Chinese Language Youtube Channels - Recommendations Thread

[TaxiAsh]

I have a recommendation, someone gave me in Wechat.

Only 15 episode series, but is absolutely brilliant! 

 

called Reset (开端）

The one I am watching has both hanzi and english subs, that don't cover each other. https://youtu.be/RBHjs84evZU

 

Don't start this though if you are busy! I had to force the computer off after watching the first 5 in a row on Friday, then 5 yesterday and I should be at work now, but I stupidly put on the next one ?

 

In fact I would even recommend to non-chinese learners. 

[Flickserve]

On 2/21/2022 at 3:34 AM, TaxiAsh said:

called Reset (开端）

The one I am watching has both hanzi and english subs, that don't cover each other. https://youtu.be/RBHjs84evZU

 

Watching now. Got to the second episode. Good for HK lockdown.

[TaxiAsh]

On 2/21/2022 at 5:38 AM, Flickserve said:

Watching now. Got to the second episode. Good for HK lockdown.

Looking forward to seeing what you think! 

I am at ep13 now. I'm watching it now because I have to go out in an hour, so I can't be forced to watch the last 3 in one go!

[abcdefg]

On 2/20/2022 at 1:34 PM, TaxiAsh said:

called Reset (开端）

The one I am watching has both hanzi and english subs, that don't cover each other. https://youtu.be/RBHjs84evZU

 

Good stuff! I watched the first two episodes last night. The way they repeat some words that are key for the plot means they soak in well and are difficult to forget. From the first episode, 色狼 and 循环 will stick with me. 

 

I particularly like the way it uses "real language" instead of "textbook speak" or something tailored to learning needs. They talk fast, use slang, make mistakes, and slur some words. That's great training for actual China life. 

 

At about 26 minutes into the second episode, there's a good example of how Chinese names work over the phone. When she calls the police to report her suspicions, 我要报警, they ask her name. 李诗情。Then the officer on the phone wants to know "how to spell it." I can remember struggling with this as a beginner. Over the phone, you cannot "finger-write" it on your palm. 

 

 

Wish there were a way to turn the subtitles off, especially the English ones. Would make it better for language practice. Could watch the same segment both with and without subs, in whatever order you prefer. That's my favorite way of using native video. 

 

But all in all, this has been lots of fun. I'll probably have another bite this evening. Thanks for recommending this program.

[TaxiAsh]

On 2/21/2022 at 7:02 PM, abcdefg said:

Good stuff! I watched the first two episodes last night. The way they repeat some words that are key for the plot means they soak in well and are difficult to forget. From the first episode, 色狼 and 循环 will stick with me. 

Haha, your post made me laugh. 

I spotted the same things.  I asked this 'lech' phrase in wechat and was confirmed as authentic way of calling someone. And coincidentally, the loop was one of my HSK5/6 new flashcards on Saturday!! 

 

On 2/21/2022 at 7:02 PM, abcdefg said:

They talk fast, use slang, make mistakes, and slur some words. That's great training for actual China life. 

There are some different accents/dialects in later episodes too. I asked my friend when I heard 没事 pronounced like mo si (in pinyin) but she wasn't sure, so when I chat to her tomorrow I am going to play her the convo and ask which dialect it is. 

On 2/21/2022 at 7:02 PM, abcdefg said:

At about 26 minutes into the second episode, there's a good example of how Chinese names work over the phone. When she calls the police to report her suspicions, 我要报警, they ask her name. 李诗情。Then the officer on the phone wants to know "how to spell it." I can remember struggling with this as a beginner. Over the phone, you cannot "finger-write" it on your palm. 

Yes!! I also noticed this bit. Although I knew about this way of explaining how to write names, this is the first time I saw it in anything. 

 

On 2/21/2022 at 7:02 PM, abcdefg said:

 

Wish there were a way to turn the subtitles off, especially the English ones. Would make it better for language practice. Could watch the same segment both with and without subs, in whatever order you prefer. That's my favorite way of using native video. 

