AIC #1: WeChat Communications (from This Modern Chinese Life)
朋友圈，自拍，点赞
Audio Note from John
Welcome to Accessible Intermediate Chinese (AIC)! In this first audio note I explain a bit about what AIC is, and why pronunciation is still so important even when you’re well past the “beginner” stage. Then I’ll share what else is coming from AIC.
发音: Tone Pairs
In Lesson 1, you’ll encounter 2 tricky tone combinations that are easy to mispronounce: Tone 1 + Tone 4 (like in “微信” Wēixìn) and Tone 2 + Tone 2 (like in “无聊” wúliáo).
Tone Pair 1-4: Why does it feel so abrupt?
The first tone is high and level… then suddenly, the fourth tone drops hard and fast. That contrast is exactly what makes this pair feel sharp. Don’t soften the fourth tone trying to make it sound “smoother.” Embrace the drop! Practice it until the contrast feels natural. (Audio samples can be found on the AllSet Learning Pronunciation Wiki page: Tone pair 1-4)
Tone Pair 2-2: Why does the second one feel harder to hit?
Two rising tones back to back sounds simple in theory, but in practice, the second tone often loses its rise. Speakers tend to run out of "air" by the second syllable. Make sure both syllables genuinely go up; don't let the second one flatten out on you. (Lots of audio samples can be found on the AllSet Learning Pronunciation Wiki page: Tone pair 2-2)
对话：WeChat Communications
Listen to the audio first without looking at any text. Then, try to follow along with the characters below to see how much you understood.
陈子文：马一一，你看，她又在朋友圈发自拍了。
马一一：是吗，我看看。
陈子文：她每天都发这么多自拍照，真无聊。
马一一：是啊，我也觉得她很无聊，所以我不给她点赞。
陈子文：但是她一直会给我点赞，所以我有时候会给她发一个笑脸。
马一一：别看了，我们一起出去玩吧。
陈子文：我不去了，一会儿我还要和我的朋友开视频聊天呢。
马一一：那我也不出去了。
陈子文：最近微信上有一个小游戏，特别火，要不你玩这个吧。
马一一：行，我看看。
NOTE: If you need more pinyin, be sure to install a pinyin popup browser extension. We like the “Zhongwen” one because the name is so easy to remember.
词汇：
朋友圈 (péngyou quān) WeChat Moments
自拍 (zìpāi) to take a selfie; a selfie
自拍照 (zìpāizhào) a selfie photo
无聊 (wúliáo) boring; bored
点赞 (diǎn zàn) to click “like” (❤️)
笑脸 (xiàoliǎn) smiling face, smiley (😄)
视频 (shìpín) video
聊天 (liáotiān) to chat
语法：
Here we’ll provide a grammar point or two, but rather getting to into the weeds here, we’ll provide links to AllSet Learning’s very own Chinese Grammar Wiki.
Expressing "stop doing" with "bie… le"
Expressing "how about" with "yaobu"
Is this enough grammar, or do you want more, right in the newsletter? Let us know in the comments!
文化：
Why “Likes” Matter on WeChat
On WeChat, something as simple as a “like” (❤️) can carry more meaning than you might expect.
You might be wondering: in this week’s dialogue, why does one speaker say they sometimes send a smiley face just because the other person “likes” their posts? Is that really necessary?
On Chinese social media, especially WeChat Moments (朋友圈), interactions like likes and comments are often seen as small but meaningful social gestures. They can signal friendliness, acknowledgment, or even maintaining a relationship.
So while it may seem minor, not responding or choosing not to “like” someone’s posts can sometimes be interpreted as distance or disinterest. Of course, not everyone takes it this seriously, and habits vary from person to person. But, this is also good news for you. If you’ve added someone on WeChat and can see what they post on their Moments (朋友圈), it’s very easy and low-effort to like (❤️) their posts. This signals a friendly attitude and a willingness to engage. Consider leaving simple comments as well.
More from AllSet Learning
Today’s dialogue comes from Lesson 1 of This Modern Chinese Life (Intermediate). All the content focuses on how modern apps play a role in daily life here in China (think WeChat, AliPay, Didi, etc.) and how it is discussed in daily life. The course contains 10 one-on-one lessons with a professional native Chinese teacher and prepares intermediate learners for a wide range of practical areas of modern Chinese life. Want to keep going?
https://www.allsetlearning.com/courses-all/p/this-modern-chinese-life-intermediate
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