Long-time listeners may be hard-pressed to forget our first foray into the exciting world of home plumbing, and if you're new to Popup Chinese you may want to listen to that show before exposing yourself to today's sequel, which picks where the last one left off. Our two protagonists now return home after a hearty lunch and turn their attention to the question we have left hanging all these three years: where did the plunger go anyway?

Learning Chinese? We're not sure if this lesson is a step up or a step down from its predecessor, which we've been told by multiple people has the distinction of being the most highbrow, lowbrow Chinese podcast in existence. In any event, we're certain you won't find the sort of thing we teach today in most or any textbooks, which is a pity since it is actually quite useful. In addition to covering some useful vocab for home cleaning, we also provide a useful reminder of why you should never let friends over to your house.
 said on
April 4, 2012
Vocab check: if 顿便器 is squat toilet [it is, right?], how do we say
 said on
April 4, 2012
@zjv5002,

It should be 蹲便器 (dun1bian4qi4).

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
April 5, 2012
Oh, what an embarrassing mistake.
 said on
April 6, 2012
又黄又黑。。。 又恶心又好笑! :-)
 said on
April 6, 2012
@Drummerboy,

那我怎么觉得这节课的内容,除了恶心就是恶心呢?
 said on
April 6, 2012
@Xiao Hu,

那你应该先听听我们的第一部,做好恶心的准备,到这个对话的时候就没那么恶心了 :P

http://popupchinese.com/lessons/elementary/the-missing-plunger

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
April 6, 2012
@zjv5002,

别担心,it's not a very common word, so some Chinese people don't even know it. Now you know it better than Chinese people do :)

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
April 7, 2012
@Echo,

我早就听过啦!每个人的幽默感都不一样。有的人很喜欢这种幽默方式,但我从来没喜欢。打个比方,我12岁时,我妈妈教我一个小谣,是这样的,“我心碎着坐在这里,试试拉屎只有放屁”。

然后妈妈笑个不停。我对她说,“妈,这个谣有什么幽默的呀?”

妈妈说,“我觉得很好玩啊!”

其实妈妈的行为让我觉得很奇怪,也让我觉得我,一个12岁的男孩比妈妈成熟。就像我说的,这种所谓的“马桶幽默方式”我从来没喜欢。

可是我觉得课得内容除了有点恶心还有一些很有用的单词在里面。所以啊!我还是要学习它!

 said on
April 8, 2012
@Xiao Hu,

哈哈哈哈哈,好吧~ 我同意你的观点,每人的笑点真的不同,而且笑话不能解释!

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
April 9, 2012
@Xiao Hu& Echo,

完全同意!而且笑点不一样的时候,那个笑的人会很尴尬。要是他解释这个笑话,听的人还是不笑,那就越来越尴尬,最后整个场面就“hmmm"地一声冷爆了。

--Amber
 said on
April 10, 2012
@Amber,

呵呵,你说得一点都没错。我几天前给学生讲了一个我自己认为很搞笑的,西方味特别浓厚的故事,故事讲完了后我大声地笑起来了,不过一个人都没笑。这种现象可以说明要么每个人的笑点不同要么我的幽默感不好笑。:(
 said on
April 10, 2012
@Xiao Hu,

你都说了,每个人笑点不一样嘛~~我讲笑话别人也总不笑,所以我每次讲之前先声明:我讲个冷笑话吧。

--Amber
 said on
April 20, 2012
“用抹布抹”

When pronouncing "rag," Echo says "mo3 bu4" but mdbg also gives "ma1 bu4". Is one more common, or is this maybe a regional thing?
 said on
April 21, 2012
@Jesse,

Both are correct. "Ma1bu4" is more like a northern dialect.

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com
 said on
April 21, 2012
Thanks! Great lesson as usual.