Lots of people dream about being their own boss—not having to go to someone else’s office every day. They think they can work and have time off when they want! Indeed, many can make a successful business or two working from their computer. Can you talk about a start-up internet business with your friends, maybe even plan and operate one if this appeals to you?
In this Podcast, you will learn:
(i) How to let someone know you have just begun a start-up business
(ii) To explain that getting started is not so easy!
Dialogue:
Two friends meet to talk about the new venture of one of them:
（在咖啡厅）
(zài kā fēi tīng)
(at the café)
A:你最近好么？
Nǐ zuì jìn hǎo me?
How have you been?
B:还行，挺累的。我辞职了，和朋友一起创业开了个网店，卖化妆品。
Hái xíng, tǐng lèi de. Wǒ cí zhí le, hé péng yǒu yì qǐ chuàng yè kāi le gè wǎng diàn, mài huà zhuāng pǐn.
Just okay, quite tired really. I resigned from my job. I started a company and opened an online store with my friend, selling cosmetics.
A:哇，真厉害。
Wà, zhēn lì hài.
Wow, that’s great!
B:没有啦。不过，当老板真的很辛苦。我每天24小时连轴转。没有周末假期。
Méi yǒu la. Bù guò, dāng lǎo bǎn zhēn de hěn xīn kǔ. Wǒ měi tiān èr shí sì xiǎo shí lián zhóu zhuàn. Méi yǒu zhōu mò jià qī.
Thanks. But it’s really hard to be a boss. I work around the clock every day. No weekends, no vacations.
A:希望你能成为下一个马云！
Xī wàng nǐ néng chéng wéi xià yī gè Mǎ Yún.
Hope you can be the next Jack Ma.
B:哎呦，那可不敢想，我们这才刚开始。
Āi yōu, nà kě bù gǎn xiǎng, wǒ mén zhè cái gāng kǎi shǐ.
I don’t dare to think that far. We have just started.
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
挺：quite
累：tired
辞职：resign/quit
创业：manage a start-up company
网店：online store
化妆品：cosmetics
老板：boss
当：be
辛苦：hard/hardship
连轴转：work around the clock, 24/7
周末：weekends
假期：vacation
不敢想：I’m not sure if I can be him (trying to be very humble)
才刚开始：just started
创业公司：a start-up company
Cultural/Grammar note:
‘没有啦’ is one of the responses to compliments in Chinese, although it is often said by women; men usually say ‘没有没有’.
Jack Ma is the founder of the Alibaba group. In previous episodes, we talked about Alipay and Taobao. Both of them were founded by him. He is a Chinese business magnate and the idol of all Chinese entrepreneurs.
Mandarin Chinese learning resources we recommend:
