Mandarin Monkey Podcast

Think your job is strange? In this episode, we explore 20 of the world’s weirdest real-life occupations — from snake milkers and underwater pizza delivery drivers to professional cuddlers and scream evaluators. Along the way, we’ll teach you how to say each one in Mandarin, complete with vocabulary, pronunciation, and a few questionable career choices.Perfect for Mandarin learners who want to expand their vocab and their sense of what counts as a job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore 20 of the most ridiculous, real world records ever set — and learn how to talk about them in Mandarin. From smashing toilet seats with your head to balancing snails on your face, this is your crash course in weirdness and useful Mandarin vocabulary. Whether you’re a language learner or just love strange facts, we’ve got you covered.Mandarin Vocabulary List (Traditional + Pinyin + English)一次穿最多件T恤 | yī cì chuān zuì duō jiàn T xù | Most T-shirts worn at once最長指甲 | zuì cháng zhǐ jiǎ | Longest fingernails最快吃完生洋蔥 | zuì kuài chī wán shēng yáng cōng | Fastest time to eat a raw onion一分鐘內用頭撞碎最多馬桶蓋 | yī fēn zhōng nèi yòng tóu zhuàng suì zuì duō mǎ tǒng gài | Most toilet seats broken with head in 1 minute最大橡皮筋球 | zuì dà xiàng pí jīn qiú | Largest rubber band ball最遠丟洗衣機距離 | zuì yuǎn diū xǐ yī jī jù lí | Furthest washing machine throw身上平衡最多湯匙 | shēn shàng píng héng zuì duō tāng chí | Most spoons balanced on a human body吊在電鑽上一分鐘內轉最多圈 | diào zài diàn zuàn shàng yī fēn zhōng nèi zhuǎn zuì duō quān | Most spins on a power drill in 1 minute全身接觸冰塊最久時間 | quán shēn jiē chù bīng kuài zuì jiǔ shí jiān | Longest full-body contact with ice最多人扮成藍色小精靈的聚會 | zuì duō rén bàn chéng lán sè xiǎo jīng líng de jù huì | Largest gathering of people dressed as Smurfs用鼻子打出字母最快時間 | yòng bí zi dǎ chū zì mǔ zuì kuài shí jiān | Fastest time to type the alphabet with your nose臉上放最多蝸牛（五分鐘） | liǎn shàng fàng zuì duō guā niú (wǔ fēn zhōng) | Most snails on a face (in 5 minutes)穿高跟鞋跑100公尺最快時間 | chuān gāo gēn xié pǎo yì bǎi gōng chǐ zuì kuài shí jiān | Fastest 100m run in high heels單腳轉呼拉圈最多次 | dān jiǎo zhuǎn hū lā quān zuì duō cì | Most hula hoop spins on one leg一生中吃最多巨無霸 | yī shēng zhōng chī zuì duō jù wú bà | Most Big Macs eaten in a lifetime全身著火被馬拉最遠距離 | quán shēn zháo huǒ bèi mǎ lā zuì yuǎn jù lí | Longest distance pulled by a horse while on fire蒙眼穿十件T恤最快時間 | méng yǎn chuān shí jiàn T xù zuì kuài shí jiān | Fastest time to put on 10 T-shirts blindfolded三十秒內被濕海綿打最多次 | sān shí miǎo nèi bèi shī hǎi mián dǎ zuì duō cì | Most wet sponge hits in 30 seconds頭頂牛奶瓶走最遠距離 | tóu dǐng niú nǎi píng zǒu zuì yuǎn jù lí | Longest distance walked balancing a milk bottle on head同時刷牙人數最多 | tóng shí shuā yá rén shù zuì duō | Most people brushing their teeth simultaneously Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From baby mop outfits to chopstick fans and silent karaoke mics — the world has no shortage of strange inventions. In this episode, Tom and Ula explore 20 bizarre gadgets from around the globe and break down the Mandarin vocabulary behind each one. It’s the perfect mix of language learning, cultural curiosity, and a whole lot of "Wait… that's real?"Whether you're here for the vocab or just want to hear us try to explain what a "nose stylus" is in Mandarin… this one’s for you.