this? Let’s level up together!Join my 1-on-1 Mandarin classes on Preply — personalized, fun, and built around real-life topics like food, travel, culture, and daily life. 💬🎒🥟🎉 New students get 30% OFF your first class!👉 Click here to book & save 30%Or check out my full profile:👉 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664Let’s make Mandarin your favorite part of the day. 🌞🎧What does a peaceful 5 a.m. summer morning look like?In this episode, I share my full morning routine—from lemon water to French grammar to journaling with iced coffee. You’ll first hear the whole story in Mandarin, then we break it down sentence by sentence with English translation and tips.We’ll also review two useful grammar points:👉 “然后” (ránhòu) – then👉 “一边…一边…” (yìbiān... yìbiān...) – doing two things at the same timeFeel free to pause and repeat as you listen.🌿 Slow mornings are for coffee, quiet time, and… a little Mandarin.🔍 Check the episode description for all key vocabulary and grammar with English, Pinyin, and Chinese characters!我早上五点起床。I get up at 5 a.m.然后先喝一杯柠檬蜂蜜水。Then I drink a cup of lemon honey water to start the day.我用多邻国学习二十分钟的法语。I study French on Duolingo for 20 minutes.然后我做二十分钟的瑜伽。Then I do 20 minutes of yoga.有时候会时间长一点，但不能超过六点二十分。Sometimes I do it a bit longer, but it must not go past 6:20.然后我开始学习法语的语法。Then I begin studying French grammar.我有一本法语书，每天早上学习一个单元，每周学习三次。I have a French textbook. I study one unit each morning, three times a week.我大概学习一个小时左右。I usually study for about one hour.然后我一边听音乐，一边洗澡，化妆，需要三十分钟。Then I shower and put on makeup while listening to music. It takes about 30 minutes.👉 Grammar highlight: “一边……一边……” = doing two actions at the same time早上八点，我会做一杯咖啡。At 8 a.m., I make myself a coffee.冬天喝热咖啡，夏天喝冰咖啡。I drink hot coffee in winter, iced coffee in summer.我喜欢美式，加一点点椰奶。I like Americano with just a splash of coconut milk.我一边喝咖啡，一边写今天的日记，大约二十分钟。I write in my journal while drinking coffee, for about 20 minutes.然后我会用十分钟检查今天的日程，然后开始一天的工作。Then I take 10 minutes to review my to-do list and begin the workday.

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• RISE AND SHINE! 🌞 Build Your Mandarin Morning Routine S01E38【ENG】你早上做什么？

  🚀 Love learning Mandarin like this? Let’s level up together!Join my 1-on-1 Mandarin classes on Preply — personalized, fun, and built around real-life topics like food, travel, culture, and daily life. 💬🎒🥟🎉 New students get 30% OFF your first class!👉 Click here to book & save 30%Or check out my full profile:👉 https://preply.com/en/tutor/2970664Let’s make Mandarin your favorite part of the day. 🌞🎧What’s the first thing you do in the morning? 🌅 Do you hit snooze, go for a run, or grab your favorite matcha? In this episode, we’ll learn how to talk about your daily morning routine in Mandarin – from brushing your teeth to drinking lemon water 🍋☕.You’ll learn essential HSK1–2 vocabulary, an easy sentence structure using time and action words, and practice real-life examples like “I get up at 7” or “I drink coffee while checking my phone.”Whether your mornings are calm or chaotic, let’s build your Mandarin morning routine together!✨ Don’t forget: On Thursday’s Mandarin episode, I’ll share my full morning routine using the words from today — perfect for review and listening practice![Grammar of the Day] – Time + Actions + Linking WordsIn Mandarin, a very useful structure is:👉 Subject + Time + Verb + ObjectUse these connectors:以后 (yǐ hòu) – after然后 (rán hòu) – then最后 (zuì hòu) – finally一边…一边… (yì biān… yì biān…) – doing two things at onceLet’s try an example:我早上七点起床。然后，我刷牙。I get up at 7 a.m. Then, I brush my teeth.起床以后，我喝一杯柠檬水。After getting up, I drink a glass of lemon water.最后，我出门去上班。Finally, I go out to work.[Vocabulary Time]Let’s go through the core morning routine words with easy examples:🛏️ 起床 – qǐ chuáng – get up我每天六点半起床。I get up at 6:30 every day.🪥 刷牙 – shuā yá – brush teeth起床以后我刷牙。After getting up, I brush my teeth.🚿 洗脸 – xǐ liǎn – wash face然后我洗脸。Then I wash my face.👕 穿衣服 – chuān yī fu – get dressed我穿衣服以后吃早饭。I get dressed, then eat breakfast.🍳 吃早饭 – chī zǎo fàn – eat breakfast我喜欢吃鸡蛋和水果。I like eating eggs and fruit.☕ 喝咖啡 – hē kā fēi – drink coffee我每天都要喝一杯咖啡。I need a cup of coffee every day.🍵 喝抹茶 – hē mǒ chá – drink matcha我不喝咖啡，我喝抹茶。I don’t drink coffee, I drink matcha.🍋 喝柠檬水 – hē níng méng shuǐ – drink lemon water我早上喝柠檬水，加一点姜。In the morning, I drink lemon water with a bit of ginger.🏃 跑步 – pǎo bù – run / go jogging他每天早上跑步三十分钟。He runs for 30 minutes every morning.🧘 冥想 – míng xiǎng – meditate我喜欢冥想五分钟。I like to meditate for five minutes.🪞 照镜子 – zhào jìng zi – look in the mirror她每天照镜子化妆。She looks in the mirror and does her makeup every day.🚪 出门 – chū mén – go out八点我出门。I leave at 8 o’clock.🏢 上班 – shàng bān – go to work我坐地铁去上班。I take the metro to work.[Bonus Sentences & Practice]我一边吃早饭，一边看手机。I check my phone while eating breakfast.我喜欢早上安静的时间。I enjoy quiet time in the morning.我每天做一样的事。I do the same thing every day.✅ With Linking Words: 以后 / 然后 / 最后起床以后，我刷牙，然后喝一杯柠檬水。After getting up, I brush my teeth, then drink a glass of lemon water.我每天七点起床，然后去跑步三十分钟。I get up at 7 a.m. every day, then go for a 30-minute run.冥想以后，我洗脸，最后喝一杯抹茶。After meditating, I wash my face, and finally drink a cup of matcha.我穿衣服以后，吃早饭，然后出门上班。After getting dressed, I eat breakfast, then leave for work.刷牙以后，我坐在阳台喝咖啡。After brushing my teeth, I sit on the balcony and drink coffee.我一边吃早饭，一边看手机。I eat breakfast while checking my phone.他一边喝抹茶，一边听音乐。He drinks matcha while listening to music.我妈妈一边做早饭，一边看新闻。My mom cooks breakfast while watching the news.我每天早上七点半起床，然后去洗澡。I get up at 7:30 every morning, then take a shower.有时候我早上不吃早饭，只喝一杯柠檬水。Sometimes I don’t eat breakfast in the morning, I just drink lemon water.✅ With Grammar: 一边…一边… (do two things at the same time)✅ With Time Words: 每天 / 早上 / 有时候

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• Tipsy Summer 🍸 What’s Your Favorite Drink (with alcohol)? S01E37【CHN】边喝边学中文！

