Sometimes we think one choice is better, but the result turns out differently.
In today’s episode, a simple plan changes — and three very natural Chinese expressions appear:

不如 (it’d be better to)
不见得 (not necessarily)
反而 (on the contrary)

昨天晚上我本来打算在家工作。Zuótiān wǎnshàng wǒ běnlái dǎsuàn zài jiā gōngzuò.Yesterday evening, I originally planned to work at home.

我想：Wǒ xiǎng:I thought to myself:

“在家太安静了，
不如去咖啡店工作吧。”“Zài jiā tài ānjìng le,
bùrú qù kāfēi diàn gōngzuò ba.”“It’s too quiet at home —
it’d be better to work at a café.”

结果到了咖啡店，Jiéguǒ dào le kāfēi diàn,But when I got to the café,

人很多，也有点儿吵。rén hěn duō, yě yǒudiǎnr chǎo.there were a lot of people, and it was a bit noisy.

我心里想：Wǒ xīnli xiǎng:I thought to myself:

“这样工作效率不见得会更高。”“Zhèyàng gōngzuò xiàolǜ bújiànde huì gèng gāo.”“Working like this is not necessarily more efficient.”

可是奇怪的是，Kěshì qíguài de shì,But strangely,

我反而比在家更专心。wǒ fǎn’ér bǐ zài jiā gèng zhuānxīn.I was on the contrary more focused than at home.

最后我很快就把工作做完了。Zuìhòu wǒ hěn kuài jiù bǎ gōngzuò zuò wán le.In the end, I finished my work quickly.

有时候，Yǒu shíhou,Sometimes,

事情真的不见得跟你想的一样。shìqing zhēn de bújiànde gēn nǐ xiǎng de yíyàng.things are not necessarily the way you expect.

A small delay, a missed plan, and a quiet realization —

today’s episode shows how three very natural Chinese expressions appear in everyday life:

害得 (caused me to)
可惜 (what a pity)
到底 (after all / in the end)

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

昨天我本来打算下班以后去见一个朋友。Zuótiān wǒ běnlái dǎsuàn xiàbān yǐhòu qù jiàn yí gè péngyou.Yesterday I originally planned to meet a friend after work.

可是工作的时候，Kěshì gōngzuò de shíhou,But while I was working,

我一直在回消息、看邮件，wǒ yìzhí zài huí xiāoxi, kàn yóujiàn,I kept replying to messages and checking emails,

害得我下班的时候已经很晚了。
hàide wǒ xiàbān de shíhou yǐjīng hěn wǎn le.which caused me to finish work very late.

朋友给我发消息说他已经到了，Péngyou gěi wǒ fā xiāoxi shuō tā yǐjīng dào le,My friend messaged me saying he had already arrived,

可是我还在公司。kěshì wǒ hái zài gōngsī.but I was still at the office.

最后我们只能取消见面。Zuìhòu wǒmen zhǐ néng qǔxiāo jiànmiàn.In the end, we had to cancel.

我心里觉得有点儿可惜。Wǒ xīnli juéde yǒudiǎnr kěxī.I felt it was such a pity.

不过我想了想，Búguò wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng,But then I thought about it,

到底还是我没安排好时间。
Dàodǐ háishi wǒ méi ānpái hǎo shíjiān.
After all, I didn’t manage my time well.

下次我一定早点儿走。Xià cì wǒ yídìng zǎodiǎn zǒu.
Next time, I’ll definitely leave earlier.

A ringing alarm, a quick decision, and something you really shouldn’t forget —today’s episode shows how three very common Chinese expressions appear in real life:

赶紧 (right away)
懒得 (too lazy to do)
千万 (make sure to / don’t forget to)

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

今天早上闹钟一响，Jīntiān zǎoshang nàozhōng yì xiǎng,This morning, as soon as the alarm rang,

我睁开眼睛，看了一眼时间。wǒ zhēngkāi yǎnjing, kàn le yì yǎn shíjiān.I opened my eyes and checked the time.

已经八点半了。Yǐjīng bā diǎn bàn le.It was already 8:30.

我心里想：Wǒ xīnli xiǎng:I thought to myself:

“我得赶紧起床了。”“Wǒ děi gǎnjǐn qǐchuáng le.”“I need to get up right away.”

可是我躺在床上，Kěshì wǒ tǎng zài chuáng shàng,But lying in bed,

突然觉得特别困，tūrán juéde tèbié kùn,I suddenly felt really sleepy,

什么都懒得做。shénme dōu lǎnde zuò.too lazy to do anything.

这时候我突然想到，Zhè shíhou wǒ tūrán xiǎng dào,Then I suddenly remembered,

今天有一个很重要的会议，jīntiān yǒu yí gè hěn zhòngyào de huìyì,there was an important meeting today,

我对自己说：wǒ duì zìjǐ shuō:so I told myself:

“千万别再睡了！”“Qiānwàn bié zài shuì le!”“Make sure you don’t fall back asleep!”

