x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk

Hello! Greetings from the Burmese corner! I"m Kenneth Wong, a Burmese language instructor, author, and translator. This is a podcast series for intermediate and advanced Burmese language learners who want to learn Burmese by listening to natural conversation. Every two weeks or so, a guest speaker and I record and upload an episode on a specific topic. At the end of each episode, you"ll find the keywords and phrases with their meanings. For more on the podcast series, visit the Learn Burmese from

education language learning

All Episodes

10:34

Bite-Size Burmese: Chinese Shutters, British Drinks,...

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/12/14

When are Venetian blinds not Venetian? In Burmese language, they become Chinese shutters (တရုတ်ကပ်). (Variations of the design are also known as Louvre window or Jalousie window.) The spiky chayote, called Buddha's palm in Chinese (佛手瓜) due to its shape, is called Gurkha fruit (ဂေါ်ရခါးသီး) in Burmese. Cement, even when locally made with Burmese dirt, is still called British dirt (ဘိလပ်မြေ). Today, fizzy, carbonated soft drinks like Coca-Cola or 7-Up are called Canned drinks (သံဗူး), but in the

en-us

7:56

Bite-Size Burmese: On Four-Letter Words

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/11/27

Balderdash, baby talk, pillow talk, a clumsy act, a half-ass job, or a cuddly pet? Chances are, there's a four-letter, four-syllable word to describe it. They give your speech a certain meter and rhythm and make you sound musical. But many of them also sound quite similar. For language learners, the challenge is not to mix them up and use the wrong one. In this episode, I introduce you to a handful of four-letter expressions to impress or amaze your friends and tutors. Intro and end music:

en-us

30:04

On Ghostly Encounters in Burma

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/10/29

In this special Halloween episode, my cohost Mol Mol from the Burmese Language Academy of Yangon (BLAY) and I delve into things that go bump in the night. We share stories of haunted trees, school corridors, and college dormitories. And we trade spine-chilling, goosebump-inducing urban legends. Do you know how to tell a ghost story in Burmese? If not, listen to our talk and pick up some words. And just in case, grab a glass of holy water. (Illustration by Nyan Kyal Say. Music clips from

en-us

12:05

Bite-Size Burmese: Green-Branch Breakup, Green Death,...

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/10/01

In English, green is the color of jealousy, but in Burmese romance, a green-branch split (သစ်စိမ်းချိုး ချိုးတယ်) is a cruel, hurtful breakup. If a cold shoulder is the precursor to a breakup, in Burmese, the sign is a green-wind blowing (လေစိမ်းတွေတိုက်နေတယ်). Strangers and unfamiliar faces are green men (လူစိမ်း) and green faces (မျက်နှာစိမ်း). Sushi and tuna tartar could be described as green-fish dishes (ငါးစိမ်း) and violent, untimely deaths are green deaths (အစိမ်းသေ). In this episode of

en-us

31:11

On Burmese Proverbs and Maxims

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/09/17

In English, to talk about making the best use of time and circumstances, you’d say, make hay while the sun shines. But in Burmese, it’s to weave while the moon shines. To do things in the wrong order is to put the cart before the horse in English. In Burmese, it’s to put the plough before the ox. If someone is thinking too far ahead, you might say, don’t count your chicken before they hatch. In Burmese, we would say, the fritter is nowhere near done, but you’re worried about it burning your lips.In

en-us

11:09

Bite-Size Burmese: Droplets of Destiny and Romance...

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/08/14

Destiny comes in many shapes and forms, but in Burmese, figuratively speaking, it comes as water droplets, or ရေစက်။ People became friends, neighbors, or lovers because they share some droplets of fate (ရေစက်ဆုံလို့၊ ရေစက်ရှိလို့), as a result of some acts of merit they had done in past lives. By the same token, when the supply of fate or merit runs out (ရေစက်ကုန်ပြီ), it's time to part ways, never to meet again.Your romantic fate, on the other hand, comes as words scribbled on your forehead

en-us

23:02

On Pagoda Fairs and Fortunetellers

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/07/17

What might you expect to find at a Burmese pagoda fair? What kind of food, souvenirs, and attractions would you likely encounter? Aside from cotton candy stands, Ferris wheel rides, and souvenir shops with paper tigers and paper demons, the fair might also give you a chance to have your fortune read by a fortuneteller. There may also be gambling going on, where you can bet on different animals on a chart, picked by a dice roll. In today’s episode of Learn Burmese from Natural Talk, my cohost Mol Mol

en-us

6:53

Bite-Size Burmese: Keep Your Butterfly Safe

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/07/01

If your conscience or your courage were an insect, what might it be? In Burmese imagination, it’s a butterfly. There are some Burmese expressions where the delicate creature represents your conscience, confidence, courage, or life. Do you have a clear conscience or a troubled conscience? Are you a timid, faint-hearted soul? Are you scared out of your wits? In this Bite-Size Burmese lesson, I'll teach you how to say these. The key is to select the correct butterfly-centric phrase.

en-us

26:56

On Burmese Movies, from the Black-and-White Era to...

