In today’s episode, Lori and Mai have a conversation about some surprises you might encounter when you travel in Japan and Taiwan. Also check this one out for useful patterns to use in Japanese and Taiwanese Mandarin when you unintentionally break a taboo.
*We would like to apologize to our listeners about the audio quality on this episode. Thank you for continuing to listen and all your support. We will make every effort to present better production.
Pattern: Apologize + Explain yourself + A lesson learned
Examples: (1) 對不起、對不起，我沒有注意到。謝謝你提醒我。[TC] …….对不起、对不起，我没有注意到。谢谢你提醒我。[SC] …….duì bù qǐ 、duì bù qǐ ，wǒ méi yǒu zhù yì dào 。xiè xiè nǐ tí xǐng wǒ …….Sorry, I didn’t notice that. Thanks for reminding me. (2) 真的很抱歉，我不知道這樣做會冒犯到人。我會多注意的。 …….真的很抱歉，我不知道这样做会冒犯到人。我会多注意的。 ……..zhēn de hěn bào qiàn ，wǒ bù zhī dào zhè yàng zuò huì mào fàn dào rén …….wǒ huì duō zhù yì de …….I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t know this would come off as offensive here. …….I’ll pay attention next time. (3) 不好意思啦，我不是故意的。這樣我下次知道了。 …….不好意思啦，我不是故意的。这样我下次知道了。 ……..bù hǎo yì sī la，wǒ bú shì gù yì de 。zhè yàng wǒ xià cì zhī dào le …….I’m so sorry. It was an honest mistake. I won’t make the mistake again.
💠 Dialogue
– English –
(Mai and Lori are having dinner at a restaurant.) A: I need to use the bathroom. Where should I leave these pairs of chopsticks? Ah okay, I’ll just stick them into my bowl of rice…. B: No, no, no. What are you doing? You’re not supposed to do that. A: Why not? B: It’s considered a taboo to do that in our culture. A: ________ B: It’s okay. No worries.
– Japanese –
(Mai and Lori are having dinner at a restaurant.) A: I need to use the bathroom. Where should I leave these pairs of chopsticks? Ah okay, I’ll just stick them into my bowl of rice…. B: ダメ、ダメ、ダメ！何してるの！？ごはんに刺しちゃダメだよ！ A: どうしてダメなの？ B: 日本ではそれはやってはいけない事なんだよ。 A: ごめんね、やってはいけないことだって知らなかった。次から気を付けるね。 B: 気にしないで。次やらなければ大丈夫。
– Chinese (Taiwanese Mandarin) –
(Mai and Lori are having dinner at a restaurant.) A: I need to use the bathroom. Where should I leave these pairs of chopsticks? Ah okay, I’ll just stick them into my bowl of rice…. B: 不行不行，你在幹嘛？你不要這樣。 ……不行不行，你在干嘛？你不要这样。 ……bù háng bù háng ，nǐ zài gàn ma ？nǐ bù yào zhè yàng 。 A: 為什麼不行啊？ ……为什么不行啊？ ……wéi shí me bù háng ā ？ B: 因為台灣人覺得這是禁忌。 ……因为台湾人觉得这是禁忌。 ……bù hǎo yì sī la ，wǒ bú shì gù yì de 。zhè yàng wǒ xià cì zhī dào le 。 A: 不好意思啦，我不是故意的。這樣我下次知道了。 ……不好意思啦，我不是故意的。这样我下次知道了。 ……bù hǎo yì sī lā ，wǒ bù shì gù yì de 。zhè yàng wǒ xià cì zhī dào le 。 B: 沒關係啦，這沒什麼。 ……没关系啦，这没什么。 ……méi guān xì lā ，zhè méi shí me 。
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虛擬實境/虚拟实境 xūnǐshíjìng virtual reality (VR; used in Taiwan)
商機/商机 shāngjī business opportunity; commercial opportunity [TBCL6]
失序 shīxù to get into disarray [TBCL7]
醜聞/丑闻 chǒuwén scandal [TBCL6]
大肆 dàsì without restraint; unbridled [HSK6][TBCL7]
附和 fùhè to agree; to echo (what sb says) [HSK6][TBCL6]
任意 rènyì any; arbitrary; at will; at random [HSK6][TBCL6]
詩意/诗意 shīyì poetic quality or flavor [TBCL6]
捲/卷 juǎn to roll (up) (one’s tongue, etc) [HSK6]
💠Transcript
Hello, I’m Lori, your host of the Trilingual Chatbox today. Let’s begin today’s episode by answering the two questions from Listening Practice episode number 24. Feel free to skip ahead if you’ve already checked your answers, or you haven’t even listened to the previous episode yet. [……] All right. Those are the answers.
