Real Mandarin, explained. Every article is an interactive lesson: tap any word for pinyin and meaning, and reveal the English whenever you want it.
Six phrases cover almost every set of metro directions in China: which line, which direction, how many stops, where to change. With Shanghai examples, audio, and what the announcements say.
Bastian · 12 November 2026
Ask a Chinese friend what they want to eat and you’ll often hear 随便, “whatever”. A ten-line dialogue that shows what 随便 really means, with 不然, 行 and 算了 along the way.
Yumi · 5 November 2026
A four-line chat about overtime between two friends. 比较 that compares nothing, 怎么回事 instead of 为什么, and the real reason the week was so quiet.
Yumi · 25 October 2026
Two friends talk about hotel prices and visas before a trip to Singapore. Everyday Chinese like 赶紧, 晚点更贵 and 还好, plus 新马泰, a word that comes from package tours.
Yumi · 16 October 2026
Not everyone travels over the October holiday. A four-line dialogue with 懒得, 好不容易 and 多浪费啊, the kind of Chinese you hear from friends rather than in class.
Yumi · 28 September 2026
Two colleagues talk about their October holiday. Why 十一 means a week off rather than the number eleven, and why a 自驾游 to Xinjiang usually starts at the airport.
Yumi · 22 September 2026
China’s week-long holidays are partly paid back with weekend workdays. That swap is called 调休, and every year people have this exact conversation about it, ending with 我就知道.
Yumi · 16 September 2026
