Chinese Bites — with Janine | HSK 1️⃣

"Learn to describe how well you do sports and hobbies using the essential structure Verb + 得 + adjective. Perfect for talking about dancing, swimming, singing, painting, basketball, and more!"打篮球 dǎ lánqiú — play basketball踢足球 tī zúqiú — play soccer打网球 dǎ wǎngqiú — play tennis打排球 dǎ páiqiú — play volleyball打乒乓球 dǎ pīngpāngqiú — play ping pong游泳 yóuyǒng — swimming跑步 pǎobù — running爬山 páshān — hiking画画 huàhuà — drawing / painting跳舞 tiàowǔ — dancing唱歌 chànggē — singing弹钢琴 tán gāngqín — playing piano👉 Structure:Subject + Verb + 得 + adjective我打篮球打得很好。wǒ dǎ lánqiú dǎ de hěn hǎoI play basketball very well.我踢足球踢得不太好。wǒ tī zúqiú tī de bú tài hǎoI don’t play soccer very well.我打网球打得不错。wǒ dǎ wǎngqiú dǎ de búcuòI play tennis pretty well.我打排球打得很好。wǒ dǎ páiqiú dǎ de hěn hǎoI play volleyball very well.我打乒乓球打得还行。wǒ dǎ pīngpāngqiú dǎ de háixíngI play ping pong okay.我游泳游得很好。wǒ yóuyǒng yóu de hěn hǎoI swim very well.我跑步跑得很慢。wǒ pǎobù pǎo de hěn mànI run very slowly.我爬山爬得不错。wǒ páshān pá de búcuòI hike pretty well.✔ Descriptive Words很好hěn hǎo very good不错búcuò pretty good还行háixíng okay / not bad一般yìbān so-so不太好bú tài hǎo not very good✔ Question PatternsVerb + 得 + 好吗？Verb + 得 + 怎么样？

In this episode, we learn how to talk about life experiences in Chinese using the essential structure Verb + 过, such as 我去过中国 (I’ve been to China) and 我吃过火锅 (I’ve eaten hotpot).Perfect for sharing things you've tried, done, or experienced!"Verb + 过 → I have done没 + Verb + 过 → I haven’t done你 Verb + 过 + Object + 吗？我去过日本。wǒ qù guò RìběnI’ve been to Japan.你去过北京吗？nǐ qù guò Běijīng ma?Have you been to Beijing?我没去过上海。wǒ méi qù guò ShànghǎiI haven't been to Shanghai.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to talk about your past in Chinese — using simple time words like 昨天 (yesterday) and 上个周末 (last weekend), plus the essential marker 了 for completed actions.Perfect for describing what you did yesterday, last night, or last weekend!Grammar Focus:了 → completed actionStructure: Time + Subject + Verb + 了Time Words:昨天, 前天, 昨天晚上, 上个周末Example Sentences:A: 你昨天做了什么？nǐ zuótiān zuò le shénme?What did you do yesterday?B: 我昨天看了电影。wǒ zuótiān kàn le diànyǐngI watched a movie yesterday.A: 你上个周末做了什么？nǐ shàngge zhōumò zuò le shénme?What did you do last weekend?B: 我上个周末打了篮球。wǒ shàngge zhōumò dǎ le lánqiúI played basketball last weekend.A: 昨天晚上你做了什么？zuótiān wǎnshang nǐ zuò le shénme?What did you do last night?B: 我听了音乐。wǒ tīng le yīnyuèI listened to music.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to talk about future plans in Chinese!We’ll use the essential structure 要 (yào) + Verb to express future or intention, and time words like 明天 (tomorrow), 周末 (weekend), and 下星期 (next week).Time Words:明天, 后天, 这个周末, 下个周末, 下星期👉 Structure:Time + Subject + 要 + Verb (+ Object)"I'm going to…"🗣️ Examples:明天我要去学校。míngtiān wǒ yào qù xuéxiàoI’m going to school tomorrow.这个周末我要看电影。zhège zhōumò wǒ yào kàn diànyǐngI’m going to watch a movie this weekend.下星期她要上课。xià xīngqī tā yào shàngkèShe’s going to have class next week.明天我们要打篮球。míngtiān wǒmen yào dǎ lánqiúWe’re going to play basketball tomorrow.Questions: 你明天要做什么？ / 你周末要打篮球吗？