The meaning of the word “Liú Xíng Yǔ” in Chinese actually encompasses both “slang” and “buzzword” in English. “Lǐ Yǔ” means “slang” in Chinese, referring to words or phrases that have been used in a specific area for a long time. They are common and understood by most people. However, languages are like living organisms. New vocabulary is generated over time due to social changes, cultural trends, and so on. If a slang term is outdated, fewer people are likely to use it. It becomes easy to tell a person’s age based on the slang words they use. You’ll find that most of the buzzwords in Taiwan actually refer to slang words if you try googling the keyword.
By definition, the word “buzzword” is closer to “jargon,” though not exactly the same. A buzzword is a professional term derived from jargon and has been extended beyond its original fields. We don’t have any specific organization in Taiwan that puts together the most symbolic buzzwords of the year. There is one institute in China, though, called the “National Language Resources Monitoring and Research Center.” It releases the top ten new words and cyber slang phrases of the year in December annually. These terms are actually closer to the definition of buzzwords. So today, I will select and share with you guys some buzzwords or slang terms that are still commonly used in Taiwan as of the time I speak right now.
The first word is “Yuán Yǔ Zhòu,” which means “metaverse” in English. This concept comes from a novel titled “Snow Crash” published by an American science-fiction author, Neal Stephenson, in 1992. This term refers to the construction of a virtual reality world where it will be possible for people to engage in real-life activities, such as chatting and shopping. However, unlike a pure virtual world, the “metaverse” actually combines virtual and real worlds, allowing people to interact between the two worlds through internet access. Implementing this concept as well as utilizing technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will help human beings use their imagination without limits and generate infinite business opportunities. So the term “metaverse” is now widely used by more and more people from all walks of life.
The second word is “Yán Shàng,” which means “flaming” or “flaring up.” This word comes from the Japanese word “えんじょう.” Chinese borrows its extended definition, referring to a state of being criticized on the internet for disorderly conduct such as gaffes or even scandals. So how do we use it in a sentence? For instance, you may see “So-and-so Yán Shàng” as a news headline. The title means someone continues to be flamed, or they have come under fire because of an incident, or they are being inundated with negative comments. This term can only be used in a negative sense.
The third buzzword, or buzz phrase, in this case, is “Xiàng Jí Le Ài Qíng,” which literally means “It’s so much like love.” The term came from a netizen. There was this music video circulating on the Internet. The netizen left this statement in the comments below the video, which got echoed by many others. A game began to go viral on the Internet accordingly. It’s said that you can simply end some random sentences with the phrase “Xiàng Jí Le Ài Qíng” and it will become a decent free verse poem. For example, I can say,
As soon as I opened the window The bird by the window flew away It was so much like love
The first two sentences aren’t particularly poetic, but when they’re combined with the buzz phrase, the free verse poem makes people ponder, “isn’t love just like the bird in the poem, disappearing as soon as I come near it?” Fascinating, isn’t it?
The last one is the slang phrase “Bā Bī Q Le.” The phrase stems from English. Can you guess what word it actually is in English? Yes, it’s the word “Barbecue” pronounced the Mandarin way with the retroflex R omitted. As for the word “Le,” I believe as Chinese learners, you’re probably quite familiar with it. It implies the completion of an action. So “Bā Bī Q Le” means “being barbecued” or “being roasted over an open fire.” In fact, the phrase came from a Chinese netizen when he got defeated in an online game. He said this as a cry of despair over the lost game. Isn’t it funny?
Let’s try creating your own Chinese poem today and win a chance to get a surprising gift! The poem can be as long or as short as you would like it to be. Just remember to end your poem with the buzz phrase: “像極了愛情/像极了爱情” Submit yours, right now!
