Think gift-giving is easy? Not always — especially in Chinese culture 😅

In this episode, we talk about Chinese gift-giving taboos and the surprising reasons why clocks, shoes, umbrellas, pears, and even green hats can send the wrong message.

With funny examples, natural dialogues, and pronunciation practice, you’ll learn Chinese while picking up real cultural tips you can actually use. Learn how to avoid awkward moments, sound more natural, and understand what gifts really mean in Chinese.

送礼看起来很简单，但在中国文化里，可没那么容易 😅

这一集我们用轻松有趣的对话，带你认识常见的送礼禁忌，看看为什么钟、鞋、伞、梨，甚至绿帽子，都可能让人误会你的意思。

通过真实情境、自然对话和发音练习，帮你在开心中学中文，不仅学会怎么说，更懂中国文化在想什么。

Sònglǐ kàn qǐlái hěn jiǎndān, dàn zài Zhōngguó wénhuà lǐ, kě méi nàme róngyì 😅

Zhè yí jí wǒmen yòng qīngsōng yǒuqù de duìhuà, dài nǐ rènshi chángjiàn de sònglǐ jìnjì, kànkan wèishénme zhōng, xié, sǎn, lí, shènzhì lǜ màozi, dōu kěnéng ràng rén wùhuì nǐ de yìsi.

Tōngguò zhēnshí qíngjìng, zìrán duìhuà hé fāyīn liànxí, bāng nǐ zài kāixīn zhōng xué Zhōngwén, Bù jǐn xuéhuì zěnme shuō, gèng dǒng Zhōngguó wénhuà zài xiǎng shénme.

Dialogue 1:

小王: 我打算买个钟送给李老师，你觉得怎么样？

(Xiǎo Wáng): Wǒ dǎsuàn mǎi gè zhōng sòng gěi Lǐ lǎoshī, nǐ juéde zěnmeyàng?

I’m thinking about giving a clock to Teacher Li — what do you think?

小李: 千万别！送钟在中国是大忌！

(Xiǎo Lǐ): Qiānwàn bié! Sòng zhōng zài Zhōngguó shì dà jì!

Don’t ever do that! Giving a clock is a big taboo in China!

小王: 啊？为什么？

(Xiǎo Wáng): A? Wèishénme?

Huh? Why?

小李: 因为“送钟”听起来像“送终”，很不吉利。

(Xiǎo Lǐ): Yīnwèi “sòng zhōng” tīng qǐlái xiàng “sòng zhōng”, hěn bù jílì.

Because “giving a clock” sounds like “attending a funeral” — it’s unlucky!

小王: 原来如此！那我改送点别的吧。(I can comment on this structure here)

(Xiǎo Wáng): Yuánlái rúcǐ! Nà wǒ gǎi sòng diǎn bié de ba.

I see! Then I’ll give something else instead.

Dialogue 2:

小美: 你看我给男朋友买了一双鞋，好看吗？

(Xiǎo Měi): Nǐ kàn wǒ gěi nánpéngyou mǎi le yì shuāng xié, hǎokàn ma?

Look, I bought a pair of shoes for my boyfriend! Aren’t they nice?

小芳: 鞋很好看，不过听说送鞋有点不吉利。

(Xiǎo Fāng): Xié hěn hǎokàn, búguò tīngshuō sòng xié yǒudiǎn bù jílì.

They’re nice, but I heard giving shoes is a bit unlucky.

小美: 是吗？那怎么办？

(Xiǎo Měi): Shì ma? Nà zěnmebàn?

Really? What should I do then?

小芳: 很简单，你让他给你一块钱，就当是“买”的，不是“送”的。

(Xiǎo Fāng): Hěn jiǎndān, nǐ ràng tā gěi nǐ yí kuài qián, jiù dāng shì “mǎi” de, bú shì “sòng” de.

Easy! Just ask him to give you one yuan — that way, it’s like he bought the shoes, not that you gave them.

小美: 哈哈，好主意！

(Xiǎo Měi): Hāhā, hǎo zhǔyì!

Haha, good idea!

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? In this episode, we talk about the popular Mandarin phrase 小确幸 (xiǎo què xìng) — the Chinese concept of “small but certain happiness” that has become a modern lifestyle mindset across Asia.

You’ll learn:• The meaning and origin of 小确幸• Why it became so influential in Chinese culture• How to use 小确幸 naturally in real Mandarin conversations• Practical examples of everyday “small joys”• A guided pronunciation breakdown to help you sound more natural• A full dialogue review for listening practice

We also talk about stress, burnout, workplace drama, and how noticing small moments of joy can help you recharge — emotionally and linguistically.

Conversation 1:

小王: 最近工作太忙了，压力好大。

(Xiǎo Wáng: Zuìjìn gōngzuò tài máng le, yālì hǎo dà.)

You’ve been so busy lately—so stressed out.