于是我立刻起床，Yúshì wǒ lìkè qǐchuáng,So I got up immediately,

感觉整个人一下子清醒了。gǎnjué zhěng gè rén yíxiàzi qīngxǐng le.and instantly felt awake.

A slow morning, a short reply, and a very common feeling —
today’s episode shows how three everyday Chinese expressions are used naturally in real life:

睡过头 (oversleep)
没什么 (nothing much)
不怎么 (not really)

A simple story with clear examples to help you sound more natural in daily Chinese.

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

今天早上，我一睁开眼睛，Jīntiān zǎoshang, wǒ yì zhēngkāi yǎnjing,This morning, as soon as I opened my eyes,

发现已经九点多了。fāxiàn yǐjīng jiǔ diǎn duō le.I realized it was already past nine.

我睡过头了。Wǒ shuì guò tóu le.I overslept.

我赶紧起床，洗脸，换衣服，Wǒ gǎnjǐn qǐchuáng, xǐliǎn, huàn yīfu,I quickly got up, washed my face, and got dressed,

一边收拾，一边想：yìbiān shōushi, yìbiān xiǎng:while thinking to myself,

“还好今天事情不怎么多。”“Hái hǎo jīntiān shìqing bù zěnme duō.”“Luckily, I don’t really have much to do today.”

到了中午，朋友给我发消息，问我：Dào le zhōngwǔ, péngyou gěi wǒ fā xiāoxi, wèn wǒ:Around noon, a friend messaged me and asked:

“你今天在干嘛？”“Nǐ jīntiān zài gànmá?”“What are you doing today?”

我想了想，回他说：Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, huí tā shuō:I thought for a moment and replied:

“没什么，在家忙点儿自己的事。”“Méi shénme, zài jiā máng diǎnr zìjǐ de shì.”“Nothing much, just doing my own things at home.”

虽然早上睡过头了，Suīrán zǎoshang shuì guò tóu le,Even though I overslept in the morning,

但这一天，好像也没那么糟。dàn zhè yì tiān, hǎoxiàng yě méi nàme zāo.the day didn’t turn out that bad.

A quiet day, a small surprise, and a feeling that’s much better than expected —
today’s episode shows how three very common Chinese expressions are used in daily conversations:

没怎么 (didn’t really)
怎么回事 (what’s going on?)
……得多 (much …er)

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

昨天我一整天都在家。Zuótiān wǒ yì zhěng tiān dōu zài jiā.Yesterday I stayed at home all day.

我本来打算好好休息，Wǒ běnlái dǎsuàn hǎohāo xiūxi,I originally planned to rest properly,

但是其实也没怎么休息。dànshì qíshí yě méi zěnme xiūxi.but actually, I didn’t really rest much.

下午的时候，我突然觉得有点儿累，Xiàwǔ de shíhou, wǒ tūrán juéde yǒudiǎnr lèi,In the afternoon, I suddenly felt a bit tired,

我心里想：Wǒ xīnli xiǎng:and thought to myself:

“怎么回事？我不是一整天都在家吗？”“Zěnme huíshì? Wǒ bú shì yì zhěng tiān dōu zài jiā ma?”“What’s going on? Didn’t I stay home all day?”

后来我发现，Hòulái wǒ fāxiàn,Later I realized,

我一直在看手机、回消息、想工作的事情。Wǒ yìzhí zài kàn shǒujī, huí xiāoxi, xiǎng gōngzuò de shìqing.I was constantly on my phone, replying to messages, thinking about work.

难怪我比平时累得多。Nánguài wǒ bǐ píngshí lèi de duō.No wonder I was much more tired than usual.

于是我把手机放到一边，Yúshì wǒ bǎ shǒujī fàng dào yìbiān,So I put my phone aside,

什么也不想，shénme yě bù xiǎng,thought about nothing,

感觉整个人轻松得多了。gǎnjué zhěng gè rén qīngsōng de duō le.and felt much more relaxed.

A small change of plans, a quick observation, and a casual conclusion —today’s episode shows how three very common Chinese expressions appear naturally in everyday conversation:

反正 (anyway)
看样子 (it seems / looks like)
……之一 (one of …)

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

昨天我本来打算下班以后去健身房。Zuótiān wǒ běnlái dǎsuàn xiàbān yǐhòu qù jiànshēnfáng.Yesterday I originally planned to go to the gym after work.

可是下班的时候，我觉得有点儿累。Kěshì xiàbān de shíhou, wǒ juéde yǒudiǎnr lèi.But when I got off work, I felt a bit tired.

我看了看时间，看样子今天也不太早了。Wǒ kàn le kàn shíjiān, kàn yàngzi jīntiān yě bú tài zǎo le.I checked the time — it seemed it was already quite late.

