

Takeaway Chinese
China Plus
A weekly Chinese language teaching show which covers the most frequently used Chinese words and expressions, dialogues, language tips, and stories behind the idioms.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 10, 2021 • 29min
20th Anniversary of China's entry into WTO 入世20周年
Nǐ/ kàn dào/xiǎo qū/mén kǒu/xīn kāi de/jìn kǒu/shí pǐn/chāo shì/le me?
你看到小区门口新开的进口食品超市了么?
Kàn dào/le a. Kāi yè/dì yī tiān/wǒ/jiù/qù/cǎi gòu/le./Diàn lǐ de/líng shí/wù měi jià lián/shēng chǎn rì qī/yě/hěn/jìn/, wǒ/yīng gāi/huì/chéng wéi/huí tóu kè/de.
看到了啊。开业第一天我就去采购了!店里的零食物美价廉,生产日期也很近,我应该会成为回头客的。
Wǒ/jué de/zhè jǐ nián/jìn kǒu/shāng pǐn/yuè lái yuè/pián yi/, yě/yuè lái yuè/róng yì/mǎi dào/le.
我觉得,这几年进口商品越来越便宜,也越来越容易买到了。
Shì de, zhōng guó/zhěng tǐ/guān shuì/dà fú/xià jiàng/, suǒ yǐ/jìn kǒu/shāng pǐn/fú wù/hé/tóu zī/dōu/xīn xīn xiàng róng.
是的,中国整体关税大幅下降,所以进口商品、服务和投资都欣欣向荣。
Jīng jì/quán qiú huà/zhēn bù cuò.
经济全球化真不错。

Dec 2, 2021 • 31min
Anniversary 纪念日
Wèi shén me/ yǒu/ zhè me duō/ rì zi/ yào/ qìng zhù/ a?/ Qíng rén jié/ shēng rì/ hái yǒu/ hǎo duō/ jì niàn rì!
Why are there so many days to celebrate? Valentine's Day, birthdays, and so many anniversaries!
Qìng zhù/ jì niàn rì/ kě yǐ/ gěi/ shēng huó/ zēng jiā/ yí shì gǎn,/ zhǐ yào/ nǐ xiǎng/ píng fán de/ rì zi/ yě/ kě yǐ/ sàn fā/ guāng máng.
Celebrating anniversaries can add a sense of ritual to life, as long as you wish for, ordinary days can also glow!
Nà/ jì niàn rì/ yīng gāi/ sòng/ shén me/ lǐ wù/ a.
What gift should I give for the anniversary then?
Nà/ yào/ kàn/ shì/ shén me/ jì niàn rì/ la./ Bǐ rú/ jié hūn/ jì niàn rì/ kě yǐ/ sòng / huā/ rù zhí/ yī zhōu nián/ kě yǐ/ mǎi/ dàn gāo/ bān jiā/ wǔ shí/ zhōu nián/ kě yǐ/… zài/ huàn/ gè/ xīn/ zhù chù!
That depends on what anniversary it is! For example, you can send flowers for wedding anniversaries, buy cakes for your first anniversary into your job, and for your 50th anniversary moving to your home, well, you can get a new place!

Nov 28, 2021 • 35min
Involution 内卷
Nǐ/ jīng yàn/ fēn xiǎng huì/ de/ jiǎng huà gǎo/ xiě wán/ le me?
xiě wán le a,PPT yě zuò wán le,bù guò wǒ xiǎng zài měi huà yī xià.
你经验分享会的讲话稿写完了么?写完了啊,PPT也做完了,不过我想再美化一下。
Have you finished your speech for the experience-sharing meeting? It's done, and so is PPT, but I want to beautify it a bit more.
Ǎ?/ Lǎo bǎn/ yāo qiú/ zuò/ yǎn shì wén gǎo/ le me?
啊?老板要求做演示文稿了么?
Huh? Did the boss ask for a presentation?
Méi yǒu/ zhǐ shì/ wǒ/ jué de/ zhè yàng/ gèng hǎo./ Wǒ/ hái/ zhǔn bèi le/ xiǎo/ shì pín/ jìn shàn jìn měi/ ma.
没有,只是我觉得这样更好。我还准备了小视频,尽善尽美嘛。
No, it's just that I think it's better this way. I also prepared a little video, you know, make it as good as it gets!
Zěn me/ bù zhī bù jué/ jiù/ juǎn qǐ lái/ le!
怎么不知不觉就卷起来了……
How come all of a sudden, it's becoming a hypercompetitive task?