嬰兒拖把衣 | yīng ér tuō bǎ yī | Baby mop clothes印臉吐司機 | yìn liǎn tǔ sī jī | Face-printing toaster擁抱枕頭 | yǒng bào zhěn tóu | Hugging pillow香蕉切片器 | xiāng jiāo qiē piàn qì | Banana slicer防色狼腿毛褲襪 | fáng sè láng tuǐ máo kù wà | Anti-pervert hairy tights寵物管家機器人 | chǒng wù guǎn jiā jī qì rén | Pet butler robot鞋子雨傘 | xié zi yǔ sǎn | Shoe umbrellaUSB領帶風扇 | USB lǐng dài fēng shàn | USB tie fan鼻子觸控筆 | bí zi chù kòng bǐ | Nose stylus無聲卡拉OK麥克風 | wú shēng kǎ lā OK mài kè fēng | Silent karaoke mic減肥水 | jiǎn féi shuǐ | Diet water馬桶高爾夫球組 | mǎ tǒng gāo ěr fū qiú zǔ | Toilet golf set瘦臉面罩 | shòu liǎn miàn zhào | Face slimming mask髮夾風扇 | fà jiā fēng shàn | Hair clip fan貓語翻譯項圈 | māo yǔ fān yì xiàng quān | Cat translation collar奶油棒 | nǎi yóu bàng | Butter stick筷子風扇 | kuài zi fēng shàn | Chopstick fan遙控拖鞋拖把 | yáo kòng tuō xié tuō bǎ | Remote mop slippers鼻塞濾網 | bí sāi lǜ wǎng | Nose plug filters午睡枕頭 | wǔ shuì zhěn tóu | Nap desk pillow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Balut – Fertilized duck embryo (Philippines)鴨仔蛋 | yā zǐ dàn | Duck embryo egg2. Surströmming – Fermented herring (Sweden)瑞典酸鯡魚 | ruì diǎn suān fèi yú | Swedish sour herring3. Casu Marzu – Maggot cheese (Italy)活蛆乳酪 | huó qū rǔ lào | Live maggot cheese4. Fried Tarantula (Cambodia)炸狼蛛 | zhà láng zhū | Fried tarantula5. Hákarl – Fermented shark (Iceland)發酵鯊魚肉 | fā xiào shā yú ròu | Fermented shark meat6. Sannakji – Live baby octopus (Korea)活章魚 | huó zhāng yú | Live octopus7. Escamoles – Ant larvae (Mexico)蟻卵 | yǐ luǎn | Ant eggs / larvae8. Century Egg – Preserved black egg (China)皮蛋 | pí dàn | Century egg9. Blood Pancake (Finland)血煎餅 | xuè jiān bǐng | Blood pancake10. Witchetty Grub (Australia – Aboriginal delicacy)大白蟲 | dà bái chóng | Big white grub11. Tuna Eyeball (Japan)鮪魚眼球 | wěi yú yǎn qiú | Tuna eyeball12. Snake Wine (Vietnam/China)蛇酒 | shé jiǔ | Snake wine13. Guinea Pig (Cuy) (Peru/Ecuador)天竺鼠肉 | tiān zhú shǔ ròu | Guinea pig meat14. Mopane Worms (Southern Africa)莫潘蟲 | mò pān chóng | Mopane worms15. Frog Smoothie (Peru)青蛙果汁 | qīng wā guǒ zhī | Frog juice Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever heard of a law that bans you from handling salmon "suspiciously"? Or a rule that says men must wear Speedos at public pools in France? In this episode, we dive into some of the strangest, most ridiculous laws from around the world. From kites being outlawed in the UK to Japan’s weight regulations, we break down these bizarre rules, their origins, and whether they actually make any sense. Plus, we’ll throw in some Mandarin vocabulary along the way, so you can learn while you laugh!Would you obey these laws or break them just for fun? Tune in to find out!General Law-Related Words法律 (fǎlǜ) – Law法规 (fǎguī) – Regulation非法 (fēifǎ) – Illegal违法 (wéifǎ) – Against the law规定 (guīdìng) – Rule/regulation政府 (zhèngfǔ) – Government批准 (pīzhǔn) – ApprovalWeird Law Examples & VocabularyIllegal to handle salmon suspiciously (UK 🇬🇧)鲑鱼 (guīyú) – Salmon可疑 (kěyí) – Suspicious处理 (chǔlǐ) – To handleNo flying kites in public places (UK 🇬🇧)风筝 (fēngzhēng) – Kite公共场所 (gōnggòng chǎngsuǒ) – Public placeIllegal to be drunk in a pub (UK 🇬🇧)酒吧 (jiǔbā) – Pub/bar喝醉 (hē zuì) – To be drunkNo ice cream in your back pocket (US 🇺🇸, Alabama)冰淇淋 (bīngqílín) – Ice cream口袋 (kǒudài) – PocketIllegal to wake a sleeping bear for a photo (US 🇺🇸, Alaska)熊 (xióng) – Bear拍照 (pāizhào) – Take a photoNo donkeys sleeping in bathtubs (US 🇺🇸, Arizona)驴 (lǘ) – Donkey浴缸 (yùgāng) – BathtubMen must wear Speedos in public pools (France 🇫🇷)泳池 (yóuyǒngchí) – Swimming pool紧身泳裤 (jǐnshēn yǒngkù) – SpeedosNo chewing gum in Singapore (🇸🇬)口香糖 (kǒuxiāngtáng) – Chewing gumYou must walk your dog daily (Germany 🇩🇪)遛狗 (liù gǒu) – Walk the dog宠物 (chǒngwù) – PetIllegal to name your pig ‘Napoleon’ (France 🇫🇷)猪 (zhū) – Pig名字 (míngzì) – NameNo flushing toilets after 10 PM (Switzerland 🇨🇭)厕所 (cèsuǒ) – Toilet晚上 (wǎnshàng) – NighttimeIn China, you cannot reincarnate without government approval (China 🇨🇳)转世 (zhuǎnshì) – Reincarnation灵魂 (línghún) – SoulIllegal to change a lightbulb without a license (Australia 🇦🇺)灯泡 (dēngpào) – Lightbulb执照 (zhízhào) – License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unusual Hobbies (特殊的爱好 - tè shū de ài hào)Extreme Ironing (极限熨烫) – jí xiàn yùn tàngQuidditch (魁地奇) – kuí dì qíCheese Rolling (奶酪滚动比赛) – nǎi lào gǔn dòng bǐ sàiToy Voyaging (玩具旅行) – wán jù lǚ xíngCompetitive Duck Herding (竞技赶鸭子) – jìng jì gǎn yā ziTrainspotting (火车观察) – huǒ chē guān cháMooing Competitions (学牛叫比赛) – xué niú jiào bǐ sàiSoapbox Racing (肥皂盒赛车) – féi zào hé sài chēBog Snorkeling (泥潭浮潜) – ní tán fú qiánStone Skipping (打水漂比赛) – dǎ shuǐ piāo bǐ sàiFerret Legging (裤子养雪貂比赛) – kù zi yǎng xuě diāo bǐ sàiWife Carrying Race (扛妻比赛) – káng qī bǐ sàiBeetle Fighting (甲虫格斗) – jiǎ chóng gé dòuCardboard Tube Dueling (纸板管决斗) – zhǐ bǎn guǎn jué dòuUnderwater Hockey (水下曲棍球) – shuǐ xià qū gùn qiúCompetitive Air Guitar (空气吉他比赛) – kōng qì jí tā bǐ sàiCanine Freestyle (狗狗舞蹈比赛) – gǒu gǒu wǔ dǎo bǐ sàiLawn Mower Racing (割草机比赛) – gē cǎo jī bǐ sàiSoap Carving (肥皂雕刻) – féi zào diāo kèPencil Sharpening as an Art (削铅笔艺术) – xuē qiān bǐ yì shùUnusual Cultural Activities (特殊的文化活动 - tè shū de wén huà huó dòng)La Tomatina (番茄大战) – fān qié dà zhànBaby Jumping Festival (跳婴节) – tiào yīng jiéMonkey Buffet Festival (猴子自助餐节) – hóu zi zì zhù cān jiéGoose Pulling (拔鹅比赛) – bá é bǐ sàiPolterabend (婚前碎瓷习俗) – hūn qián suì cí xí súGurning Contests (扭脸比赛) – niǔ liǎn bǐ sàiFamadihana (换尸节) – huàn shī jiéUp-Helly-Aa (维京火节) – wéi jīng huǒ jiéKanamara Matsuri (钢铁阴茎祭) – gāng tiě yīn jīng jìNaki Sumo (婴儿哭泣相扑赛) – yīng ér kū qì xiàng pū sàiThe Battle of the Oranges (橙子大战) – chéng zi dà zhànTunarama Festival (金枪鱼投掷节) – jīn qiāng yú tóu zhì jiéToe Wrestling (脚趾摔跤) – jiǎo zhǐ shuāi jiāoGolden Retriever Festival (金毛犬节) – jīn máo quǎn jiéKrampusnacht (克朗普斯之夜) – kè lǎng pǔ sī zhī yèBlackened Teeth (染黑牙齿, 日本旧习俗) – rǎn hēi yá chǐ, rì běn jiù xí súFrozen Dead Guy Days (冰冻死人节) – bīng dòng sǐ rén jiéGiant Omelette Festival (巨型煎蛋节) – jù xíng jiān dàn jiéHadaka Matsuri (裸体祭, 日本裸祭) – luǒ tǐ jì, rì běn luǒ jìCooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (库珀山奶酪滚动比赛) – kù pò shān nǎi lào gǔn dòng bǐ sàiFestival (节日) – jié rìCompetition (比赛) – bǐ sàiTraditional (传统的) – chuán tǒng deCultural Event (文化活动) – wén huà huó dòngUnusual (特殊的) – tè shū deWeird (奇怪的) – qí guài deChallenge (挑战) – tiǎo zhànSport (运动) – yùn dòngActivity (活动) – huó dòng Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, we chat about the Eisenhower Matrix (艾森豪威尔矩阵, Àisēnháowēi’ěr jǔzhèn)—not as experts, but just as two people trying to figure out where all our time goes. We’ve all been there: feeling 忙碌 (mánglù, busy) but not necessarily productive (有成效的, yǒu chéngxiào de). So, what actually makes something 重要 (zhòngyào, important) versus just 紧急 (jǐnjí, urgent)?