In this episode, learn how to invite someone to do something with you in Chinese!We review hobby vocabulary from last episode and build new patterns like 我们一起…吧 and 你想不想…？Perfect for making your Chinese more social and natural!Patterns:我们一起…吧 → Let’s … together你想不想…？ → Do you want to…?Eg.我们一起去游泳吧！wǒmen yìqǐ qù yóuyǒng ba!Let’s go swimming together!我们一起打篮球吧！wǒmen yìqǐ dǎ lánqiú ba!Let’s play basketball together!我们一起看电影吧！wǒmen yìqǐ kàn diànyǐng ba!Let’s watch a movie together!我们一起听音乐吧！wǒmen yìqǐ tīng yīnyuè ba!Let’s listen to music together!你想不想一起打篮球？nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng yìqǐ dǎ lánqiú?Do you want to play basketball together?你想不想看电影？nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng kàn diànyǐng?Do you want to watch a movie?你想不想去公园？nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng qù gōngyuán?Do you want to go to the park?你想不想听音乐？nǐ xiǎng bù xiǎng tīng yīnyuè?Do you want to listen to music?✅ Saying YES好啊！hǎo a!Sure! / Sounds good!可以！kěyǐ!Okay! / Yes, that works!我想！wǒ xiǎng!I want to! / Yes, I would!❎ Saying NO (polite)不好意思，我今天很忙。bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.Sorry, I’m very busy today.下次吧。xià cì ba.Maybe next time.我不能去。wǒ bù néng qù.I can’t go.

In this episode, we’ll talk about hobbies and sports — how to say what you like to do in Chinese!You'll learn sentences like 我喜欢打篮球 (I like playing basketball), 她喜欢听音乐 (She likes listening to music), and the essential question 你喜欢做什么？A fun and practical lesson to help you talk about your daily life!"Wordsbasketball打篮球dǎ lánqiúplay soccer踢足球tī zúqiúplay tennis打网球dǎ wǎngqiúswim游泳yóuyǒngrun跑步pǎobùdance跳舞tiàowǔlisten to music听音乐tīng yīnyuèwatch movies看电影kàn diànyǐngread books看书kàn shūplay games玩游戏wán yóuxìSentence我喜欢打篮球。 (wǒ xǐhuan dǎ lánqiú) – I like playing basketball.她喜欢游泳。 (tā xǐhuan yóuyǒng) – She likes swimming.他喜欢跑步。 (tā xǐhuan pǎobù) – He likes running.我朋友喜欢听音乐。 (wǒ péngyou xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè) – My friend likes listening to music.💡 Tip:Sports with hands → 打 (dǎ)Sports with feet → 踢 (tī)❓Questions：你喜欢做什么？nǐ xǐhuan zuò shénme?“What do you like to do?”你喜欢看电影吗？nǐ xǐhuan kàn diànyǐng ma?(Do you like watching movies?)她喜欢听音乐吗？tā xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè ma?(Does she like listening to music?)你喜欢运动吗？nǐ xǐhuan yùndòng ma?(Do you like sports?)✓ Short answers:我喜欢。wǒ xǐhuan.(I do.)我不喜欢。wǒ bù xǐhuan.(I don’t.)

In this episode, you’ll learn how to talk about how you get somewhere — by bus, by bike, or on foot.We’ll use the structure 怎么去 (zěnme qù) and learn useful words like 坐车 (take a bus), 骑车 (ride a bike), and 走路 (walk). Let’s hit the road — in Chinese! 🚌🚲🚶‍♀️✅ Grammar Focus:Structure: Subject + 怎么 + 去 + PlaceVerbs: 坐 (take), 骑 (ride), 走 (walk)✅ Examples:我坐车去学校。他骑车去公司。她走路去商店。我坐地铁去图书馆。✅ Questions:你怎么去学校？ (How do you go to school?)你怎么去商店？ (How do you go to the store?)

