The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons
Excellent Materials for You to Learn Chinese Mandarin Language
Latest Lessons
Plans for Children? Intermediate
There are certain personal questions you can expect to be asked in China. Some of them are financial in nature, but others are even more personal. Mentally prepare yourself for these questions with this lesson, while also learning a thing or two about Chinese-style office flirting.
marriage, children, work, relationships, gossip
Honeymoon Destinations Upper Intermediate
A new generation of Chinese honeymooners are looking abroad for exotic yet affordable destination options. In this lesson, hear about the benefits of three special places within easy travel distance from China.
romance, place, travel, scenery, island
No Hot Water Elementary
You think a hotel is a hotel, but in China these quirky little culture differences have a way of sneaking up on you. Learn about one that westerners might find particularly surprising (and potentially shower-nullifying) in this lesson.
time, hotel, water, cold
Duty-free Products Intermediate
In this lesson, we talk about the glorious modern Chinese tradition of "substitute buying." Making a trip from China to the States or Europe isn't an everyday thing, so naturally you don't mind buying a whole bunch of things on the big long list your friends wrote up, right? Learn about the special benefits of duty-free shops here!
tax, shopping, office, trip, duty-free
Working in a Chinese Office Beijing Standard Time
When it comes to working in a Chinese office, horror stories of excessive drinking at business dinners abound. But what about the daily grind? What can an employee at a Chinese company expect to happen between 9am and 6pm? Check out today's BST to learn more about this large part of daily life in China, and to hear from a member of the ChinesePod team, Nick. Learn more about 跳槽 (tiàocáo) here. For more about the Chinese version of The Office, check out this link.
office, work
Eating Idioms, Part 2 Qing Wen
The Qing Wen team started off this 3-part series with a number of idioms referring to actual foodstuffs. In this Chinese lesson, they cover expressions in which abstract concepts are "eaten," such as "bitterness," "fragrance," and "power." Listen in to learn what they're all about.
eating, idioms, culture
Getting a License Plate Upper Intermediate
The growing number of drivers in China is a big deal for the government; there's not enough room on the roads for 1.3 billion cars, especially in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Learn about the different ways the local government in Beijing and Shanghai are dealing with the issue, and what exactly you'll have to go through to get a license plate for your car.
car, traffic, city, police, government
I love children! Elementary
The scene is a blind date. She reveals she's a kindergarten teacher. He passionately states that he hates children. Cue crickets chirping. It's going to be a long night. But you just want to learn how to talk about how you feel about children! So listen in to this Chinese lesson.
children, teacher
Substitute Teacher Intermediate
Teaching is hard work, so every now and then you might need to come up with an excuse to take a week off, like "surgery" or something. But being the responsible teacher that you are, you're going to need to find someone to take those pesky classes off your hands. Learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to find that substitute teacher in this lesson.
school, teacher, education, students, teaching
Movie Theater Seats Elementary
There's a big difference between buying movie tickets in China and buying movie tickets in many other countries: China uses assigned seating. So make sure you know how to get the seats you want. Learn how to do it in Chinese in this lesson.
tickets, seat, cinema
English Teaching Jobs in China Beijing Standard Time
For many foreigners, teaching English in China is a wonderful opportunity to gain exposure to Chinese language and culture. Moving to the PRC, obtaining the correct visa and navigating the Chinese educational system, all while alone and in an unfamiliar land, can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking. Join us today as we explore the ins and outs of teaching English in China. We'll cover tips for job searching as well as advice for avoiding less-than-desirable situations. Here's an intermediate CPod lesson that covers some great language for discussing this topic in Chinese.
English, teaching, China, visa
Eating Idioms, Part 1 Qing Wen
The Chinese word 吃 (chī) appears in a surprising number of Chinese idioms, some of which are fun, interesting, or just plain super common. There are so many of these that they get their own multi-part series, and in this lesson we start with the ones which refer to actual foods, like soft rice, or vinegar, or tofu. This lesson will be sure to whet your appetite for Chinese food idioms.
idioms, culture, language, eating
Online Personality Test Intermediate
What could be more fun than filling out a simple form so that a website can tell you what kind of person you are? Listen in to this Chinese lesson, in which two girls discuss the results of their online personality tests.
personality, test, online
Tea Refill Elementary
Are you one of those people that doesn't like to waste money on beverages in restaurants and instead just asks for water? Yeah, so are we. So in China, we naturally ask for tea. In this lesson, learn how to make sure that drink you're getting is free.
tea, restaurant, service
Bringing Pets into China Upper Intermediate
Maybe you showed up in China with nothing more than the clothes on your back and a sense of adventure, but some people bring a lot more... including pets. If you need to bring your furry friend to the Middle Kingdom, there are just a few procedures you need to be aware of. Learn about them in this lesson!
pets, health, government, policy
Chinese Baijiu and the Best of the Worst Intermediate
When the guys get together for dinner, you know there's going to be some drinking. And if they're at all traditional, it's not beer they're drinking. It's baijiu, the Chinese rice wine that strikes fear into the hearts of foreigners everywhere. In this lesson, learn the names for the finest and the most famous of Chinese baijiu.
wine, culture, dinner, friends
Inside the Baozi Business Beijing Standard Time
Today's episode of Beijing Standard Time focuses on an interview with ChinesePod's favorite local 包子 [bāozi] vendor, Mrs. Wan. Her shop, located across the street from our office, has been the source of years of early morning sustenance and countless afternoon snacks. Find out a little bit about the daily lives of average Chinese people by listening to this English - Chinese interview.
food, baozi, daily life