Description
Chafic Kazoun, co-founder of B-Line Medical and a devoted fan of Piedmont’s Barbaresco, learns that the Chinese word for wine covers anything alcoholic, from grape to grain, and that its sound is shared with the number nine and the phrase for a long time. 酒 (jiǔ) is wine, and 好酒 (hǎo jiǔ) is good wine, what you say after a sip you really like. Then comes the trap: 白酒 (bái jiǔ) translates as white wine, but in China it means distilled liquor, the very hot kind, so you must clarify whether you want grape or grain. 紅酒 (hóng jiǔ) is red wine, and 黃酒 (huáng jiǔ) is yellow rice wine, which is never distilled and stays under 20% alcohol. 威士忌 (wēi shì jì) is whisky and 白蘭地 (bái lán dì) is brandy, both borrowed purely for sound, which is why brandy literally reads white orchid ground. The most famous 白酒 is 茅臺 (máo tái), made in a tiny village in Guizhou province whose history stretches back to the Han dynasty.
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*⏰ TIMESTAMPS:*
0:00 - Introducing Chafic Kazoun and the word for good wine
0:45 - 酒 (jiǔ): wine, nine and a long time share one sound
1:30 - 好酒 (hǎo jiǔ): good wine, and Chafic’s Piedmont favourite
2:15 - 白酒, 紅酒, 黃酒: why white wine in China is not made from grapes
3:30 - 威士忌, 白蘭地, 茅臺: whisky, brandy and Maotai
In Chinese, 白酒 is white wine in name only: it is the very hot liquor, so always ask whether you want grape or grain.
*📖 KEY VOCABULARY:*
Good wine: 好酒 (hǎo jiǔ)
Good: 好 (hǎo)
Wine: 酒 (jiǔ)
White wine, white spirit: 白酒 (bái jiǔ)
Red wine: 紅酒 / 红酒 (hóng jiǔ)
Yellow rice wine: 黃酒 / 黄酒 (huáng jiǔ)
Whisky: 威士忌 (wēi shì jì)
Brandy: 白蘭地 / 白兰地 (bái lán dì)
Maotai liquor: 茅臺 / 茅台 (máo tái)
*👤 ABOUT THE GUEST:*
Chafic Kazoun is a technology entrepreneur who wrote his first lines of code at the age of eight. He is co-founder, chairman, and CTO of B-Line Medical, a technology platform for training and testing doctors and nurses through simulated healthcare scenarios. He is also an angel investor supporting innovative startups.
📱 Connect with Chafic Kazoun:
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/chafic
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chafic/
🌐 http://www.blinemedical.com/
*🎙️ ABOUT TALK CHINEASY:*
Talk Chineasy is a daily podcast hosted by ShaoLan, creator of the award-winning Chineasy method featured on TED. In each 7-minute episode, ShaoLan and a guest explore Chinese characters, culture, and language through stories that make Mandarin unforgettable. 300+ episodes available.
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