Natural back-and-forth Chinese for shopping, work and everyday life.
72 published lessons
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
高考
Could You Survive China's GAOKAO? 📚 | 高考 | Simply Natural Chinese
Could you survive China's gaokao? Every June, over 10 million Chinese students sit the single most important exam of their lives. In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Tian Tian and A-Jie — who both lived through it — walk you through the whole journey: the brutal final year of 高三 (gāo sān), the lucky red outfits and 粽子 on exam morning, the heart-stopping moment of 查分 (chá fēn, checking your score) when the servers crash, and the impossible choice of 报志愿 (bào zhì yuàn, picking your university). They even tackle the big question — does one exam really decide your whole life? This is everything you need to know about the gaokao, told in natural, everyday Chinese.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L5
面试
Go Home and Wait for Our Call 😅 | 面试 | Simply Natural Chinese
Summer's almost here, and Tian Tian needs to find an internship — but she has NO idea where to start. From writing a resume with zero experience, to those dreaded "What's your biggest weakness?" questions, to the soul-crushing "回去等通知" (huí qù děng tōng zhī) — China's most polite way of saying "you didn't get the job." A-Jie shares his interview horror stories and hard-won wisdom so Tian Tian (and you!) can survive your next job interview.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
用中文思考
Think in Chinese — Stop Translating! 🧠 | 翻译思维 fān yì sī wéi | Simply Natural Chinese
Ever order coffee in Chinese and your brain thinks "iced americano" first, then scrambles to translate? You're stuck in "translation mode" — and it's slowing your Chinese down.
In this episode, Xiao Yue and Leo break down WHY your brain keeps translating, and share 6 simple methods to start thinking directly in Chinese. Leo even discovers his "language personality" — turns out he's a completely different person in Chinese!
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L5
大学生活
Surviving Chinese College: 军训, Roommates & Cramming 📚 | 大学生活 | Simply Natural Chinese
Military training at sunrise, gaming roommates at 2 AM, and cramming an entire semester into one desperate week — sound familiar? In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Tian Tian (a current sophomore) and A-Jie (a recent graduate) swap stories about everything that makes Chinese college unforgettable. From the dreaded "站军姿" (standing at attention until you pass out), to the art of complimenting the cafeteria lady for bigger portions, to the gut-wrenching moment you score 58 out of 60 to pass — this is the real, unfiltered college experience in China.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
下饭神器
Why Chinese People Need a Video to Eat | 下饭神器 🍜 | Simply Natural Chinese
Why do so many young Chinese need a video playing to get through a meal alone? In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Xiao Yue and Leo unpack the colloquial phrase "下饭" (xià fàn) — literally "goes with rice," now extended to mean "the perfect thing to watch while eating." From "下饭剧" and the holy-grail "下饭神器," to the warrior-style "干饭" and "干饭人," to why solo dining + variety shows + 外卖 culture all click together — this is a deep-dive into a tiny phrase that quietly reveals how modern Chinese people handle the loneliness of eating alone.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
理发
Don't Ever Say "随便剪剪" at a Chinese Salon ✂️ | 翻车 | Simply Natural Chinese
Tian Tian just walked out of the salon and she's not happy. She told her stylist "随便剪剪" (suí biàn jiǎn jiǎn) — just cut however — and now her hair is way too short. In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Tian Tian and A-Jie unpack why that one tiny phrase is the most dangerous thing you can say in a Chinese hair salon, and what to say instead. Along the way you'll learn 翻车 (the internet slang for everything going sideways), 套路 (the salon "playbook"), 洗剪吹 (the wash-cut-blow-dry combo), 办卡 (membership card upsells), 总监 vs regular stylists, and why every hairdresser in China is now called "托尼老师" (Teacher Tony). Plus a few life lessons that apply far beyond your haircut.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L5
月光族
He Thought It Meant "Night Owls" 🌙 | 月光族 Moonlight Clan | Simply Natural Chinese