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What is it like to live in Taiwan? Today we have a conversation about the cost of living in Taiwan, benchmarked against US dollars. The content roughly corresponds to HSK3 to HSK4. See below for model answers to Lori’s questions.
A: Today let’s talk about the cost of living in Taiwan. Would you like to start by sharing how you feel about living in the biggest city in Taiwan?
L: Well, for starters, it is quite convenient to live in Taipei. You may have heard that there are a great number of convenience stores in Taiwan, especially in Taipei. You should probably be free from worrying about looking for food if you have one in the neighborhood. But convenient as it may be, generally speaking, the price of food there is usually a little bit higher than that of a supermarket. For example, it costs about NT$10 for an egg at the supermarket, which is around 30 cents in US dollars. But now buying a tea egg at convenience stores costs about NT$18, that is 50 cents. But still, many office workers will buy their breakfast or lunch there, which usually sets them back NT$80 on average for a boxed lunch, that’s 2 dollars 50 cents. I guess the price is rather cheap for a meal like this.
A: Yeah, I agree. It’s not too bad. What about the prices of multi-national chain stores?
L: In the last episode, Mai-san used Big Mac at McDonald’s as an example. A Big Mac Combo meal with fries here in Taipei costs NT$130. It’s almost the same price as in Japan. If you order a tall latte at Starbucks, you’ll pay NT$120. That’s US$4. So it seems like it costs a little more here in Taiwan than in Japan. But if you’re getting one at a convenience store, you only need to spend NT$50, that’s US$1.40. That’ll be much cheaper.
A: It seems that as long as you have a job, it is not too difficult to fix three meals a day in Taipei.
L: Right. But it’s not that cheap when it comes to housing. The price is really high whether you’re renting or buying a house in Taipei. According to the Property Prices Index ranking by country this year, Taiwan ranks 18th in the world. That is how hard for people here to afford a house, a difficulty ranking in the 18th place. If you want to buy a house in Taipei City, it will cost at least NT$11,250 to NT$14,000 per square foot. For example, if you buy a house of 1068 square feet in size, it may cost you at least US$400,000. Based on a middle-income office worker that earns NT$50,000 a month, even with no extra expenses on food, it would still take 20 years for anyone to be able to afford a house here. So many people are renting. The monthly rent for a suite ranges from NT$8,000 to NT$30,000 – that’s US$250 to US$940.
A: That’s tough. Owning a house in Taipei is not easy. Do you have a car?
L: Oh, I don’t. Car parking is inconvenient in downtown Taipei, so I usually ride a motorcycle and occasionally I take the bus or the MRT. Another advantage of living in Taipei City is that there is public transportation everywhere, which is quite convenient. The regular bus fare for a one-segment ticket is only NT$15, 50 cents in US dollars, and you pay two-segment tickets at most for NT$30. Taking the MRT is even faster. The minimum is NT$20 per segment. Even the farthest distance only costs you NT$65 at most, which is just over US$2. So I am really satisfied with the traffic in Taipei.
A: The public transportation in Taipei is really convenient. In addition to that, I heard the healthcare system in Taiwan is quite an ideal one.
L: I also heard that many foreigners come to Taiwan to see a doctor because the medical care here is cheap and of good quality. Foreigners are qualified for National Health Insurance in Taiwan as long as they have an alien resident certificate. For example, if I go to a nearby clinic to treat my sore throat, the registration fee is about NT$200; that’s a little more than US$6. If I go to the hospital, it is about NT$500 each time, which is US$16. It is quite inexpensive, so Taiwanese people have become very used to seeing a doctor and getting prescriptions when feeling unwell, even the slightest. Well, every coin has two sides.
A: But I believe it’s a common wish in many other countries that seeing a doctor can no longer be a luxury!
L: Right, that is true.
Q1: Lori平常都使用什麼交通工具呢？
– Traditional Chinese –
Lori通常騎機車，偶而會搭公車和捷運。
– Simplified Chinese –
Lori通常骑机车，偶而会搭公车和捷运。
Q2: 今天Lori提到的台北物價當中，最貴的是哪一個部分呢？是飲食、居住、交通、還是看病？
– Traditional Chinese –
最貴的是居住(的部分)。
– Simplified Chinese –
最贵的是居住(的部分)。
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Hi, welcome (back) to The Trilingual Chatbox Podcast! In this episode, Mai introduces the current cost of living in Japan. It is spoken in Japanese first then followed by English.
