The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons
Excellent Materials for You to Learn Chinese Mandarin Language
Latest Lessons
So (adjective) that... Qing Wen
In English we have this pattern, "so (adjective) that...." For example, "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." How do you express this extent with adjectives in Chinese? It's actually easier than you might think, accomplished with a little help from our friendly structural particle 得 (de). Listen in to learn more.
Flu Vaccination Intermediate
It's that time of year, and a flu vaccination is probably a good idea. In this lesson, we follow a fearless child and her mother into the doctor's office to get a flu shot. Learn all the essential vocabulary you'll need to get a vaccination, as well as the super-useful question, "are you afraid of pain?"
hospital, doctor, medicine, child, age, brave, vaccination
Chinatown Diary Elementary
In this challenging Elementary lesson, we listen in on the contents of a Chinese diary detailing a trip to San Francisco's Chinatown. There will be Chinese characters, Chinese food, and maybe even a dragon dance. In this lesson, learn the language to get you through a full day of Chinatown activities.
city, Chinatown, San Francisco, street, culture, stores, weekend, diary
Concern over a Love Letter Upper Intermediate
"My mind is filled with your lovely smiling face. Your sweet smile warms up this frigid winter. Can I still see you tomorrow - in that secluded place?" ...If you found a love letter like this written by your teenage son, how would you react? Listen in as a Chinese parent flips out in this lesson.
family, parents, child, fight, adolescence, personality, love letter
Dialing a Nonlocal Phone Number Intermediate
If you're like us, you know a lot of people, and you make a fair amount of calls with your cell phone. But every once in a while, you'll get this annoying recording telling you the call won't go through because it's a "nonlocal number." Fortunately there's an easy solution. Learn about it in this Chinese lesson.
numbers, local, location, call
Where's the soap? Elementary
You know how to say you want to wash your hands. You know the word for water. But what about hand soap? First of all - do you want liquid or bar soap? Second - where is it? Learn how to ask for different kinds of soap at the grocery store in today's elementary lesson.
soap, life, supermarket, place, shopping, directions
First Snow of the Winter Intermediate
Many people have already experienced blizzard-like conditions this year, but for those of you who have yet to see snowfall in your neck of the woods, this lesson's for you! Tune in to learn how to describe the year's first snow.
snow, activities, entertainment, weather
Discussing Divorce Upper Intermediate
Today's lesson features a very serious topic that affects many families. Learn not only how to talk about divorce in Chinese, but also learn about the divorce process in China.
relationships, family, marriage, divorce, law, children
Playing Ice Hockey Elementary
What do you get when you combine metal blades, wooden sticks, and players speeding around a rink at 20-30 miles per hour? Besides a high incidence of concussions, lacerations and broken bones, you get hockey, of course! Learn how to talk about this popular wintertime sport in Chinese today.
entertainment, competition, sports, ice hockey
Shut down by Pimples Pre Intermediate
Don't you hate it when your internal heat is too high, and you break out? In this Chinese lesson, our tragic heroine suffers that fate and is forced to make a decision: go out with a face covered in unsightly pimples, or just stay home?
appearance, young people, terms of address, food, culture, pimples, traditional Chinese medicine
Which is better: China or the USA? Elementary
If you've never taken a taxi in China, you might find this question a bit absurd. "Which is better, China or the USA?" You're quite likely to be asked this in China, however. In this lesson, learn the diplomatic way to answer in Chinese.
country, develop, difference, talking, taxi, time
Facing Bankruptcy Upper Intermediate
It takes a lot of hard work to build a business, but sometimes things go wrong. You may have taken various measures to get the company back on track, but in some cases you just have to consider bankruptcy. In this lesson, learn to discuss this unhappy situation in Chinese.
company, money, finance, bankruptcy, boss, bank
A Visit to the In-laws Intermediate
In case you haven't been inducted into any Chinese families, you should know up front that there are a few titles to learn. OK, maybe more than a few. In this lesson, follow a young man on his way to visit his wife's parents, and learn all the important family vocab.
culture, family, parents, relatives, terms of address
The 着 (zhe) Chronicles: Verbs as States Qing Wen
In part three of the 着 (zhe) Chronicles, we look at how 着 (zhe) comes after verbs to indicate an ongoing state. There are two main patterns covered in this lesson, and one of them is especially useful. If you're pushing Intermediate, this might be just the lesson for you.
particles, location, open
Merry Christmas! Beijing Standard Time
As a present from ChinesePod to you, we're offering a new show, Beijing Standard Time. In this show we'll be focusing on everything from contemporary social issues to culture to language, so check out our first episode and leave your thoughts and suggestions below! This week's Qing Wen will be coming out tomorrow. Expect future episodes of Beijing Standard Time after the New Year (January, 2011)! Check out John's Sinosplice post about Christmas songs in Chinese here. For some ChinesePod lessons about Christmas, check these out: Christmas Surprise (Newbie) Christmas Presents (Elementary) Christmas Carols (Elementary) Office Christmas Party (Intermediate) Christmas (Intermediate)