The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons
Excellent Materials for You to Learn Chinese Mandarin Language
Latest Lessons
Superstitions and Urban Legends Beijing Standard Time
Every country and culture has its own urban legends, superstitions, old wives' tales, and so forth; China is no exception. Accompanied by another ChinesePod host, Jiaojie, we'll be learning about Shanghai's "Grandmother Vampire," why hoola-hooping is bad for your health, why you shouldn't eat your earwax, and much more! Make sure you check out the inspiration for this BST, last week's lesson on fan death!
superstition, urban legend, myth
Ferocious Tiger Idioms Qing Wen
Today's Qing Wen focuses on one of China's most treasured animals, the tiger, in idiom form. We'll flushing out half a dozen of the most common, and of course useful, idioms involving this fearsome beast that are sure to invigorate your Chinese. If you liked this lesson, please leave your comments below and we'll be sure to keep the animal-focused idiom lessons coming!
idioms, culture, animals, tiger
Fan Death Upper Intermediate
Have you ever heard of the "fan death" phenomenon, well-known in Korea? The theory is that sleeping in a room with closed doors and windows and a fan on will almost inevitably result in a tragic death. Don't believe it? Neither does the person in this dialogue. Listen in and learn...
superstition, media
I Really Can't Sing! Elementary
The mere mention of karaoke, AKA "KTV," strikes fear into the hearts of many vocally challenged visitors to China. So often people just don't get that you CAN'T SING, and WON'T SING. This lesson is for you guys! We can't guarantee that these lines will work every time, but you'll learn something.
entertainment, singing
What Does This Word Mean? Newbie
Some say "1.3 billion people," but we say "1.3 billion human dictionaries." That's right, why should you thumb through one of those new-fangled "book" thingies when you can rely on glorious oral tradition and just ask people what words mean? This lesson will equip you to do just that, in Chinese!
Chinese character, studying, language, classroom, pronunciation
You Smell Terrible! Intermediate
So which is more important... bathing regularly, or changing your clothes regularly? In this dialogue, we'll meet someone with some interesting views on the matter. (Sorry, we're still working on the full "smellcast" version of this Chinese lesson, so until then, rank odors not included.)
daily life, smell, time, body parts
An Insider's Insights into Chinese Tourism Beijing Standard Time
China is a massive country and has, as you may have heard, 5000 years of history. Unsurprisingly, the tourist attractions are accordingly numerous. But where do you begin? And how do you avoid getting scammed by tour guides? BST is here to help this week with some insider tips from former tour guide and current ChinesePod host! She'll be filling you in on the rigorous process (legitimate) tour guides have to undergo to get their certification as well as some advice on how to avoid some of the more common scams that many travel companies employ. Also be sure to check out our elementary lesson on sightseeing in Shanghai as well as our intermediate lesson on comparing cities!
tourism, travel, China
Addressing Women Qing Wen
Before you even think of striking up a conversation with someone, it's vital to know the correct term of address. Today's Qing Wen will help you avoid many an awkward situation by educating you on how to address girls and women of different ages and statuses.
people, women, age
Does He Have Children? Newbie
Mr. Li is the talk of the town. He's dashing, he's witty, and... he's a father! In this lesson, the gossip turns to the subject of Mr. Li's children. If you're a parent (or maybe you're working on a complete inventory of everyone's children), you're going to find this lesson useful.
family, children, numbers, people
Sensitive Topics Intermediate
Every culture has its own sensitive topics, and sometimes a little bit of cultural education is in order. Just a little bit of timely information can save a whole lot of embarrassment. In this lesson, some Chinese teachers fill each other in on situations with students which could potentially be awkward.
students, taboo, questions, teacher
Money Laundering Operation Upper Intermediate
Don't you hate it when you have millions of RMB (which you claim you won legally gambling in Macau), but don't have a way of discreetly "converting" that money into squeaky clean assets, seeing as how you're a high-level official in your home county, and your constituents kind of frown on that kind of thing? Yeah, so do we. And we wrote this podcast about it.
money, business, gambling
Eating in Korea Elementary
If you went to Korea, you probably had some Korean food. And if you had Korean food, you probably had kimchee. Discuss these issues and more in this spicy-delish lesson about a Chinese take on food in Korea.
food, Korea, city
Which City Do You Like? Newbie
Ah, the eternal question... do you like Shanghai, or do you like Beijing? It's a question that both Chinese and foreigners alike enjoy debating, and with the rapid development of both cities, it kind of feels like a new discussion every time. So take your first steps into this discussion in Chinese with this lesson!
city, China, place
Classical Chinese Weapons Beijing Standard Time
While we at BST by no means promote violence or harming others, the weapons from throughout Chinese history are not only fascinating but an inexplicable part of many modern words and phrases within Chinese itself. Listen in as your hosts walk you through a few of the more common weapons as well as related language points! Also make sure to check out our lesson on the classic story of conflict on ChinesePod!
weapon, martial arts
Random and Reckless Qing Wen
China can be a crazy place sometimes - there's a reason they call it "The Wild East." Fortunately, Chinese has a whole array of words to describe the crazy, random, carefree way that life goes on here, so in today's Qing Wen show, we'll be breaking down all of their subtle differences.
random, reckless
Hypnosis Therapy Upper Intermediate
Usually being under someone's spell isn't such a good thing (just ask Brett Favre), but oddly enough, new methods of therapy that utilize hypnosis are becoming popular in China and elsewhere. If you're trying to kick a nasty habit, today's upper-intermediate lesson is just what the doctor ordered.
doctor, therapy
Hair Salon Card Intermediate
We're all at our most vulnerable while at the hair salon - after all, how can you argue with someone wielding razor-sharp objects just inches from your neck? That doesn't mean you should let salon employees coerce you into purchasing memberships, however! We're here to help with today's Intermediate lesson; you'll learn all about how to politely negotiate the hairy world of the salon membership card business.
haircut, money, price, sales
Let Me Help You Newbie
Chinese people are often very gracious and helpful towards foreign guests, especially when traveling via train or plane. Having trouble stowing your heavy bag in an overhead compartment? Chances are you'll have someone offering to help you in no time. Learn how to accept such aid (and offer it!) in today's lesson.
greetings, polite, thanking