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/06/05

In this episode, my cohost Mol Mol from BLAY (Burmese language academy of Yangon) and I discuss the movie-going experiences in our own times. In my boyhood in the 80s, movie theaters in Yangon were weather-beaten colonial buildings, with only a few offering air condition -- a luxury confined to the embassies and high-end hotels. On the other hand, Mol Mol grew up with multiplex theaters in megamalls like Junction Square, where surround sound and air condition were a given. But the films that we both

en-us

6:23

Bite-Size Burmese: Don't Show Up Without a Musical...

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/05/30

Theatrical performances, dance drama, and shows are such an integral part of Burmese culture that quite a number of everyday expressions can be traced back to them. In this episode, I'll introduce you to two such sayings: ဆိုင်းမဆင့် ဗုံမဆင့် (to show up without a musical prelude)မီးစင်ကြည့်ကတယ် (to dance wherever the spotlight falls)The first one has to do with the theatrical practice of synchronizing the entrance of certain characters with the appropriate musical cues. For instance, to

en-us

24:27

On Travel in Burma, Prophetic Verses, and Cursed Trees

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/04/29

In this episode, my cohost Mol Mol and I discuss the joy of travel. Mol Mol has just returned from a trip to Tarchileik, a city in the Shan State bordering the notorious Golden Triangle region. While I have not been back in Burma recently, I still have fond memories of my last pilgrimage to the temple-dotted ancient city of Bagan. Mol Mol recounts the taste of a local delicacy--grilled fish wrapped in banana leaf--and the oral history of a tree supposedly planted by the Konbaung Dynasty’s founder U

en-us

7:07

Bite-Size Burmese: The Shadows of Social Intercourse

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/04/18

Hello!My cohost Mol Mol is on vacation this week. Rest assured, when she returns, we will resume our Learn Burmese from Natural Talk series, but in this episode, I'll give you a bite-size lesson.This is the first of what will become a series of mini lessons sandwiched between our regular talks. I’ll call it Bite-Size Burmese. It’s intended for intermediate and advanced Burmese learners, so I’ll be speaking in a mix of English and Burmese. In it, I'll focus on introducing you to the

en-us

23:27

On Dance, Drama, and Comedians

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/03/13

Anyeint, Zat, Pwe: these are terms associated with classical music, dance, and drama, sometimes performed in respected public halls but more often in open spaces and fields, under makeshift tents and on temporary stages lit with torches or dangling lightbulbs. What kind of instruments can you expect to hear in these performances? What is the role of the comedians dressed in large gaung baungs, or headdresses? And what is the proper protocol for summoning a dancer to the stage? In this episode, my

en-us

20:50

On Ethnic Cuisine and Memorable Meals

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/02/23

Time to talk about food!From Ramen bowls that rival the best in Tokyo to Kayah sausages stuffed with spiced minced meat, Burma’s big cities and small towns offer a rich variety of dishes to tickle your fancy and palate. In this episode, my cohost Mol Mol from Burmese Language Academy of Yangon (BLAY) and I discuss fritters from the roadside stalls, homemade dishes that stir up childhood memories, the special meals our parents made during festival days, and Korean and Thai dishes that have found a

en-us

14:30

On Witches, Wizzard, and Nats

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/02/22

Hello everyone!It’s my pleasure to bring you the debut episode of a new podcast series for intermediate Burmese learners. My cohost is Mol Mol (မိုမို), a teacher from the Burmese Language Academy of Yangon, also known as BLAY. Our goal here is not to offer formal instructions and practice drills, but rather, to expose you to how people talk in real life. Natural conversations are not always grammatical or orderly. They're often punctuated with hesitations, interjectons, diversions, sighs,

en-us

21:11

Teashop Culture in Burma

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/02/22

Welcome to another episode of Learn Burmese from Natural Talk!In Burmese teashops, have you ever listened closely to how regular customers order tea, and how the waiters and waitresses relay these orders to the kitchen? What do people mean when they ask for cho pawt, pawt kya, pawt seint, kyauk badaung or see lone tea? What type of people tend to frequent curbside teashops, set up under leafy tress at the busy intersections? And what about the more modern cafes with the air-conditioned, colorful

en-us

19:26

What is Your New Year Resolution?

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/02/22

Happy new year, Burmese learners!In this episode, Mol Mol from Burmese Language Academy of Yangon (BLAY) and I share our new year resolutions. Mol Mol is determined to expand her social circle, to make new friends, and to go scuba diving—something she’s always wanted to do. For the past two years, I’ve had to cancel my trips to Yangon and Kyoto because of COVID-related travel hassles, so I’m feeling the urge of my wanderlust, the itch to pack my bag for an exotic destination. To my envy, Mol Mol has

en-us

21:19

On Dating and Courtship

Learn Burmese from Natural Talk ·

2022/02/22

Hello everyone!In this episode, my cohost Mol Mol from BLAY (Burmese Language Academy of Yangon) and I discuss the dating and courtship rituals in Burma. How does a man express his romantic interest? What are the protocols for serenading a girl? How might a girl reveal to a suitor that she, too, is interested? How have technology and social media changed some of these customs? What are the typical and not-so-typical objects offered as dowry? Mol Mol was surprised to learn that in the U.S., the

en-us

58 results

Similar Podcasts

Science Talk

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

五分钟心理学

柠檬心理

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

Veterinary Clinical Podcasts

The Royal Veterinary College