I Lost a Translation Job Over “Face” (And Called My Boss a Bastard)
This week’s mailbag episode is… painful.• A freelance translator loses a business contract because he didn’t understand 面子 (miànzi). • Someone tries to compliment their manager… and accidentally calls...
27 Helmi 36min
British Slang That Confuses Mandarin Learners | Episode 450
Episode 450 is here! 🎉In this fun and chaotic bilingual episode, we chat about life getting back to normal after the holidays, the challenges of new projects, and a possible Mandarin retreat idea… be...
25 Helmi 36min
From Tears to Taiwan, Real Mandarin Learner Stories That Will Inspire You | Mailbag #449
This week on the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we read three powerful emails from listeners whose Mandarin journeys couldn’t be more different — yet share the same courage.From feeling fluent for the first...
20 Helmi 37min
Would You Survive 48 Hours Speaking Only Chinese?
Chinese New Year is here… but we’re not just talking about red envelopes and dumplings.In this episode:Who should give red envelopes (and when it stops)The weird firework pranks from childhoodWhy we c...
18 Helmi 48min
I Finally Understood My Mother-in-Law | Mailbag Mandarin
This week’s mailbag:a learner understands his mother-in-law at the worst moment,a tone mistake turns into a workplace disaster,and a four-year-old becomes the teacher.Plus: how to ask to camp in Taiwa...
13 Helmi 45min
My Child Understands Mandarin But Won’t Speak It
What does real bilingual development actually look like?In this episode of Mandarin Monkey, we talk about one of the biggest concerns parents have when raising bilingual children:“My child understands...
11 Helmi 40min
We Tried Listing 100 Life Goals… Then Got Distracted
This episode started as a simple idea:list 100 very specific things to do before you die.We didn’t get to 100.We talked about sharks, Lapland, Route 66, Disney parks, cherry blossoms, tequila in Mexic...
6 Helmi 56min
444 Episodes Later… This Is Why Learning Mandarin Still Feels Hard
Learning Mandarin isn’t just about vocabulary or grammar.Sometimes it’s about confidence, fear, and not feeling “good enough”.In episode 444 of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we talk honestly about:– Wh...
4 Helmi 41min