Nov 21, 2021 • 34min
I love cooking 我爱烹饪
Nǐ/ xǐ huan/ zuò fàn/ me?
你喜欢做饭么?
Do you like cooking?
Yī bān/ bù shì/ tè bié/ xǐ huan/ dàn shì/ wǒ/ xǐ huan/ hōng bèi/. Ruǎn hū hū/ xiāng pēn pēn/ gāng chū lú/ de/ xiǎo miàn bāo/ tài/ zhì yù/ le.
一般,不是特别喜欢,但是我喜欢烘焙。软乎乎香喷喷刚出炉的小面包太治愈了。
Only so so, not very much, but I like baking. Soft, delicious, freshly baked buns are so healing.
Wǒ/ xǐ huan/ zuò fàn/ yě shì/ yīn wèi/ zhè gè/ rèn zhēn/ pēng rèn/ de shí hou/ fǎng fú/ suǒ yǒu/ de/ fán nǎo/ dōu/ xiāo shī/ le./ Rèn zhēn/ qiē cài/ bèi liào/ rán hòu/ jiān chǎo pēng zhá/ tài/ jiě yā/ le.
我喜欢做饭也是因为这个。认真烹饪的时候,仿佛所有的烦恼都消失了!认真切菜备料,然后煎炒烹炸,太解压了!
That's why I like cooking. When cooking carefully, it seems that all the troubles have disappeared! Carefully cut vegetables and prepare ingredients, and then use all the different cooking methods. It's such a good way of relieving stress!

Nov 14, 2021 • 37min
Shopping festival 购物节
Nǐ/ jīn nián/ shuāng shí yī/ mǎi le xiē/ shén me?
What did you buy on the Double Eleven Day this year?
Wǒ/ mǎi le/ yī gè/ sǎo dì/ jī qì rén/ yī gè/ kōng qì/ zhá guō/ hái yǒu/ yī tái/zhì néng/ diàn shì.
I bought a floor-sweeping robot, an air fryer and a TV with a smart screen.
Zhè xiē/ dà jiàn/ shāng pǐn/ zhé kòu/ lì dù/ dí què/ bǐ jiào/ dà/ dàn/ wàn yī/ yǒu/ zhì liàng/ wèn tí/ zěn me bàn?
It is true that there is a bigger discount on these major purchases, but what if there is a quality problem?
Xiàn zài/ shāng jiā/ dōu/ tí gōng/ yùn fèi xiǎn/ qī tiān/ wú lǐ yóu/ tuì huàn/ miǎn fèi/ shàng mén/ qǔ huò/ fēi cháng/ fāng biàn.
Now businesses provide freight insurance so that consumers may get a refund or a new one without specifying a reason within seven days of receiving returned products. And there will be a free door-to-door pick-up provided. It's very convenient.
Zhēn/ bù cuò/ wǒ/ yě/ yào/ qù kàn kàn/ hái néng/ mǎi/ shén me.
That's great. I'm going to see what else I can buy.

Nov 7, 2021 • 31min
Desire to win! 好胜心
Nǐ / rèn wéi / zì jǐ / shì / yí gè / shèng fù yù / hěn qiáng / de rén / ma?
你认为自己是一个胜负欲很强的人吗?
Do you consider yourself a person with a strong “desire to win”?
Wǒ / jué de / zì jǐ / shì / yí gè / yǔ shì wú zhēng / de rén, dàn shì / wǒ de / yī xiē / péng you / yǒu / hěn qiáng de / hào shèng xīn.
我觉得自己是一个与世无争的人,但是我的一些朋友有很强的好胜心。
I feel like I am a very un-competitive person, but some of my friends are.
Wǒ / shēn biān / dōu shì / yī xiē / fó xì / de / péng you, wǒ / yǒu diǎn / hào qí / shèng fù yù / de / biǎo xiàn / tōng cháng / shì shén me?
我身边都是一些佛系的朋友,我有点好奇胜负欲的表现通常是什么?
All the friends around me are the “Buddhist type”. I am a little curious about how do people show their “desire to win”.
Shèng fù xīn / qiáng / de rén / jīng cháng / shū bù qǐ, hěn duō / shì qing / dōu yào / zhēng gè gāo dī.
胜负心强的人经常输不起,所有事情都要争个高低。
People who are competitive often can't afford to lose, and they have to compete for winning on everything.