我们不是在教你如何管理时间，而是聊聊我们自己是怎么思考这些问题的。为什么有些任务看起来很急 (hěn jí)，但其实没什么意义？为什么真正重要的事情，往往被推到最后才做？我们的生活中有哪些任务是“假忙碌”？我们讨论了工作、生活、甚至一些让人忍不住拖延的事。听完后，你有没有类似的感受？你的时间管理方式是怎样的？欢迎留言和我们一起讨论!放松 (fàngsōng) – Relax压力 (yālì) – Pressure享受 (xiǎngshòu) – Enjoy节奏 (jiézòu) – Rhythm/Pace平衡 (pínghéng) – Balance忙碌 (mánglù) – Busy幸福 (xìngfú) – Happiness瞬间 (shùnjiān) – Moment简单 (jiǎndān) – Simple呼吸 (hūxī) – Breathe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode #392 of Mandarin Monkey, we speculate about what it’s like moving to the mountains in Taiwan (we don't live in the mountains) and the joys (and challenges) of using Starlink for internet. We also dive into the differences between nosy neighbors in English and Taiwanese culture—who’s watching, who’s gossiping, and who just doesn’t care? Finally, we put our translation skills to the test with I Do It Anyway by Yoshi 2.0. Some lyrics make sense, some... not so much. Tune in for a mix of language, culture, and a few laughs along the way! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, Tom and Ula dive into the world of untranslatable words—those linguistic gems that exist in Mandarin but leave English speakers scratching their heads, and vice versa. They explore phrases like "懒得理 (lǎn de lǐ)"—the perfect expression for when you just can’t be bothered—and "面子 (miànzi)", the all-important social concept of saving face.From the emotional richness of "心酸 (xīn suān)"—that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia—to the English quirk of feeling "hangry" when hunger turns you into a monster, this episode uncovers the fascinating differences that shape how we express ourselves across cultures.Plus, they challenge each other to guess the meaning behind some of the weirdest literal translations—like "wolf swallows, tiger gulps"—and invent some brand-new words for those everyday moments we all recognize but never knew how to name.Tune in for laughs, language insights, and a new appreciation for the wonderfully weird world of words! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast, hosts Tom and Ula delve into the fascinating world of literal translations between Mandarin and English. They explore how certain phrases, when translated word-for-word, can lead to humorous or confusing interpretations due to cultural and linguistic differences. The discussion includes idioms and expressions from both languages, highlighting the challenges and amusement that arise in translation. Listeners are treated to examples such as "It's raining cats and dogs" and its potential literal Mandarin translation, as well as Mandarin idioms like "一日三秋" (yī rì sān qiū), which literally means "one day, three autumns," but conveys the feeling of missing someone deeply. This episode offers a delightful blend of language learning and cultural insights, making it a must-listen for those interested in the nuances of Mandarin and English expressions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.