You can find a full transcript at the bottom of this description area as well as on our WordPress website.
Japan is now having the lowest level of yen in twenty-four years. The Japanese yen has been weakening and making us worried. At the time of recording this episode, it is around 147 yen against the US dollar. It is unbelievable. The exchange rate between Euro and US dollar reaches parity. For those who are visiting Japan, the depreciation of the yen is a good thing, right? The other day, I saw foreign visitors enjoying massive buying in Japan on TV.
When I was overseas, people often told me that the cost of living in Tokyo was really expensive, but it is not as expensive as it used to be for people overseas, I guess. I am sure the cost of living in Tokyo is still more expensive than the cost of living in the small city I live, but it seems that the image of Tokyo has been changing.
It is said that we can tell the country`s cost of living by comparing the price of menus at fast-food restaurants. Chain store pricing is the same in both Tokyo and the suburbs. For example, a Big Mc meal at McDonald`s is 600 yen (US$4) and a cup of coffee at Starbucks is 390 yen (US$2.60), and a cup of latte is 455 yen (US$3). Are they reasonable or expensive compared to your country? Coffee at a convenience store is a bit more reasonable. It is easy to get and the best company for a drive. A cup of regular coffee is 100 yen （US￠70）, and large coffee is 150 yen （US$1）.
Besides food, a train ticket is about 1850 yen（US$13）for 100 km outside of big cities. It is not clear, isn’t it? The monthly rent of a one-room apartment is 60,000 or 70,000 yen ($US 400, 500) in a big city and 30,000 or 40,000 yen ($US 200, 300) in a small city. It looks very cheap if you convert it into US dollars.
It is not like I`ve been to all the countries in the world, but I noticed that there are quite many countries that do not have many one-room apartments. In Japan, there are a great number of one-room apartments in cities like Tokyo. In recent years, stylish share houses are getting popular, but I think most students and people who live alone still live in one-room apartments.
Then, a regular movie ticket costs 1800 yen (US$12) and 1200 yen (US$8) if you use a discount. The regular price is a bit expensive but if you become a member of the movie theater or go to the movies in the morning on weekdays, you can see a movie at a discount price though it depends on the movie theater.
I picked out some items and introduced their prices today for your reference. What do you think of the cost of living in Japan compared with your country?
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Following the previous topic about habit formation in the latest Mandarin episode, today’s episode is about Lori sharing her attempts at staying healthy. The content roughly corresponds to HSK3.
Hi guys! It’s Lori, the host of the Trilingual Chatbox. Our topic today is health. Since the article is relatively easy, let’s try shadowing, shall we? You may pause and repeat after me. The proficiency level is around HSK3 to 4. Check out the vocabulary words from the descriptions first, and then continue playing.
So here we go!
I’ve grown to be more aware of my health since I began working in my 20s. I learned that I should take good care of myself, so I took up some habits.
It doesn’t matter what my wake-up time is, but I make sure I get 7 hours of sleep each day. After getting up, I have my overnight oats for breakfast and check some emails and messages while eating. I’ll quickly reply to those messages after I finish my meal. The next time I check my new emails will be at night because I refrain from spending too much time on my cell phone.
I bring a water bottle with me whenever I go to work or meet up with friends. It has a 300ml capacity and is pretty light, so it’s suitable for carrying around. I drink at least 5 bottles of water a day, which is 1500ml. My cell phone reminds me to drink water at precisely 3pm everyday. If I haven’t had my 3rd bottle by the time I get the notification, I’ll increase the pace. I stop any intake of water after 8pm.
I also make it a habit to meditate. No matter how busy I am, I will take a minute or two to calm myself down. Sometimes I make my mind go blank, and sometimes, I try to think of things that have moved me or made me happy.
Also, I spend 5 to 10 minutes doing simple stretches. Just like meditation, this helps me leave things behind for a while and relax both my body and mind.
Finally, I read for about 30 minutes before bed. I’ve always loved reading since I was a kid, and sometimes I would spend so much time reading that I forgot to do my homework. Reading before bed relaxes me and helps me sleep better, but this habit might not suit everyone.