小刘: 是啊，不过今天早上喝到一杯特别好喝的咖啡，算是小确幸吧。

(Xiǎo Liú: Shì a, búguò jīntiān zǎoshang hē dào yì bēi tèbié hǎohē de kāfēi, suàn shì xiǎo què xìng ba.)

Yeah, but I had a really good cup of coffee this morning—that’s my little happiness for the day.

小王: 哈哈，小确幸也很重要啊！

(Xiǎo Wáng: Hāhā, xiǎo què xìng yě hěn zhòngyào a!)

Haha, those small joys really matter!

Conversation 2 :

小美: 最近真的有点累，什么事都提不起劲。

(Xiǎo Měi): Zuìjìn zhēn de yǒudiǎn lèi, shénme shì dōu tí bù qǐ jìn.

Lately I’ve been exhausted—nothing really excites me.

小芳: 我懂，不过我发现，生活里的小确幸能让我重新充满能量。

(Xiǎo Fāng): Wǒ dǒng, búguò wǒ fāxiàn, shēnghuó lǐ de xiǎo què xìng néng ràng wǒ chóngxīn chōngmǎn néngliàng.

I know the feeling, but I’ve realized that the little happinesses in life can really recharge me.

小美: 对，你说得对。也许我们都该学会去发现这些小确幸。

(Xiǎo Měi): Duì, nǐ shuō de duì. Yěxǔ wǒmen dōu gāi xuéhuì qù fāxiàn zhèxiē xiǎo què xìng.

You’re right. Maybe we should all learn to notice those small joys in life.

Example Sentences:

1. ​ 吃到第一口冰淇淋的感觉，就是小确幸。

The feeling of that first bite of ice cream—that’s a little happiness.

1. ​ 下班回家发现外卖刚好送到，小确幸！

Coming home from work just as your food delivery arrives—that’s a small joy!

1. ​ 听喜欢的歌、闻到咖啡香，这些都是生活里的小确幸。

Hearing your favorite song or smelling fresh coffee—these are the small pleasures of life.

Contact Us: Chineseconvoclub@gmail.com

In today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different—we’re going to explore a trending topic: the viral Starbucks Bearista Bear cup. Why did it sell out instantly? Why were some stores given only one or two? And what’s the Chinese term for “Manufactured Scarcity”—a marketing strategy that exists in both English and Chinese?

You’ll learn key vocabulary like 饥饿营销 (jī’è yíngxiāo) plus hear a short dialogue using these words in context, and follow along with pronunciation training so you can say the sentences naturally and confidently.

✨ Special Giveaway!
At the end of the episode, we’ll announce how you can enter to win a free Starbucks Bearista Bear (China version)—shipped directly from us. Don’t miss it!

Great for learners who want to expand their real-world vocabulary, understand Chinese marketing culture, and improve speaking fluency—all while following a fun viral story.

Email us at: Chineseconvoclub@gmail.com

中文简介：
这一集我们来聊一个最近非常热门的话题：星巴克的 Bearista 小熊杯 为什么会在发布当天瞬间售罄？有的门店甚至只收到一两个？这背后到底是不是一种 “饥饿营销” 的策略？

节目中我们会带你认识这些中文营销词汇，播放一段实用对话，并进行发音训练，让你能够自然流畅地说出这些句子。

✨ 特别赠品！
节目最后，我们会公布如何免费抽到一只 星巴克中国版 Bearista 小熊。千万不要错过！

⭐ Dialogue:

A: 你最近有看到星巴克的 Bearista 吗？被炒得很火。

Pinyin: Nǐ zuìjìn yǒu kàn dào Xīngbākè de Bearista ma? Bèi chǎo de hěn huǒ.

English: Have you seen the Starbucks’ Bearista? It’s going viral.

B: 看到了！发布当天数量很少，根本抢不到。

Pinyin: Kàn dào le! Fābù dāngtiān shùliàng hěn shǎo, gēnběn qiǎng bú dào.

English: Yeah! On release day the quantity was so limited—you couldn’t get one at all.

A: 我觉得他们是故意制造稀缺，用饥饿营销的方式让大家更想买。

Pinyin: Wǒ juéde tāmen shì gùyì zhìzào xīquē,yòng jī'è yíngxiāo de fāngshì ràng dàjiā gèng xiǎng mǎi.

English: I think they intentionally created scarcity to make people want it more.

B: 对啊，越难买，越让人觉得有收藏价值。

Pinyin: Duì a, yuè nán mǎi, yuè ràng rén juéde yǒu shōucáng jiàzhí.

English: Exactly—the harder it is to get, the more collectible it feels.

For the Full Transcript Click Here:

https://turboscribe.ai/transcript/share/4611686018488220516/TNLeLX0Ql1OBnTAG0uzbioGR70kF_N3L26kOy8LSgQg/bearista-bear-4th-edit1