What is a 月光族 (yuè guāng zú)? Leo is 100% sure he knows — it must be people who love the moonlight and go out partying at night, right? Wrong. In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Xiao Yue and Leo unpack one of the most relatable words for young people in China today. You'll find out why the 月 is not the moon but your monthly salary, why the 光 means "all used up," and how a paycheck can vanish before it even gets warm (工资还没焐热). Along the way: 花呗 (buy-now-pay-later), 月底吃土 ("eating dirt" at month-end), 报复性消费 (revenge spending), 剁手 ("chopping off your hands"), 记账 and 强制储蓄, plus 精致穷 — looking fancy while completely broke. One little word, and suddenly you understand a whole generation's wallet.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
办卡一时爽
Bliss Buying the Gym Card, Tears Lifting Iron 💪 | 办卡一时爽 | Simply Natural Chinese
Ever bought a gym membership, gone three times, and never come back? You're not alone — in this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Tian Tian and A-Jie unpack the most painfully relatable saying in modern Chinese: "办卡一时爽，撸铁两行泪" (bàn kǎ yī shí shuǎng, lū tiě liǎng xíng lèi) — buying the gym card feels great for a moment, lifting iron brings two streams of tears. From A-Jie's "撸铁血泪史" (three gym cards, all failed), to why even a 1万元 personal trainer couldn't save him, to the dark science behind why crash dieting actually makes you heavier — this is everything you need to know before you swipe that gym membership card.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
防晒
Why Chinese Women Wear Ninja Beach Masks ☀️ | 防晒 | Simply Natural Chinese
Ever wondered why Chinese women cover their entire face at the beach with what looks like a ski mask? Or why office girls in China will literally team-buy a bottle of sunscreen and gift it to their male coworkers? In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Tian Tian and A-Jie unpack everything you need to know about "防晒" (fáng shài) — the national obsession with sun protection. From A-Jie's hiking sunburn disaster, to the SPF/PA numbers that actually matter, to the legendary "脸基尼" (liǎn jī ní) — China's famous beach facekini invented by Qingdao aunties — this is the cultural deep-dive on why Chinese summer style looks more like a stealth mission than a vacation. ☀️
Conversation podcastsBeginner · L3
你的中文比你想象中的好
Your Chinese Is Better Than You Think! 🗣️ | 别怕开口说中文 | Simply Natural Chinese
Have you ever wanted to say something in Chinese, then froze and said nothing at all? You're not alone — and here's the truth: your Chinese is better than you think. In this episode, Xiao Yue and Leo have a slow, easy HSK 2-3 conversation about why learners are afraid to open their mouths, what Chinese people actually think when they hear you speak (spoiler: they're happy, and they don't care about your grammar), and the small, doable ways to finally start talking — from 我要这个 (wǒ yào zhè ge) when you order food to Leo's very first solo taxi ride, where 火车站 (huǒ chē zhàn) — three words — was all he needed. If you've been waiting until you feel ready to speak, this is the episode that tells you the day is already here.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
火锅
He Almost Cried Eating Hotpot 🌶️ | Hotpot Across China | 中国的火锅 | Simply Natural Chinese
Why do Chinese people eat hotpot even in 35°C summer heat? In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Xiao Yue and Leo talk about Leo's first Chongqing hotpot — the one that almost made him cry — and then take a tour of how completely different hotpot is across China: the fiery red-oil 麻辣 pot with its 鸳鸯锅 (mandarin-duck divider) and 九宫格 (nine-grid pot), Beijing's clear-broth 涮羊肉 in a copper pot with sesame sauce, Guangdong's light 打边炉 and its amazing 粥底火锅 (congee-base hotpot), and Yunnan's wild-mushroom hotpot — where you'd better cook it long enough or you'll start "看到小人" (seeing little people). One hotpot, half of China.
Conversation podcastsIntermediate · L4
看病
What's "挂号"?! Going to a Chinese Hospital | 看病 | Simply Natural Chinese
Leo's caught a cold — and he's terrified. Not of the cold, but of going to a Chinese hospital. "I don't know the process. I'm afraid I won't figure it out." Sound familiar? In this episode of Simply Natural Chinese, Xiao Yue walks Leo (and you) through the entire experience of seeing a doctor in China — from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave with your medicine. What is 挂号 (guà hào) and why does it confuse every foreigner? What's the difference between 普通号 and 专家号? Why do people line up at 6 a.m. at a 三甲 hospital? How does 医保 (medical insurance) actually work — and what do foreigners do without it? And in the final stretch, a peek into 中医: 把脉, 气, 针灸, 推拿, 拔罐, and the classic Chinese saying about why TCM is more "治本". This is everything you need to know.