There is a set of them without subtitles I think. Because when I was reading some comments (99.99% positive) someone said, about thank goodness they found this channel, as others hadn't yet put the subs on it (when it was first shown)

I quite like both sets of titles like this, and I can choose, each time I watch. I'm definitely going to watch this all again, but concentrate more on pausing and reading each subtitle. 

 

On 2/21/2022 at 7:02 PM, abcdefg said:

Thanks for recommending this program.

My pleasure! We know there are hundreds and hundreds of shows, and this is the best I have seen so far. 

(the other one I am watching is 我们的青春期 Our Youth, but I've nearly ran out) - it's based in the 1980s and very very good, but very very advanced listening. I couldn't get it without subtitles. But another recommendation especially if you are older person like me, and remember the 80s! haha

 

 

[Flickserve]

On 2/22/2022 at 3:02 AM, abcdefg said:

The way they repeat some words that are key for the plot means they soak in well and are difficult to forget.

Because we are in a 循环! ?

We need more 循环 stories in dramas. 

 

 

I like the 中英 subtitles. It means I can follow the plot without needing to delay for a translation and when I get interested in a word or Chinese sentence , I can go back and examine a bit more carefully.

[TaxiAsh]

Well, I've finished it. OMG, that was absolute class all round. Blimey! Glad I wasn't watching with someone else, the last few episodes I almost needed to reach for the hanky! ??

 

No spoilers of course, but I thought worth a comment on youtube, and hoping someone might recommend some other good ones. So I'll just copy my post from the last episode. I'll let this thread know if I get any recommendation comments. 

I started watching Rebel Princess which was recommended to me, but the dialogue isn't really learning material, and I just couldn't get into it after a few episodes.

 

Quote

Well, I've watched that over 3 or 4 days... I could have watched all in one go if not for other things, haha. That's by far the best drama I've seen in years (and I don't just mean Chinese drama) What a superb piece of writing, acting, scenery, screenplay, tense endings. I would put this up there as a complete masterpiece! Thanks yoyo and the subtitlers, I am going to watch again now, but reading the hanzi, and listening, as that is my current learning! Wow!! I want more! haha Any recommendations welcome. (I'm currently watching 我们的青春期 which is excellent, but fast running out of episodes)

 

[TaxiAsh]

On 2/21/2022 at 7:02 PM, abcdefg said:

色狼

I was chatting to my friend in Shanghai, and she said this is also common... (salty pig hand is wechat translate) she says is common phrase!

 

[Flickserve]

咸豬手 is very Hong Kong Cantonese. Learnt it in the mid 90’s. Did it get picked up in China from HK movies or the other way round? 

[TaxiAsh]

On 2/23/2022 at 1:13 AM, Flickserve said:

咸豬手 is very Hong Kong Cantonese. Learnt it in the mid 90’s. Did it get picked up in China from HK movies or the other way round? 

I don't know, but for reference and info... 

 

It was my Shanghai friend (born/bred) who told me this is common phrase, and similar to the other. So it's well known as far north as Shanghai

 

 

(edit)

Google chrome 'zhongwen' app doesn't recognise this phrase, but it is in my pleco dictionary

 

(sorry admin, i'm taking this convo away from the thread)

 

 

[suMMit]

On 2/23/2022 at 9:37 AM, TaxiAsh said:

It was my Shanghai friend (born/bred) who told me this is common phrase, and similar to the other. So it's well known as far north as Shanghai

I asked my wife (from Harbin) she said 一直知道

[Flickserve]

On 2/23/2022 at 9:47 AM, suMMit said:

I asked my wife (from Harbin) she said 一直知道

Please ask her if she heard it used in China before 1990’s.

[Publius]

HK Cantonese has a huge influence on mainland speech. Today everybody says 打的. But 的士 only makes sense as a phonetic borrowing if you speak Cantonese (dik¹si² <- taxi). Twenty years ago nobody knows what is 布朗 (plum 李子), 车厘子 (cherry 樱桃) or 士多啤梨 (strawberry 草莓). Today they may well try to educate you on the differences between 车厘子 and 樱桃 (which is poppycock btw). A Cantonese-speaking friend once asked me if I knew the word 杯葛 (we were talking in Mandarin about a person being ostracized in highschool). I said 不就是boycott嘛. She said she didn't know it was a loanword (bui¹got³ <- boycott).

