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Discovering these 800-plus podcast lessons, likely you've been up for days, listening. You're not tired yet, due to the language-learning high that doesn't wear off until after lesson 452. However, a language full of sh's has been known to produce

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Today's <em>Dear Amber</em> is for all those westerners with Chinese characters tattooed on their arms: we hear all about the Chinese take on tattoos. We also have some fun talking about the spectacle of TV in China. Plus, it's business time... we

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Reports churning out of celebrity Los Angeles have sparked concern over the latest anti-aging fad: drinking of the tears of young Asian girls. We, Chinese-English speakers of the world all have a responsibility to prevent the cruelty of tear harves

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Cycling through the tree-lined streets of Shanghai being one of the greatest pleasures of life in China, this <em>Dear Amber</em> brings you some rules of the road to help you join in the chaos. And we also hear about what it's like to live on an ol

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Little did you know when you started learning Mandarin that you would be placed in the thick of an age-old war of 'where' words. Decide which camp has your allegiance--the roll of your tongue 'nar,' favorite of Beijing cabbies and northern ayis. Or

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Contrary to popular notions, no, we're not all Americans. The nationality guessing game: favorite exchange of bored cabbies and their captive audience passengers. Expressing nationality in Mandarin Chinese is not hard--unless you are Azerbaijani, D

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<em>Dear Amber</em> listeners are in for a treat today. Our famous poddie AZERDocMom and her son Josh were in Shanghai this week and came to chat with us on the show. It's their first time in China, and we hear their impressions, plus Josh tells us

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When faced with the 'Do Chinese people really say ni hao ma or are they just succumbing to Englese' quandary, here is a lesson you can use to circumvent these deep unanswerable how-are-you-dilemmas. An alternative greeting option in Mandarin. In th

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This week on <em>Dear Amber</em> we explore some alternative tourist options, one being the Shanghai Flower and Insect Market. Also, in honor of David Beckham gracing Shanghai with his handsome presence, we hear a bit about a football game, China-st

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After a long sabbatical, we resurrect the catchy jingle and bring you an all new 'News and Features' about some old things becoming new again. We have Spring Fever here at ChinesePod, and are cleaning up some old lessons. Listen in to hear about wh

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At this juncture, we know some of you bespectacled types are going to show-off your 4,000 character-plus savvy and say you read the Chinese newspaper. This lesson, however, is about options. Some of us lazy types just want to know what's going on i

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Oft over looked due to its timid tone and quiet presence, this Mandarin Chinese tone is anything but passive. In this podcast, we visit the sometimes forgotten and difficult to define tone that makes love, not war... impartially takes no sides and c

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Here we arrive at the last stage in the rise and fall of the four tones of Mandarin Chinese, and poor fourth is a bit of an enigma. Due to his angry tone of voice and overbearing sharpness, some find it hard to get to know him. In this podcast, we

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The third tone is basically the middle child of the Mandarin line-up. It gets abused like a red-headed step child. Sometimes it's third, sometimes it gets ridden roughshod by second tone, and sometimes it straps a fourth tone on for good times. Thir

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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 to

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Welcome to Dear Amber - ChinesePod's Insider's Guide to Everything China. Dear Amber features ChinesePod's own insider, Amber, and you the listener, as Amber answers questions you've always wanted to know the answers to... and even some you didn't! W

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Welcome back to Dear Amber - ChinesePod's Insider's Guide to Everything China. Dear Amber features ChinesePod's own insider, Amber, and you the listener, as Amber answers questions you've always wanted to know the answers to... and even some you didn

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In today's show Amber and guests talk about some racy and not-so-racy massages in China, as well as give you the scoop on how to go about renting an apartment when you arrive here. And a special treat--another interview with one of our very own Cpodd

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This week, the moment you've all been waiting for, our dear long-time poddie Bazza joins Amber and his beloved Jenny in the studio and tells all. Also, returning cohort Clay gives some insight into the male mind and Chinese girls... plus, just in ti

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On this week's Dear Amber we talk about the Chinese opinions of beauty, and as Chinese New Year approaches, we learn about a very particular Chinese custom you will see in almost every household. And we answer a question about what exactly an "Ayi"

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Sure we know you can get anything manufactured in China, but did you know you can also get anything <em>made</em>? On this week's Dear Amber we hear about some of the cool stuff you can get to order. Also, a little bit about how Christmas is spent

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This week we have a visitor stop by from America. Elliot doesn't know a word of Chinese, so listen as he tells us his experience of China through the eyes of a complete newbie! Can you get around? Can you communicate? Do you really need to take a

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Not that we think you would like hot beer, but believe us that in China it may be essential that you specify "cold" when you order your beer. In this podcast, learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to order a nice cold beer--essential pre-summer listenin

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Mouths were intended to be used for so much more than speaking Chinese. Sometimes the language of love communicates better than the best vocabulary, so it never hurts to get a little lip service... In this podcast, get smoochy-smoochy with us and le

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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 his

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We're happy to have you as the newest CPoddie in town. As a little welcome, we'd like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves and the world of ChinesePod as you're soon to know it! Please listen in to this podcast as Ken, Jenny, and John gi

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In this lesson, we’ll teach you how to make friends! Or, at least the very first step: greetings. You’ll learn how to greet people in Mandarin Chinese, ask them how they are, and reply when they ask you. Sit back, listen, review and you’ll be able to

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China is a shoppers’ heaven, and in this podcast lesson you’ll learn some key phrases in Mandarin Chinese to help you navigate the markets and shopping streets and get what you want. You’ll learn how to identify the items you want, and ask how much t

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Restaurant culture is a huge part of life in China, and you won’t want to miss out on some of the world’s most interesting cuisine just because you can’t ask for a menu in Mandarin Chinese. In this podcast lesson you’ll learn the vital phrase “do you

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After you have said hello in Chinese and know your partner in conversation’s name, the next topic likely to come up is where you are from. In this podcast you’ll learn how to say several common nationalities in Mandarin Chinese, plus one of the ways

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Yes, it’s easy to point at yourself, say your own name, then point at their chest and make a questioning grunt, but wouldn’t it be great if you could ask for your new friends name in Chinese, and even tell them yours? In today’s podcast lesson, hosts