我想了想，心里说：Wǒ xiǎng le xiǎng, xīnli shuō:I thought to myself:

“反正明天也能去，今天就在家休息吧。”“Fǎnzhèng míngtiān yě néng qù, jīntiān jiù zài jiā xiūxi ba.”“Anyway, I can go tomorrow. I’ll just rest at home today.”

于是我回到家，点了一份外卖，Yúshì wǒ huí dào jiā, diǎn le yí fèn wàimài,So I went home and ordered takeout,

选了我最喜欢的菜，之一。xuǎn le wǒ zuì xǐhuan de cài, zhī yī.and chose one of my favorite dishes.

那一刻我觉得，Nà yí kè wǒ juéde,At that moment, I felt that

这样的小决定，就是生活里最舒服的选择之一。zhèyàng de xiǎo juédìng,jiù shì shēnghuó lǐ zuì shūfu de xuǎnzé zhī yī.small decisions like this are one of the most comfortable choices in life.

A casual phone call turns into a funny conversation about plans, “what if” questions, and decisions we’d rather make later. In today’s episode, you’ll hear three super natural expressions:

干嘛 (what for / why – casual tone)
万一 (what if)
再说吧 (let’s talk about it later)

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

昨天晚上我准备关电脑的时候，Zuótiān wǎnshàng wǒ zhǔnbèi guān diànnǎo de shíhou,Last night, when I was about to turn off my computer,

我朋友突然给我打电话。wǒ péngyou tūrán gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.my friend suddenly called me.

他一接通就问我：Tā yí jiētōng jiù wèn wǒ:As soon as I picked up, he asked:

“你明天干嘛？”“Nǐ míngtiān gànmá?”“What are you doing tomorrow?” (casual tone: what for / why)

我说：“还没想好。”Wǒ shuō: “Hái méi xiǎng hǎo.”I said, “I haven’t decided yet.”

他马上说：Tā mǎshàng shuō:He immediately said:

“万一明天下雨，你就别出门了，跟我视频聊天吧！”“Wànyī míngtiān xià yǔ, nǐ jiù bié chūmén le, gēn wǒ shìpín liáotiān ba!”“What if it rains tomorrow? Don’t go out, just video chat with me!”

我笑着回答：Wǒ xiàozhe huídá:I laughed and said:

“现在说太早了，再说吧。”“Xiànzài shuō tài zǎo le, zàishuō ba.”“It’s too early to say. Let’s talk about it later.”

他一听，叹了口气说：Tā yí tīng, tàn le kǒuqì shuō:He heard that and sighed:

“好吧，我等你消息。”“Hǎo ba, wǒ děng nǐ xiāoxi.”“Alright, I’ll wait for your message.”

In today’s episode, a simple evening plan turns into a funny discovery — and three super useful expressions appear naturally in the conversation:

不见得 (not necessarily)
不如 (why not / might as well)
难怪 (no wonder)

A short, easy-to-follow story plus clear examples to help you understand and start using these phrases right away.

Hello，大家好，我是Janine。Hello, dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Janine.Hello everyone, I’m Janine.

昨天我朋友告诉我，他想晚上去跑步。Zuótiān wǒ péngyou gàosu wǒ, tā xiǎng wǎnshàng qù pǎobù.Yesterday my friend told me he wanted to go for a run at night.

我看了看窗外，天黑得很快，我就说：Wǒ kàn le kàn chuāngwài, tiān hēi de hěn kuài, wǒ jiù shuō:I looked outside — it was getting dark quickly, so I said:

“这么黑，去跑步不见得安全。”“Zhème hēi, qù pǎobù bújiànde ānquán.”“It’s so dark — going for a run is not necessarily safe.”

朋友想了想，然后说：Péngyou xiǎng le xiǎng, ránhòu shuō:My friend thought for a moment and said:

“那不如我们去便利店买点儿东西吧？”“Nà bùrú wǒmen qù biànlìdiàn mǎi diǎnr dōngxi ba?”“Then why don’t we go to the convenience store instead?”

我点点头，觉得这个主意不错。Wǒ diǎndiǎn tóu, juéde zhège zhǔyì búcuò.I nodded — it sounded like a good idea.

结果到便利店时，他一看到柜台上的蛋糕，眼睛突然亮了。Jiéguǒ dào biànlìdiàn shí, tā yí kàndào guìtái shàng de dàngāo, yǎnjīng tūrán liàng le.When we arrived, he saw the cakes on the counter, and his eyes lit up.

我笑着说：Wǒ xiàozhe shuō:I laughed and said:

“难怪你说不想跑步！”“Nánguài nǐ shuō bù xiǎng pǎobù!”“No wonder you didn’t want to run!”

原来他真正想的是吃蛋糕。Yuánlái tā zhēnzhèng xiǎng de shì chī dàngāo.Turns out what he really wanted… was cake.