In this episode, you’ll learn how to talk about going places and doing things in Chinese — like I’m going to school, He’s going to the store, or We’re going to eat with friends.We’ll use the super useful pattern 去 + 地点 + 动作 (to go + place + activity). ✅ Grammar Focus:去 (qù) → to goStructure: Subject + 去 + Place (+ Verb + Object)Question: 你去哪儿？✅ Useful Words:学校 (xuéxiào) school商店 (shāngdiàn) store超市 (chāoshì) supermarket朋友家 (péngyou jiā) friend’s home图书馆 (túshūguǎn) library公园 (gōngyuán) park✅ Example Sentences:我去学校上课。他去商店买东西。她去图书馆看书。我们去公园玩儿。

In this episode, we’ll learn how to say where things are — like The book is on the table or The cat is under the chair!You’ll discover how to use 在 (zài) with simple position words, so you can describe your surroundings in Chinese naturally. 🐱📚🪑✅ Grammar Focus:在 (zài) = to be at/in/onStructure: Noun + 在 + PlaceQuestion: Noun + 在 + 哪儿？✅ Position Words:上 (on) / 下 (under) / 里 (in) / 前面 (in front) / 后面 (behind)✅ Examples:书在桌子上。猫在椅子下。水在杯子里。老师在前面。

In this episode, we’ll learn how to ask and answer everyday questions like What’s this?, What’s that?, and Whose is it? using 这 (this), 那 (that), and 的 (possessive ‘s’). It’s one of the most useful and fun patterns in Chinese — simple, but powerful! 👜📱📚这 / 那 → this / that是 → to be什么 → what谁的 → whose的 → ’s / possessive marker我的 / 你的 / 他的 / 她的 / 它的 → my / your / his / her / its这是什么？那是什么？这是谁的？那是老师的。这是谁的书？这是我的书。

In this episode, we’ll learn how to describe taste, temperature, and feelings in Chinese — using simple structures like 很 (very), 太…了 (too…), and 有点儿 (a bit…). Perfect for talking about food, weather, and even your mood! 🍜☕🍰热 (rè) hot, 冷 (lěng) cold, 甜 (tián) sweet, 苦 (kǔ) bitter, 辣 (là) spicy, 咸 (xián) salty, 好吃 (hǎochī) delicious很 (hěn) → very / quite太…了 (tài…le) → too… / so…有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) → a little bit…咖啡很苦。 (The coffee is bitter.)咖啡太苦了！ (The coffee is too bitter!)咖啡有点儿苦。 (The coffee is a bit bitter.)这个汤很热。 (The soup is hot.)这个汤太热了！ (The soup is too hot!)这个汤有点儿热。 (The soup is a bit hot.)蛋糕很甜。 (The cake is sweet.)蛋糕太甜了！ (The cake is too sweet!)蛋糕有点儿甜。 (The cake is a bit sweet.)"

In this episode, we’ll review food vocabulary and then learn how to connect your ideas naturally in Chinese — using and, but, also, and both…and…. Get ready to talk about your favorite foods in smooth, natural Mandarin! 🥟🍜☕Vocabulary (food):饺子 dumplings, 包子 steamed buns, 面条 noodles, 米饭 rice, 茶 tea, 咖啡 coffee, 果汁 juice, 水果 fruit, 蛋糕 cake, 面包 bread, 早餐 breakfast, 午餐 lunch, 晚餐 dinnerGrammar:和 (hé) → and (connects nouns)但是 (dànshì) → but (connects sentences)也 (yě) → also / too (before verb)又…又… (yòu…yòu…) → both…and… (for adjectives or verbs)Examples: 我喜欢咖啡和茶。wǒ xǐhuān kāfēi hé chá.I like coffee and tea.我喜欢饺子，但是我不喜欢面条。wǒ xǐhuān jiǎozi, dànshì wǒ bù xǐhuān miàntiáo.I like dumplings, but I don’t like noodles.我也喜欢果汁。wǒ yě xǐhuān guǒzhī.I also like juice.这个蛋糕又甜又漂亮。zhè ge dàngāo yòu tián yòu piàoliang.This cake is both sweet and beautiful.

