Today we delve into the messy end of a typical Chinese break-up. Despite the fact that it sounds a lot like one of Echo's Korean soap operas, this podcast has been inspired by real-life events. We have stories involving Hong Kong art smugglers, knifed fruit and death threats. We're sure you've got stories too: when you come to Beijing look us up and we'll swap them over a beer or two.

All that said, we were a bit torn about how to classify today's lesson. The Chinese in this podcast is more difficult than in our typical Elementary lesson, but also easier than our average Intermediate. We finally settled on Elementary as the vocabulary covers family relationships, pets and children. This is relatively basic stuff, but don't worry if you find it a bit challenging given the emotions involved, and the fact that plates are probably being flung through the air during the dialogue.
 said on
March 20, 2009
Where is the podcast with the really difficult grammar? Brendan always insists that "grammatically, there is nothing difficult here" in every episode. I want him to say, "grammatically, this is insanely difficult" at least once.

There's an idea for a lesson right there. Pick the most difficult grammatical construction in Chinese (in your view) and deconstruct it in painful detail. Wow, that would be some awesome grammar porn.

 said on
March 20, 2009
@zodjones - the same thing struck me. I like the lesson idea btw. Not sure how it would play to a mass audience, but I'd find it interesting to have a totally grammar-centric podcast now and then.

Are you listening, Popup crew? Call it Chinese Grammar Pornography and you'd have a whole new set of (somewhat disappointed) listeners flocking in from Google too.
 said on
March 21, 2009
good podcast as usual. sorry to hear that Brendan is going through a rough patch.
 said on
March 22, 2009
@zodjones A man after my own heart! I think it'd be fun too, though I think a lot of the really difficult constructions tend to occur in writing rather than speech.

@jim.veseley Oh, I was just kidding about that -- all is sweetness and light at the moment -- but thanks.
 said on
March 25, 2009
I love the faint maniacal laugh heard at the end of the sobbing in the dialogue. The distant cackle of a pitiless God, or David just couldn't contain his appreciation for the voice acting?

:)
 said on
March 26, 2009
I think that was actually Brendan and Frank. We'd asked for a bit more emotion. Can't say Andy didn't deliver. :)
 said on
March 26, 2009
其实我们在录音室外边一直忍着,但是等到那个男孩“哇哇哇”地“哭”出来的时候,实在是忍不住了...

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
March 27, 2009
要是你遇到这种情况,你会怎么办呢?
 said on
March 27, 2009
@Gail,

估计我就心软了,我就吃这一套。

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
March 27, 2009
@Echo,

you are so nice ...^_^
 said on
May 17, 2009
i like when echo speaks in chinese during the non-explanation-essential banter parts of the casts...maybe sometimes during the pure chit chat 你们两个人都可以谈中语的话?
 said on
May 17, 2009
中语?

天哪。。。汉语! :)

 said on
May 17, 2009
@nadasax,

哈哈,不知道Brendan喜不喜欢这个建议。

另外,应该是“你们两个人可不可以都用中文对话?”:)

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
May 18, 2009
恩,谢谢;)
 said on
June 21, 2009
Sorry for resurrecting an older lesson but I have a question here.

少来这套.

少来 is fine. What's with the use of 套 though?

Brendon mentions a word called 套话, at least I assume that's the 话 he means, which means nonsense which is how 套 derives meaning here.

I can't see this though. Again my collection of dictionaries including ABC, ACE, CCDict etc all show conventionality or "stereotyped expressions". 泡泡中文的词典说: "canned speech" which seems kind of in fitting.

Which could make sense... like saying don't give me that sterotypical crap.

Appreciate a bit of insight here.

Incidentally I loved this pod. Easy vocab wise (except when you chuck a curve ball like above :) but practicing comprehension of normal speech is exactly what I need. I smile every time at the laugh in the background.

 said on
June 21, 2009
I quite liked this podcast too. As I understand it 套 is a measure word that captures the idea of a set of something. So 一套衣服 would be a set of clothing, and 一套话 would be a group of words/sentences that fit together for whatever reason. Likely because the man in this podcast has used them repeatedly before: she's sick of hearing them.

So "don't give me that stereotypical crap" sounds like a pretty good translation.
 said on
June 21, 2009
Ah! 套 as a measure word ... I recall seeinga small aside for that ... looking into it further. It actually makes more sense than the alternative I think. Measure word for a set of stuff as you say but vitally for "remarks".

As it turns out there was a perfectly enlightening entry in one of my dictionaries I didn't read far enough.

别来这一套。 Don't give me that stuff - same meaning as sentence in this dialog.

我不听你那一套。 I wont listen to any more of your nonsense.

So I don't think it's making any actual statement about what your stuff/remarks are like (as regards to stereotypical) specifically other than you're dismissing them.

This will give me something to think over when I 修剪草坪. :)
 said on
January 2, 2013
5'48" What does Echo say before _____不要离开我!

6'09" 如果______女人还爱你

Thanks!
 said on
January 3, 2013
@murrayjames,

5'48" 就抱着她的大腿说,不要离开我!

6'09" 如果当这个女人还爱你的时候,她就会觉得sweet。

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
June 5, 2014
This feels like a very basic question...

When he says "咱们家咪咪谁来喂啊?", is this grammar colloquial? Would the question work with 把? If so, where would 把 go?
 said on
June 5, 2014
@mike_underhill,

Yes, it's colloquial. The speaker is fronting the object to place more emphasis on it, so the sentence is equivalent to 谁来喂(咱们家咪咪). If you wanted to do something similar with the 把 construction, you could specify what is being fed, as with 他想把罐头喂老虎 (he wants to feed the cat food to the tiger).

--david
 said on
August 14, 2020
I love that you can hear the others laugh after the man's dramatic sobs at the end.
 said on
April 13, 2022
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