Episode
I Lost a Translation Job Over “Face” (And Called My Boss a Bastard)
- Podcast
- Mandarin Monkey Podcast
- Published
- Feb 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2189
- Processing state
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- https://shows.acast.com/mandarin-monkey-podcast/episodes/i-lost-a-translation-job-over-face-and-called-my-boss-a-bast
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Summary
This week’s mailbag episode is… painful. • A freelance translator loses a business contract because he didn’t understand 面子 (miànzi). • Someone tries to compliment their manager… and accidentally calls him a bastard. • Another listener’s Chinese name sounds dangerously close to “horse sh*t.” We talk about cultural competence in business Mandarin, tone disasters, gaming as a language-learning method, and why choosing a Chinese name is more serious than you think. If you’ve ever made a language mistake that keeps you awake at night, this one’s for you. Don’t lose confidence. Just don’t translate “losing face” word for word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.