In this episode, we’ll bring everything together — time, place, and frequency — to describe your daily life naturally in Chinese. You’ll learn how to say things like I eat breakfast at home every morning and She often studies at the library at night, and how to ask questions like Where do you eat? or Do you study every day? ☕📅Time words: 早上 (morning), 中午 (noon), 下午 (afternoon), 晚上 (evening)Places: 家 (home), 学校 (school), 公司 (office), 图书馆 (library), 咖啡店 (café)Frequency: 每天 (every day), 常常 (often), 有时候 (sometimes), 从不 (never)Verbs: 起床 (to get up), 吃饭 (to eat), 上班 (to go to work), 下班 (to finish work), 上课 (to attend class), 下课 (to finish class), 睡觉 (to sleep), 学习 (to study)"我每天早上七点在家吃早餐。 (wǒ měitiān zǎoshang qī diǎn zài jiā chī zǎocān) – I eat breakfast at home every morning.她常常晚上在图书馆学习。 (tā chángcháng wǎnshang zài túshūguǎn xuéxí) – She often studies at the library in the evening.他有时候下午在公司工作。 (tā yǒu shíhòu xiàwǔ zài gōngsī gōngzuò) – He sometimes works at the office in the afternoon.我从不晚上在咖啡店学习。 (wǒ cóng bù wǎnshang zài kāfēidiàn xuéxí) – I never study at a café at night.我平常中午十二点在学校吃午饭。 (wǒ píngcháng zhōngwǔ shí’èr diǎn zài xuéxiào chī wǔfàn) – I usually eat lunch at school at noon."Structure: Statement + 吗？你每天学习吗？ (nǐ měitiān xuéxí ma?) – Do you study every day?你常常晚上学习吗？ (nǐ chángcháng wǎnshang xuéxí ma?) – Do you often study at night?你有时候在咖啡店学习吗？ (nǐ yǒu shíhòu zài kāfēidiàn xuéxí ma?) – Do you sometimes study in a café?你从不早起吗？ (nǐ cóng bù zǎo qǐ ma?) – You never get up early? Structures:你 + 什么时候 + Verb？ → When do you…?你 + 在哪儿 + Verb？ → Where do you…?你什么时候起床？ (nǐ shénme shíhòu qǐchuáng?) – When do you get up ?你每天早上在哪儿吃饭？ (nǐ měitiān zǎoshang zài nǎr chī fàn?) – Where do you eat every morning?你下午在哪儿学习？ (nǐ xiàwǔ zài nǎr xuéxí?) – Where do you study in the afternoon?你晚上什么时候睡觉？ (nǐ wǎnshang shénme shíhou shuìjiào?) – When do you go to bed at night?

In this episode, we’ll learn how to talk about how often you do things in Chinese — how to say ‘I study every day,’ ‘I sometimes read,’ or ‘I never wake up early.’ These tiny words can change your whole sentence, and make you sound like a real local. ☕📆Grammar:👉 Subject + (Time) + Frequency + Verb + ObjectFrequency Words:每天 (every day), 有时候 (sometimes), 常常 (often), 从不 (never), 总是 (always)Examples:我每天学习中文。 (I study Chinese every day.)我有时候看书。 (I sometimes read.)她常常吃面。 (She often eats noodles.)我从不早起。 (I never get up early.)我总是喝咖啡。 (I always drink coffee.)Question patterns:你常常做什么？ (What do you often do?)你每天学习吗？ (Do you study every day?)

