Links:

Skritter - Learn to write Chinese

skritter.com?ref=mandarinmonkey

Use promoCode: MANDARINMONKEY

for 10% off everything

🐵 Learn Mandarin with us: https://mandarinmonkey.com/

🎮 Check out our Monkey Plays channel:

/ @monkeyplaysmandarin

🗣️ Want more opportunities to speak Mandarin outside of lessons?

Join learners from around the world for fun discussions, games, and real conversations in our Mandarin Hangouts.

Start speaking more Mandarrin today: https://mandarinmonkey.com/hangouts/

Description:

The UK is melting, every air conditioner is sold out, and all five of us ended up sleeping together in the living room. 🥵

In Episode 472 of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, Tom and Ula talk about surviving the UK heatwave without air conditioning, buying second-hand things, dreaming about winning £10 million, and what they would build in their dream house.

Then the conversation gets deeper: Are new generations becoming less intelligent because of technology and AI? Do difficult experiences make people more successful? Why do Tom and Ula both struggle to stop working and simply relax?

And finally, Tom admits that his Mandarin has been pushed to the bottom of his priority list since moving back to the UK. Is it time for him to start taking Mandarin lessons again?

In this episode:

🔥 Surviving a UK heatwave without air conditioning

🛋️ Why the whole family slept in the living room

🛍️ Would you buy clothes or electronics second-hand?

💰 What would we do if we won £10 million?

🏊 Our ridiculous dream house plans

📱 Is technology making us less intelligent?

💪 Does hardship make people more successful?

🧠 Why we both find it difficult to stop working

🇨🇳 Why Tom wants to start learning Mandarin seriously again

The Mandarin Monkey Podcast is a real bilingual conversation podcast where we naturally switch between Mandarin Chinese and English. Listen to authentic conversations, improve your Mandarin listening skills, and learn how Chinese is actually spoken in everyday life.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🔗 Links:

Skritter - Learn to write Chinese

skritter.com?ref=mandarinmonkey

Use promoCode: MANDARINMONKEY

for 10% off everything

🐵 Learn Mandarin with us: https://mandarinmonkey.com/

🎮 Check out our Monkey Plays channel:

/ @monkeyplaysmandarin

🗣️ Want more opportunities to speak Mandarin outside of lessons?

Join learners from around the world for fun discussions, games, and real conversations in our Mandarin Hangouts.

Start speaking more Mandarrin today: https://mandarinmonkey.com/hangouts/

❓ How did we talk about?

How do they choose their Mandarin names? What does your Mandarin name actually say about you?

In this episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, Ula and Tom talk about how Mandarin names are chosen, why parents sometimes use birth dates and birth times when naming their children, and how Mandarin learners can choose a Mandarin name based on pronunciation, personality and meaning.

Tom also shares the story behind his Mandarin name, 唐明偉 Tang Ming Wei, and Ula explains why Mandarin names often carry parents’ hopes and expectations for their children.

Along the way, we also talk about:

🔥 Surviving another UK heatwave without air conditioning

💬 Why British people complain about the weather so much

🎙️ Whether podcast hosts should talk to each other or directly to the audience

🔢 A surprisingly difficult number-guessing game

👓 Whether Ula’s new glasses suit her face — or her personality

🏷️ The differences between Chinese and English naming culture

This is a natural bilingual conversation in Mandarin and English, perfect for upper beginner, intermediate Mandarin learners who want to improve their listening skills and hear how Mandarin is actually used in real conversation.

What’s your Mandarin name? How did you choose it? Tell us in the comments! 👇

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.