Hi everyone, it’s Masa from SCAL – Singapore Chinese AI Lab.
I teach Chinese in Singapore using AI, jokes, and zero academic pressure.
Today’s lesson is special.
We’re learning Chinese phrases that sound scary, rude, or dangerous in English…
but are actually totally normal.
If you’ve ever thought
“Did I just insult someone?”
when hearing Chinese — this episode is for you 😄
1️⃣ 不要 (bù yào) — “Don’t want”
First time learners panic when they hear this.
It sounds sharp. Almost angry.
But relax.
不要 (bù yào) simply means:
👉 “I don’t want it.”
Example:
不要糖
bù yào táng
= No sugar
You’re not rejecting the barista’s soul.
You’re just saying no sugar.
Very safe. Very useful.
2️⃣ 没有 (méi yǒu) — “There is none”
In Singapore, you’ll hear this a lot.
At hawker centres.
At shops.
At convenience stores.
没有 (méi yǒu) =
👉 “We don’t have it.”
It doesn’t mean:
-
They’re angry
-
They don’t like you
-
You asked a stupid question
It just means:
“No stock. Life goes on.”
Classic Singapore Chinese phrase.
3️⃣ 等一下 (děng yí xià) — “Wait a moment”
This one is friendly… but dangerous.
等一下 (děng yí xià) means:
👉 “Wait a moment.”
But in real life, that moment could be:
-
10 seconds
-
5 minutes
-
Or… forever
In Singapore logic:
等一下 = I acknowledge your existence
Time is optional.
4️⃣ 随便 (suí biàn) — “Anything is fine” (Relationship killer)
This word is simple.
随便 (suí biàn) =
👉 “Anything is fine.”
But be careful.
Example:
“What do you want to eat?”
“随便.”
Congratulations.
You have just started a 45-minute argument.
Use wisely.
5️⃣ 可以 (kě yǐ) — The most powerful word in Chinese
If Chinese had a cheat code, this is it.
可以 (kě yǐ) means:
-
OK
-
Yes
-
Allowed
-
Possible
-
Approved by the universe
Example:
可以吗？
= Is it okay?
If someone replies:
可以。
You are safe.
You are approved.
You may proceed.
🎉 Final Message
Chinese doesn’t need to be scary.
In Singapore, Chinese is:
-
Practical
-
Casual
-
Forgiving
-
And sometimes unintentionally funny
You don’t need perfect tones.
You don’t need fancy grammar.
Just learn phrases people actually use — and laugh a little when you mess up.
That’s how real language learning works.
See you in the next episode.
— Masa from SCAL 🧠✨
コメント