Welcome to Dee's Mandarin Tea 💅🍵
Tired of boring textbooks? Let's dive into the real China.
I’m Dee, a professional Mandarin educator (10+ years exp, 6,000+ lessons taught). In this podcast, we spill the tea on modern Chinese society, taboo topics, and the hidden lives of China's LGBTQ+ community. 🌈
From secret subcultures to authentic slang, I provide the perfect comprehensible input for HSK 3-6 learners to achieve real fluency.
Take your Mandarin to the next level:
👉 Book a 1-on-1 lesson on italki: https://www.italki.com/teacher/4038266
📩 Contact: deesmandarintea@outlook.com
026 Why Can I Understand Mandarin but Still Struggle to Speak It?
Have you ever understood someone speaking Chinese, but struggled to express the same idea yourself?
You're not alone. Understanding Chinese and speaking it are two different skills. You might recognize lots of words when you listen, but still find it difficult to use them naturally in a real conversation.
In this episode of Dee’s Mandarin Tea, I talk about why this happens and share a simple exercise to help you turn the Chinese you understand into Chinese you can actually use.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why understanding words doesn't always mean you can use them when speaking
Why learning words in common phrases can help you speak more naturally
A simple exercise to practice expressing your own thoughts in Chinese
Try this yourself:
Find a Chinese sentence you understand. Read or listen to it a few times, hide the original, and try to express the same idea in Chinese using your own words.
Notice where you get stuck, then try again the next day.
You don't need to speak perfectly. The goal is to get better at using the Chinese you already know.
Want to practice speaking Mandarin with me?
I'm Dee, a Mandarin teacher who helps learners build confidence and express themselves more naturally in Chinese.
You can find my profile and book a lesson on italki:
https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/4038266/ (https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/4038266/)
Thanks for listening to Dee’s Mandarin Tea! Follow the podcast for more tips on learning natural Chinese.
24 Aug 2026
One point tired? Chinese mistakes my students actually make
这期节目聊聊两个特别容易搞混的中文表达，顺便记住三个词。
第一个词，形容词 (xíng róng cí) adjective。中文里说累、忙、饿这些词，都是形容词。我的学生说，我今天一点累，其实是有点累。一点用在名词前面，有点用在形容词前面。比如，有点累，有点忙。
第二个词，名词 (míng cí) noun。东西、咖啡、衣服，都是名词。一点经常放在名词前面，比如吃一点东西，喝一点咖啡。
第三个词，得体 (dé tǐ) decent。穿和戴怎么分？我的小方法，不穿就不能得体出门的，用穿，比如衣服、鞋子。可以不戴照样出门的，用戴，比如帽子、眼镜。
In this episode, I talk about two pairs of words that often trip up learners. First, 一点 and 有点. A student of mine said 我今天一点累, but the natural way is 我今天有点累. Second, 穿 and 戴. English just says wear, but Chinese splits it. If it's something you need to be decent in public, use 穿. If it's something extra like a hat or glasses, use 戴.
Want to take one-on-one lessons with me? Find me on italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/4038266?lv=1 (https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/4038266?lv=1)
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe or leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. See you next time.
几个标题供你选。
一点累，有点累，穿衣服还是戴衣服
外国学生最容易搞混的两组词
你今天一点累了吗？
帮我取个播客的标题。
3 Aug 2026
Why Your Chinese Sounds Like Translated English
Why Your Chinese Sounds Like Translated English
Ever heard yourself say "我是饿" or "关眼睛" and wondered why it sounds off? Your English brain is sneaking into your Chinese. In this episode, I break down the most common mistakes English speakers make when translating directly from English into Chinese, and what those mistakes teach us about how Chinese really works.
Mentioned in this episode:
Why adjectives don't need 是 in Chinese
The "close your eyes" mix-up and what it reveals about Chinese verbs
How "if" in English creates confusion in Chinese sentences
Want to take lessons with me? Find me on italki:
https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/4038266?lv=1 (https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/4038266?lv=1)
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review or share it with someone learning Chinese.
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