Travel & Culture · China
My First Impressions of Beijing
Leah shares her first impressions of Beijing, from its parks and scale to the challenges of navigating a busy city and the excitement of exploring it.
莉雅分享对北京的初印象，从公园和城市规模，到在繁忙城市中出行的挑战，以及探索这座城市的期待。
莉雅分享對北京的初印象，從公園和城市規模，到在繁忙城市中出行的挑戰，以及探索這座城市的期待。
Read the full lesson summary
My First Impressions of Beijing is a guided travel & culture · china lesson for English learners who want to understand and use language in this real-life situation. The short description introduces the lesson; this expanded guide draws its details from the transcript and its phrase notes, so it focuses on what this particular video actually covers rather than a generic channel overview.
What the lesson covers
The lesson moves through A life update from Beijing; The city’s parks and nature; Finding ways to cool down; Settling into a new city; A sense of creative energy; How big Beijing feels; Planning visits during tourist season; and further related moments. Following that sequence helps learners connect each expression to what the speakers are doing, asking, or responding to, instead of memorizing vocabulary as a disconnected list. Listen for how the meaning changes with the situation and how the speaker's wording keeps the exchange moving.
Language to take away
- put into words — express an idea or feeling in language Common and reflective.Use it when: Use it when a feeling is difficult to describe clearly.Example: “I know the place feels special, but I can’t quite put it into words.”
- on my bucket list — something I hope to do or experience in the future Informal and common.Use it when: Use it for an experience you have wanted to try.Example: “Seeing the northern lights is on my bucket list.”
- I’m not going to lie — a conversational way to signal an honest opinion Informal; often introduces a candid comment.Use it when: Use it before a personal, direct opinion; it is not a literal statement about lying.Example: “I’m not going to lie, that hike was harder than I expected.”
A way to use this lesson
Listen for useful expressions Leah uses while discussing travel & culture · china. Replay the relevant moment, then adapt the language to a real conversation you expect to have. Keep the original situation in mind: the goal is not simply to repeat a sentence, but to choose wording that suits the people, purpose, and tone of the exchange.
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Transcript
Select an expression for its meaning · 0:02
A life update from Beijing
Hi guys, it's Lea. So, right now, I'm in Beijing. More specifically, I'm by Chaoyang Park. It's a really beautiful park and an amazing day, but it is super hot. It's like 100° right now. So, I'm sweating up a storm, but I really wanted to record this video and talk to you guys, give a little life update, and share my first impressions of Beijing. I think my very first impression is just that Beijing is way more beautiful than I originally thought. Like, I know this is a place with a lot of history, there's a lot of really cool architecture, and there are a lot of places to walk around, a lot of things to see, but it just really struck me how beautiful everything is. It's It's hard to explain, it's hard to ,.
Try it: Listen for useful expressions Leah uses while discussing travel & culture · china.
Phrase cheat sheet
All phrases at a glance
Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.
put into words
A life update from Beijing · expression
express an idea or feeling in language
Tone and use: Common and reflective. Use it when a feeling is difficult to describe clearly.
Example“I know the place feels special, but I can’t quite put it into words.”
on my bucket list
Finding ways to cool down · expression
something I hope to do or experience in the future
Tone and use: Informal and common. Use it for an experience you have wanted to try.
Example“Seeing the northern lights is on my bucket list.”
I’m not going to lie
Finding ways to cool down · expression
a conversational way to signal an honest opinion
Tone and use: Informal; often introduces a candid comment. Use it before a personal, direct opinion; it is not a literal statement about lying.
Example“I’m not going to lie, that hike was harder than I expected.”
picking up on
Settling into a new city · expression
noticing or becoming aware of a detail or feeling
Tone and use: Conversational phrasal verb. Use it when you sense something subtle from a situation or person.
Example“She picked up on the change in his tone right away.”
Knowledge check
Practice the phrases you heard
What it means · “put into words”