The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons
Excellent Materials for You to Learn Chinese Mandarin Language
Latest Lessons
The Super Bowl Elementary
Glendale, Arizona. The home of Super Bowl XLII. No, that's not a world record sized wok, it's football, American style. The New England Patriots are trying to break every record by winning the Super Bowl to cap an undefeated season over the New York Giants... Writer may sound like a fan but only watches for the commercials. Worlds collide in this podcast as you learn about it all, in Mandarin Chinese.
sports, entertainment, hobbies
#35 Movie Madness
This is like, totally a good movie. Listen in while we totally break down this Hollywood flick that was totally dubbed in Mandarin. You have a week to guess, and one of you out there will totally win a free month of Premium access to ChinesePod. So submit your guesses to Amber or Clay, and like, totally good luck to you.
The DVD Ploy Intermediate
In the realm of dating, men's ruses to get women into their arms are universal. Oh yes... don't fall for the 'arms around you to shield you from the cold', the 'tandem bike ride home', the 'friendly shoulder rub', or the most transparent of all... the 'DVD ploy.' In this podcast, find out how to ask someone upstairs to watch a movie, and how to gracefully escape in Mandarin Chinese.
appearance, entertainment, relationships
The Second Tone Newbie
Of all the tones, the second tone is the most exciting. It's a rising tone. Don't get too charged up though, we don't want to turn it in to a fourth tone just yet, we want to make this last. Listen to this podcast and learn all about the second tone of Mandarin Chinese as it ascends to its rousing climax. Just try not to wake the neighbors.
language, tones
一边...一边 ... (yībiān...yībiān...) Qing Wen
We like to multi-task around here, and we know you do to. In this episode, we will teach you how to say that you are doing more than one thing at a time. So minimize the 13 programs that you have running on your computer and take a moment to soak in this sweet sentence pattern.
Scams and Bus Culture Dear Amber
On this week's Dear Amber we step inside the crowded buses of China and see what it's really like inside (besides sardine-ish, that is). We also give a couple warnings on the hot scams to watch out for... though not that common in China, forewarned is forearmed... tea ceremonies may seem innocent enough, but... And make sure to come to the comments section and share your bus and scam encounters with us too!
Don't Litter Pre Intermediate
Dodging street debris may be good foot-dexterity training for the Chinese New Year lion dance you've been getting ready for, but a quick slip on a banana peel can end a potentially brilliant dance career faster than the crash of a gong. In this podcast, a lesson for the litterbugs, in Mandarin.
etiquette, jobs
Group Photo Upper Intermediate
OK, everybody lean in, put your hands on your knees or around the person next to you. You in the back, two fingers behind someone’s head please. Now smile and look cute so no one can tell us apart. Say 'Chinese!' In this podcast, a Mandarin lesson for the over-zealous photographers amongst us... and their doomed subjects.
directions, hobbies, photography
Cold from Biking Elementary
If the potholes, rogue taxis and silent electric bikes passing on the right don't get ya, cold will! Sure, snow pants and moon boots seem cumbersome, but when that Tibetan front blows in, you won't mind the rubberneckers staring at you as you pass. They can just go stick their tongues on a frozen pole somewhere for all you care. In this podcast, learn how to bundle up, in Mandarin Chinese.
clothes, transportation, weather
Evading Nosy Questions Intermediate
There's a little busybody in all of us. Now is your chance... all those questions you always wanted to ask but didn't have the guts to. In this podcast, get past your western conservative-ism and learn to be nosy with the best of 'em, in Mandarin. You've graduated to using a Chinese squat toilet stall with no door... might as well have a conversation about income to pass the time while you're there.
accommodation, people, questions
#34 Movie Madness
We learn about how to set a trap in Chinese, and how to try and get out of it. How to play the field, and how sling a little dirt. It doesn't sound like your typical romantic comedy, but it works in both English and Mandarin. Take a stab at the movie title and send it on over to either Amber or Clay, and cross your fingers that you win a free month of Premium access to ChinesePod.
The First Tone Newbie
The alpha, the genesis, dongxi numero uno. All the other tones wish they were this high, but without the other tones, we wouldn't know how supreme the first tone actually is. That's the existential truth of tonal relativity. The first tone in history to get its very own podcast, and the only tone that's phonetically represented by its Chinese character--learn about it in this lesson.
language, tones
The 又...又 (Yòu...Yòu) Episode Qing Wen
We bring our yoyo skills into the studio this week as we discuss a very useful sentence pattern in Chinese, namely "又...又" (Yòu...Yòu). In a word, this pattern is used to describe two things about one subject. Listen in for lots of fun examples to get you 'yo-yo-ing' in no time.
Diving Elementary
Though diving out of the way of oncoming vehicles has not yet been included in the Olympic roster, that could change any day now. Hey, don't laugh... if the 'Women's Hammer Throw' can make it in, this is more than feasible. Listen to this lesson on the hardcore street diving's more elegant cousin, Olympic diving, in Mandarin Chinese.
Olympics, sports
Pedestrian Peril Upper Intermediate
Just out for a leisurely stroll or... death wish? Map in hand, foot off curb, head in clouds... in China, not understanding the difference between legal law and natural law can get you killed. If you're one of those pedestrians' rights activists, this podcast is for you. A lesson on how to survive, literally, in Mandarin Chinese.
Is someone in here? Newbie
Sometimes bathroom stalls in China don't have doors on them. Though this may seem shocking to some, it's quite convenient when faced with the dilemma of whether to push the door open to potential stall going-ons, or not. But for those more uncertain times, when you are blocked by those troublesome stall doors, here is a Mandarin Chinese lesson that will help you to rouse any occupants before you waltz in to do your business.
questions
Choosing a Chinese Name and Safety Dear Amber
Today on Dear Amber we put safety first and give some safety advice for staying alive on the streets of China. Plus, rising to the daunting challenge of picking a good Chinese name... and JP of SpanishPod joins us to talk about his foreigner-friendly food recommendations. Meet us in the comments section to leave us your advice on these subjects and more!