Oct 31, 2021 • 34min
The Winter Olympics are around the corner! 冬奥要来了
Nǐ /zhī dào/ Běijīng/ dōng ào de/ hěn duō/ chǎng guǎn/ dōu shì/ xià jì/ ào yùn huì/ de/ chǎng guǎn/ gǎi jiàn/ de/ me?
你知道北京冬奥的很多场馆都是夏季奥运会的场馆改建的么?
Did you know that many venues of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games were converted from the ones used in the Summer Games?
Zhī dào a./ Yīn wèi/ Běijīng/ shì/ dì yī gè/ shuāng ào zhī chéng/ ma./ Chǎng guǎn/ yí chǎn/ fēng hòu.
知道啊!因为北京是第一个“双奥之城”嘛。场馆遗产丰厚。
Of course, I know! Because Beijing is the first "dual Olympic City!" There is a rich heritage in terms of venues.
Zhēn shì/ yī jǔ liǎng dé/ yī shí èr niǎo/ yī jiàn shuāng diāo/ a.
真是一举两得、一石二鸟、一箭双雕啊!
That's like killing two birds with one stone.
Nǐ/ zhè jǐ gè/ chéng yǔ/ yòng de/ zhēn hǎo.
你这几个成语用得真好。
You are using these idioms well.
Nà shì./ Wǒ/ zuì jìn/ zài/ xué/ hán yǒu/ shù zì/ de/ chéng yǔ,/ gāng hǎo/ yòng shàng/ le.
那是!我最近在学含有数字的成语,刚好用上了!
Of course. I have been learning idioms with numbers these days, and it happens that I can use them here!

Oct 24, 2021 • 35min
The Long March 长征
Jīn tiān/ de/ hé píng/ yǔ/ fán róng/ lí bù kāi/ xiān bèi/ de/ nǔ lì/ hé/ xī shēng.
今天的和平与繁荣离不开先辈的努力和牺牲。
Today’s peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without the great efforts and sacrifice of the older generations.
Shì de. Bǐ rú, wèi le/ jiù guó/ jiù mín, cháng zhēng/ de/ zhàn shì men/ bá shān shè shuǐ, kè fú le/ chóng chóng/ kùn nán, zuì zhōng/ huò dé le/ shèng lì.
是的。比如,为了救国救民,长征的战士们跋山涉水,克服了重重困难,最终获得了胜利。
That is true. For example, to save the nation and its people, soldiers on the Long March walked across hills and rivers, overcoming lots of difficulties, and eventually won victory.
Cháng zhēng/ jīng shén/ shì/ bǎo guì de/ cái fù, zhí dé/ wǒ men/ xué xí.
长征精神是宝贵的财富,值得我们学习。
The Long March spirits are precious treasures and are worth learning.

Oct 17, 2021 • 29min
Anxiety 焦虑
Nǐ/ kàn qǐ lái/ hǎo pí bèi/ ya. Fā sheng/ shén me shì/ la?
你看起来好疲惫呀。发生什么事啦?
You look worn-out. Is there anything wrong?
Shì a, wǒ/ zuó wǎn/ áo yè/ zhǔn bèi/ qī mò/ kǎo shì. Hǎo jiāo lǜ/ a!
是啊,我昨晚熬夜准备期末考试。好焦虑啊!
Yeah, last night I stayed up late preparing for final exams. I feel so anxious.
Fàng qīng song. Jiāo lǜ/ kě néng/ huì/ jiàng dī/ nǐ de/ xué xí/ xiào lǜ.
放轻松。焦虑可能会降低你的学习效率。
Take it easy. Anxiety might actually reduce your learning efficiency.
Yǒu dào lǐ. Wǒ/ xiàn zài/ xīn lì jiāo cuì. Suǒ yǐ/ zěn yang/ cái néng/ huǎn jiě/ jiāo lǜ/ ne?
有道理。我现在心力交瘁。所以怎样才能缓解焦虑呢?
It makes sense. Now I am mentally and physically exhausted. So, how to relieve anxiety?

Oct 10, 2021 • 32min
Emotional regulation 情绪管理
Nǐ/ tīng shuō/ le/ me? Tā/ zuó tiān/ zài/ bù mén/ huì yì/ shang/ shī kòng/ dà kū.
你听说了么?她昨天在部门会议上失控大哭。
Have you heard? She lost control and burst into tears at the department meeting yesterday.
Tiān na, wèi shén me/ ya? Jiǎn zhí/ shì/ shè sǐ/ xiàn chǎng.
天哪,为什么呀?简直是社死现场。
Oh, my God, why? It's the scene of social death.
Rén dào zhōng nián, shàng yǒu lǎo/ xià yǒu xiǎo, gōng zuò/ yě/ bù/ shùn xīn, yā lì/ tài dà le/ ba.
人到中年,上有老下有小,工作也不顺心,压力太大了吧。
When people are middle-aged, they have to support the kids and provide care for their parents. And their work is not going well. It's too stressful.
Suǒ yǐ, chéng nián rén/ dào dǐ/ néng bù néng/ zài/ gōng kāi/ chǎng hé/ qíng xù/ bēng kuì/ ne?
所以,成年人到底能不能在公开场合情绪崩溃呢?
So can adults have an emotional breakdown in public?