In this episode, we’ll learn how to talk about your daily routine — how to say I get up at 7, I eat at noon, or I sleep at 10. You’ll also learn how to ask What time is it? and What time do you...? in Chinese. It’s simple, logical, and super useful for daily life! ☕🕖Grammar:👉 Subject + Time + Verb + ObjectTime words:早上, 中午, 下午, 晚上, 七点, 八点半, 十点Verbs:起床, 吃饭, 上班, 下班, 上课, 下课, 睡觉, 学习Examples:我早上七点起床。 (I get up at 7 a.m.)我中午十二点吃饭。 (I eat at noon.)她早上八点上班。 (She goes to work at 8.)她下午五点下班。 (She gets off work at 5.)我早上八点上课。 (I have class at 8 a.m.)我下午三点下课。 (I finish class at 3 p.m.)我晚上十点睡觉。 (I go to bed at 10.)Questions:现在几点？ (What time is it now?)你几点起床？ (What time do you get up?)你几点吃饭？ (What time do you eat?)你几点上课？ (What time is your class?)你几点下课？ (What time do you finish class?)你几点睡觉？ (What time do you sleep?)"

In this episode, we’ll learn how to say where you’re doing things — like I’m studying at home, He’s eating at a restaurant, or She’s working at school. You’ll see how one small word, 在 (zài), connects places and actions in Chinese. ☕🏠🍜Grammar:👉 Subject + 在 + place + verbPlaces:家, 学校, 公司, 餐厅, 图书馆, 咖啡店Examples:我在家学习。 (I’m studying at home.)她在学校工作。 (She’s working at school.)他在餐厅吃饭。 (He’s eating at a restaurant.)我在图书馆看书。 (I’m reading at the library.)Questions:你在哪儿学习？ (Where do you study?)你在哪儿工作？ (Where do you work?)你在哪儿吃饭？ (Where do you eat?)"

In this episode, we’ll learn how to talk about what you’re doing right now — how to say I’m studying Chinese, He’s working, or She’s eating. You’ll discover how one tiny word, 在 (zài), turns a simple verb into a real-time action. Let’s dive in! ☕📚" 你在做什么？ – What are you doing?我在学习中文。 – I’m studying Chinese.她在吃饭。 – She’s eating.他在工作。 – He’s working.我在看书。 – I’m reading.

In this episode, we’ll learn how to talk about what you do — how to say I’m a student, She’s a teacher, and how to ask What’s your job? in Chinese. A super practical lesson for introducing yourself naturally! ☕💼Vocabulary:学生, 老师, 医生, 工程师, 护士, 店员, 经理Sentences:我是学生。 (I’m a student.)她是老师。 (She’s a teacher.)他是医生。 (He’s a doctor.)你的工作是什么？ (What’s your job?)

In this episode, we’ll learn how to ask How is he? in Chinese, and how to describe people naturally — like He’s tall or She’s pretty. You’ll also discover the secret behind one tiny word, 很 (hěn), that makes your Chinese sound smooth and natural. ☕🌸Questions:他怎么样？ (How is he?)她怎么样？ (How is she?)Answers:他很高。 (He’s tall.)她很漂亮。 (She’s pretty.)她很年轻。 (She’s young.)他很好。 (He’s good.)Words：高 (gāo) – tall矮 (ǎi) – short漂亮 (piàoliang) – pretty帅 (shuài) – handsome年轻 (niánqīng) – young老 (lǎo) – old

In this episode, we’ll learn how to talk about your family in Chinese — how to say I have a brother, This is my mom, and Who is he? Family words are super fun and useful, so let’s meet your Chinese family today! ☕👨‍👩‍👧‍👦爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 姐姐, 弟弟, 妹妹我有一个哥哥。 (I have an older brother.)我有一个姐姐。 (I have an older sister.)我有一个弟弟。 (I have a younger brother.)我有一个妹妹。 (I have a younger sister.)我没有哥哥。 (I don’t have an older brother.)我没有妹妹。 (I don’t have a younger sister.)这是谁？ (Who is this?)这是我的妈妈。 (This is my mom.)"