Angry Restaurant Review in Chinese | The Mando Press
Can you read it?
Today we’re breaking down this angry restaurant review. When I started learning Chinese, one thing I would often study was online reviews because they were practical, short, and often funny. They make great study material. I’ll show you how to break this down.
Do you know what it says?
Step 1: Pre-test
Try to read the text above without any help. You may not understand much but do it anyway.
Pre-testing is scientifically shown to enhance memory by focusing your attention so you study more deeply. Students who pre-test learn significantly more compared to those who don’t, even if they feel like they “bomb” the pre-test.
This is a very important step, don’t skip it.
Step 2: Listen + Read
Listen to the audio file below and read along with the characters, pinyin, and translation. Look up any words you don’t understand (vocabulary list below).
Focus on hearing the correct tones/pronunciation for each character and shadow/repeat what you hear using the pinyin to help (scaffolding).
Repeat this step multiple times for best results.
Yán zhòng guò yù.
严重过誉。
嚴重過譽。Seriously overrated
Miàn bù Q dàn,
面不Q弹,
麵不Q彈,The noodles are not springy,
tāng hái xíng,
汤还行,
湯還行,the soup is okay,
xiǎo cài méi tè sè,
小菜没特色,
小菜沒特色,the side dishes are not special,
niú jīn hái tā mā shì yìng de yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò,
牛筋还他妈是硬的有没有搞错,
牛筋還他媽是硬的有沒有搞錯,and the beef tendon is still f*cking hard, are you kidding,
zhè ge jià qián wán quán bù zhí,
这个价钱完全不值,
這個價錢完全不值,the price is not worth at all,
bànjià dōu bù zhí.
半价都不值。
半價都不值。not even worth half the price.
Vocabulary List
Step 3: Repetition + Retrieval
Most learners stop here, but they miss the most important step: repetition and active recall/retrieval (also scientifically shown to enhance memory).
Read the characters out loud without audio. Focus on getting the correct tones/pronunciation. Try not to look at the pinyin, but use it like training wheels if you forget.
Repeat until you don’t need to look at the pinyin.
Yán zhòng guò yù.
严重过誉。
嚴重過譽。Seriously overrated
Miàn bù Q dàn,
面不Q弹,
麵不Q彈,The noodles are not springy,
tāng hái xíng,
汤还行,
湯還行,the soup is okay,
xiǎo cài méi tè sè,
小菜没特色,
小菜沒特色,the side dishes are not special,
niú jīn hái tā mā shì yìng de yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò,
牛筋还他妈是硬的有没有搞错,
牛筋還他媽是硬的有沒有搞錯,and the beef tendon is still f*cking hard, are you kidding,
zhè ge jià qián wán quán bù zhí,
这个价钱完全不值,
這個價錢完全不值,the price is not worth at all,
bànjià dōu bù zhí.
半价都不值。
半價都不值。not even worth half the price.
Step 4: Final “Test”
When you feel ready, re-read the original text below after completing the above exercises.
How does it feel? Do you feel more confident reading it?
Many Chinese learners lose motivation because study using ineffective methods. The system I use here is just one of the many ways I leverage the science of learning and real-world materials to get tangible results fast.
See you next week for another breakdown!
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