 

By the way, mo si (没事) is probably 陕西 accent. I only watched one episode (didn't have time), but I think I spotted a male passenger with that accent on the bus.

 

Also the translation is interesting. I believe it's called time loop in English? If someone says cycle to me, my mind would drift towards menstrual...

[Flickserve]

One drama set in Beijing in the mid 80’s used the word 打工仔. That’s definitely HK Cantonese  from a Sam Hui film called 半斤八兩。 However, in the setting of Beijing at that time, I doubt people were aware of 打工仔.

 

On 2/23/2022 at 1:48 PM, Publius said:

mo si (没事) is probably 陕西 accent. I only watched one episode (didn't have time), but I think I spotted a male

Noticed that as well but didn’t realise it was an accent. 

[Publius]

On 2/23/2022 at 11:49 PM, Flickserve said:

However, in the setting of Beijing at that time, I doubt people were aware of 打工仔.

I agree. There were HK films (mostly kung fu) and TV dramas in the 80s (射雕英雄传, 陈真, 霍元甲, 上海滩, 万水千山总是情 etc from my memory) but yeah I don't think the economic environment was right for popularization of such words. The official doctrine was planned economy before 1992. 粮票 wasn't abolished until 1993. College graduates were guaranteed a job. The word 下岗 hadn't been coined yet.

[Flickserve]

On 2/23/2022 at 6:28 AM, TaxiAsh said:

Well, I've finished it.

 

Got to episode 8. I sort of drift in and out of the Chinese, just read the subtitles and enjoy the story.

[Flickserve]

On 2/23/2022 at 6:28 AM, TaxiAsh said:

Well, I've finished it. OMG, that was absolute class all round. Blimey!

 

I just finished it. The wife eventually got curious at me watching a drama for so long. Apparently, this drama has a rating of 4.5 out of 5. I do agree it was very good with less glossing over of details and logic that can sometimes be common.

[phills]

Thanks for the suggestion of Reset 开端 !  I just watched a couple episodes of it -- pretty intriguing setup. 

 

As double bonus, although it doesn't have soft CC, I found that chinese subtitles for it in an SRT file are easily downloadable online.  For those who're interested, see, e.g:

 

https://www.a4k.net/index.php/subtitle/149531

 

It matches up well with the youtube videos.  An interesting show with soft CC is exactly what I'm looking for. ?

[abcdefg]

On 2/28/2022 at 5:05 AM, phills said:

As double bonus, although it doesn't have soft CC, I found that chinese subtitles for it in an SRT file are easily downloadable online.  For those who're interested, see, e.g:

 

Thank you @phills-- Pardon my ignorance, but does soft CC mean you can turn them off and have none? That's what I want to be able to do.

 

My favorite way to watch Chinese video or movies is to turn them off and watch it through once at normal speed just for the enjoyment of the content, the plot, the action, the characters. Then go through it again with subtitles, stopping frequently to study the language, "mine" some new words, extract some new grammar concepts, etc. 

 

[phills]

On 2/28/2022 at 9:53 PM, abcdefg said:

 

Thank you @phills-- Pardon my ignorance, but does soft CC mean you can turn them off and have none. That's what I want to be able to do. 

 

In the ideal world, it does mean that, but sadly no, you can't turn them off on that youtube video.  I just cover it up with another window on my computer.  Since the subtitle lines don't creep up too high, it's not too bad.  It doesn't obscure too much of the view, just gives me a long letterbox impression of the show.

 

The other purpose of soft CC is it lets you download a transcript.  I use it to mark segments that I didn't understand without the subtitles, so I can study those segments further and track my progress. 

 

Like I noticed I marked down "太惨烈了" twice in Episode 4 (talking about the bus people).  That was just out of scope for me, I rarely hear that usage, and I didn't expect her to use those words when she did.

 

That downloaded file lets me do that.