Episode
Why “Ask” Is Wrong in Mandarin | Mandarin & English Podcast | Mailbag Episode
- Podcast
- Mandarin Monkey Podcast
- Published
- Jan 30, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2959
- Processing state
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- https://shows.acast.com/mandarin-monkey-podcast/episodes/why-ask-is-wrong-in-mandarin-mandarin-english-podcast-mailba
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Summary
This is a mailbag episode of the Mandarin Monkey Podcast. We answer listener questions about a deceptively common Mandarin mistake: why you can’t use “ask” the way you do in English. Ula explains why 問 is for asking questions, but doesn’t work when you’re asking someone to do you a favour, and why 請 is often the natural choice, even though it doesn’t translate cleanly into English. We also respond to listener emails about: learning Mandarin without a clear end goal why grammar turns people off languages patience, time, and long-term progress how hangouts and lessons help people stick with it Ula speaks Mandarin pretty much throughout. Tom speaks English pretty much throughout. 🎧 Lessons, hangouts, and more: mandarinmonkey.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.