  🍹 Summer is here—and it’s getting toasty! In this chilled-out episode of Little Mandarin, we’re diving into everyone’s favorite summer boozy beverages, from beer and plum wine to rosé and sparkling cocktails. Learn how to say them in Mandarin, discover cultural drinking habits in China, and pick up fun vocabulary along the way (no hangover, promise!). This episode is explained in English—perfect for beginners and curious drinkers. 干杯！Cheers! 🥂📚 Grammar of the Day:“最……的之一” – one of the most…Use this to express favorites or top picks.🧾 Example Sentences:啤酒是我夏天最喜欢的酒水之一。Beer is one of my favorite summer drinks.法国是我最想去的国家之一。France is one of the countries I most want to visit.🧃 Key Vocabulary List (with pinyin + examples):啤酒 (píjiǔ) – beer我爸最喜欢喝啤酒。My dad loves drinking beer.鸡尾酒 (jīwěijiǔ) – cocktail这家店的鸡尾酒超好喝！The cocktails at this place are amazing!白葡萄酒 (bái pútaojiǔ) – white wine夏天喝白葡萄酒很清爽。Drinking white wine in summer feels refreshing.红葡萄酒 (hóng pútaojiǔ) – red wine我不太喜欢红葡萄酒。I don’t really like red wine.玫瑰红葡萄酒 / 粉红葡萄酒 (méiguīhóng / fěnhóng pútaojiǔ) – rosé wine她点了一杯粉红葡萄酒。She ordered a glass of rosé wine.香槟 (xiāngbīn) – champagne我们开香槟庆祝她的生日。We popped champagne to celebrate her birthday.梅子酒 (méizǐjiǔ) – plum wine梅子酒喝起来甜甜的。Plum wine tastes sweet.气泡酒 (qìpàojiǔ) – sparkling wine你喜欢喝气泡酒吗？Do you like drinking sparkling wine?柚子高球 (yòuzi gāoqiú) – yuzu highball我朋友点了一杯柚子高球。My friend ordered a yuzu highball.微醺 (wēixūn) – slightly tipsy我现在有点微醺，感觉刚刚好。I’m slightly tipsy now—it feels just right.清爽 (qīngshuǎng) – refreshing这个鸡尾酒味道很清爽。This cocktail tastes very refreshing.干杯 (gānbēi) – cheers来，干杯！夏天快乐！Come on, cheers! Happy summer!烧烤 (shāokǎo) – BBQ晚上吃烧烤配啤酒真的太爽了。BBQ with beer at night is the best.苏打水 (sūdáshuǐ) – soda water / sparkling water有时候我也只喝苏打水。Sometimes I just drink soda water too.冰块 (bīngkuài) – ice cubes帮我多加点冰块。Add more ice cubes for me, please.🗣️ Short DialogueA: 今晚你想喝点什么？What do you want to drink tonight?B: 我想喝点清爽的～来一杯玫瑰红葡萄酒？I want something refreshing. How about a glass of rosé?A: 好啊，我也想微醺一下～Sure! I want to get a little tipsy too.

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• What’s Your Favourite Summer Drink? 🧋☀️ Learn to Say It in Mandarin! S01E37【ENG】夏天你喝什么？

  ☀️ Summer is here — and so is your iced latte, bubble tea, or smoothie! In this fun and refreshing episode of Little Mandarin, we’ll learn how to talk about your favourite drinks in Mandarin: from milk tea to soda, iced coffee to fruit juice. You’ll get to know useful vocabulary, everyday sentences, and one easy grammar pattern to help you say what you love to drink.Whether you’re a coffee fan or a smoothie lover — let’s toast to learning Mandarin together! 🧋🍹🎙️ Don’t forget to check out Thursday’s episode where we talk about summer alcohol drinks — and yes, it’ll have English explanations too, so beginners can join the fun! 🍺🧃 You can check today’s key vocabulary and key grammar in the description directly. It will help you to review.Grammar of the DayLet’s learn how to ask and answer that question.你喜欢喝什么？nǐ xǐhuān hē shénme?What do you like to drink?Let’s break it down:你 (nǐ) – you喜欢 (xǐhuān) – to like喝 (hē) – to drink什么 (shénme) – whatOther examples:我喜欢喝茶。I like to drink tea.我不喜欢喝咖啡。I don’t like to drink coffee.To express your favorite, we use:最 (zuì) – the most我最喜欢喝可乐。My favorite thing to drink is cola.You can also say:我更喜欢喝水。I prefer drinking water.Vocabulary TimeLet’s learn some easy drink vocabulary in Mandarin!水 (shuǐ) – water茶 (chá) – tea咖啡 (kāfēi) – coffee冰咖啡 (bīng kāfēi) – iced coffee可乐 (kělè) – soda / cola奶茶 (nǎichá) – milk tea果汁 (guǒzhī) – juice奶昔 (nǎixī) – smoothie / milkshake牛奶 (niúnǎi) – milk冰的 (bīng de) – iced热的 (rè de) – hot🎯 Example Sentences我想喝果汁。I want to drink juice.我每天早上喝咖啡。I drink coffee every morning.我不喝可乐。I don’t drink soda.你喜欢喝热的还是冰的？Do you like hot or iced?我要一杯冰奶茶。I want a cup of iced milk tea.夏天我最喜欢喝奶昔。In summer, I love drinking smoothies.Mini ConversationA: 你要喝什么？nǐ yào hē shénme?What do you want to drink?B: 我要一杯热咖啡。你呢？wǒ yào yì bēi rè kāfēi. nǐ ne?I want a cup of hot coffee. And you?A: 我最喜欢奶茶，我每天都喝！wǒ zuì xǐhuān nǎichá, wǒ měitiān dōu hē!I love milk tea. I drink it every day!Try this with a friend or record yourself!

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