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Hi, welcome (back) to The Trilingual Chatbox Podcast! In this episode, Mai talks about her healthy daily habits she wants to share in Japanese, followed by an English version of the talk. You can find a full transcript at the bottom of this description box as well as on our WordPress website.
Hi, Japanese language learners, I`m Mai from The Trilingual Chatbox. In this episode, I`m going to talk about “Healthy daily habits to share”.
Since I live in a small city now, I don’t walk as much as I used to in a big city. In a big city, you walk to the station, run up stairs in the station, or walk a lot while shopping. On the flip side, in rural area, which is a car society, we drive everywhere. I use a car to go to the supermarket, and just walk from the parking lot to the supermarket. What`s even worse, I still try to find a parking space closest to the building. I thought that kind of lifestyle was bad for me and I started walking and jogging in the morning a couple years ago. To run in the morning, you have to get up early, too, so it is like “killing two birds with one stone”. The trick is not to think of anything when you wake up and just get ready and go outside quickly. You`ve gotta leave before getting lazy. This is the secret to keep on doing. Jogging in the early morning in winter is very cold but you can see a beautiful sunrise, and the color of the sky is just amazing. It can be meditation if you walk without thinking but for me, I love walking while listening to podcasts or thinking about something. There might be people who are listening to this podcast while jogging at this moment. I am not paying much attention to my eating habits, but I noticed that I do not eat much fast food since I started living in the rural area. If you take a train, you tend to drop by at a fast-food restaurant because it is at almost every station, but if you are driving, you need to intentionally go to the place. So, I seldom eat fast food now, maybe a few times a year. Once in a while, I crave for junk food, though. Lastly, coffee is the one I cannot quit even though I know too much coffee is not good for my health, but we should not put up with everything we like, right? We should enjoy what we enjoy as long as we don’t exceed the amount.
That`s all for today`s episode. Thank you for listening.
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How much do you know about performing arts in Japan and Taiwan? Today Mai introduces Japanese traditional entertainment such as Kabuki (歌舞伎) and unique Japanese styles of comedy performances, Manzai (漫才). Lori tells you about the go-to places when you want to watch a good live show in Taipei. Learn all about performing arts in Japan and Taiwan with us so that you know how to pick a show when you do visit!
■Japanese traditional entertainment (古典芸能・こてんげいのう） mentioned in the episode
｜Kabuki （歌舞伎・かぶき）|
Dance drama
Most of Kabuki stories are based on people`s daily lives in Edo.
｜Noh（能・のう） ｜
Masked Dance Drama
Noh usually reflect people`s sadness, anger and love.
｜Kyogen （狂言・きょうげん）｜
Dialogue and Action
Kyogen stories are based on daily lives and they are usually comedy.
■Japanese Comedy Performances (お笑い・おわらい）
| Manzai（漫才・まんざい）｜
Manzai is usually performed by two people.
Performers talk about a talk in front of one standing microphone.
| コント（こんと）|
Konto is a funny short story performed by two, three people.
■Taiwanese Comedy Performances
| 相聲 |(xiàng shēng)
Known as “Crosstalk” or “Comic dialogue,” a traditional performing art performed by two to three people. You need
| 單口相聲；站立喜劇 |(dān kǒu xiàng shēng ；zhàn lì xǐ jù)
The stand-up comedy performances in Taiwan are deeply influenced by the western culture. Now there are a few clubs in Taipei that present shows performed in Chinese/Taiwanese and a few bilingually.
■ Where to go for a good show when you visit Taipei 觀賞表演藝術的好去處(台北)
| 兩廳院: 國家戲劇院 National Theater & 國家音樂廳 Concert Hall|Official Site
One man’s meat is another man’s poison. But today Lori and Mai talks about their meat in the Japanese and Mandarin movie industry. Not just that, there’s more about the movie cultures in Japan and Taiwan coming up.
Outline for today’s episode:
1. Movie genres in Japanese and Chinese 2. Japanese/Chinese translations of movie titles 3. On movie-watching experience and cultures 4. Movie recommendation list (3 Japanese, 3 Mandarin)
The Trilingual Chatbox 