The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons


Latest Lessons


Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating Elementary

Here is a Mandarin Chinese lesson to take you back to the simpler days of ugly boys, teenage angst and unrequited crushes. Yes, come with us as we sneak a peek at young Yang Jie's Diary (you know you want to). If the content doesn't sound juicy yet, listen as things unfold... if a Canadian businessman can get knocked off by ninjas, anything could be around the corner for naive Yang Jie.

relationships, studies, Diary Series

You Can and Will Use 会 (huì)! Qing Wen

This week on Qing Wen we answer a question lots of people have asked about using 会 (huì)! Now, many of us know that 会 (huì) can have a couple different usages, depending on context. Today we sort them out for you. Plus you may be surprised to learn that there are even more ways you can, and will, use this little three-letter word!


Beauty Pageant Registration Intermediate

Since gracing China with your presence you may be starting to suspect you’re getting better looking by the day: those double-eyelids, that great skin-tone, and ‘you’re beautiful’ catcalls from street vendors. This podcast just might put some ideas in your head. As you learn in Mandarin Chinese about registering for a beauty pageant, we can only hope you have some honest friends to prevent you from prancing around a shopping mall stage flaunting your wares.

appearance, hobbies, Beauty Pageant Series, communications

What's tomorrow? Newbie

So you download the BitTorrent file of 500 ChinesePod podcasts and hole yourself up for days on end learning Mandarin and laughing along with Ken and Jenny. You finally tear yourself away, glassy-eyed and ears ringing. As you come out squinting to the light of day, you realize you have been in a ChinesePod induced time-warp. What day is it? Listen to this podcast and find out.

numbers, time, questions

Arrival in Jizhou Upper Intermediate

You've heard of 'Lost', 'The Twilight Zone', and ChinesePod's famous 'Alien Abduction'... but, have you heard of Jizhou? The place where eerie flutes beckon and nagging feelings of disquietude cause cold sweats. Listen to this podcast, if you dare, and come on a Mandarin Chinese journey to a place that you may or may not return from. See you on the other side...

accommodation, travel

Personal Questions and Bargaining Dear Amber

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't! With the help of some expert guests, Amber sheds light on China and Chinese culture in this weekly podcast. This week Amber answers a question on how to deal with those oh-so-personal questions your new neighbors love to ask, and you don't quite know how to answer... plus you will hear from an expert bargainer on the etiquette and rules of getting the best deals on the streets of China. Also, you'll finally understand the Chinese obsession with numbers. So, sit back, listen and then share your own comments and views on what we talked about in the show!


相亲活动 Advanced

孩子大了,父母最急的是什么?在中国,有儿子的父母最急的就是帮儿子找媳妇,有女儿的父母最急的就是赶紧把女儿嫁出去。可如果孩子自己不急,那做父母的该怎么办呢?可怜天下父母心,幸亏老祖宗给这些父母留下了一条妙计——相亲。被父母逼着去相亲,虽然被提倡自由恋爱的年轻人所排斥,但背负“单身”骂名的年轻人哪敌得过父母的唠叨呢?于是,在全国各地掀起了一股强劲的“相亲热”。想进一步了解这股“相亲热”吗?想知道现在的相亲跟古代的相亲有什么不同吗?那就赶快来学习一下吧。

culture, marriage, matchmaking, dating, love, parents

Basic Shapes Elementary

After months of painstakingly writing Chinese characters, we recommend you take a moment to vent your frustrations by grabbing a felt marker and angrily drawing squares, circles, and triangles all over that Chinese textbook. It's strangely liberating, actually. Then, listen to this podcast so you can explain in Mandarin to your teacher what exactly you were doing when she rebukes you for defacing school property.

appearance

Death by Ninja Intermediate

Though ninjas aren't generally considered one of the risks of doing business in China, one never knows when one is in danger of being knocked off. Sometimes letting down the facade of Mr. Nice Guy can turn on you, as our Canadian businessman Peter is about to discover, to his chagrin. Listen to this podcast, and the tale of Peter's descent into the dark, ugly underworld of Manager Li, in Mandarin Chinese.

business

#16 Movie Madness

Longtime listeners all know that certain elements of our selection committee are partial to films with explosions. And this week they've picked the movie, so we're happy to present a film that does explosions really well. Happily, even when things aren't exploding in this film, they are often found streaking through the air making buzzing sounds (buzzing = high potential for explosion). Throw in a bit of romance, great cinematography, and some excellent directing into the mix, and we've got a winner. If you think you've got what it takes to wrestle this mystery to the ground, we've got a fantastic prize just waiting to be claimed. Listen to the full podcast for the details.


世界记录 Media

世界记录是运动员的专利吗?难道只有运动员才能创造世界记录?当然不是,普通人同样有机会可以尝到创造世界记录的美妙感觉。如果你够聪明,够勇敢,够有个性,说不定哪天吉尼斯世界记录大全中就会出现你的名字。不过在你准备开始你的吉尼斯世界记录之旅时,不妨先看看这位年轻的“博主”是怎样看待“急死你”世界记录的?也许你可以从中得到一些有趣的提示哦。 来源链接:急死你世界记录

actions, entertainment

More or less? 多 (duō) and 少 (shǎo) Qing Wen

This week on Qing Wen we bring you some study tips. We tell you what you need to do more of (多 duō) and what you need to do less of (少 shǎo) to really master this great language! In the process, you will also learn the art of using 多 (duō) and 少 (shǎo). Listen in as Ken, Amber and Connie share their own learning tips, and add some of your own in the comments section.


Identifying Family Members Newbie

The one-child policy might make a conversation about family members in Mandarin Chinese seem like a breeze. Be forewarned: to a nation of only children, birth order is a very interesting topic. Be forearmed: come to China with a cheesy family photo, and listen to this podcast. You'll learn all the vocabulary you'll need to introduce ma, pa, sis and bro.

family, introductions, people

Olympic Training Elementary

It would be remiss to have a Mandarin lesson on training for the Olympic Games without a Chinese learning analogy to go with. So... Ken is your coach. Jenny, your cheerleader. The daily podcast is your pep talk. The expansion sentences are your cross-training and the exercises are, well, your exercises. Please don't eat too much while listening and whatever happens, don't injure yourself. And, if you get burned out, think of Jenny with her pompoms, and all will be right in the world once again.

olympics, sports

上火 Advanced

你是不是常听见有人说,“我最近上火了”、“吃烧烤容易上火”等这类的话?你知道“上火”是怎么一回事吗?你能判断自己是否上火了吗?如果上火了,该怎么办呢?别急,中医可以帮你解决这些疑问。

health, medicine

In-Laws and Drinking Dear Amber

Roll out the red carpet, light your firecrackers and pop the champagne, you're invited to the World Premiere of ChinesePod's newest show, 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! With the help of some expert guests, Amber sheds light on China and Chinese culture in this weekly podcast. So sit back, relax and listen this week as Amber gives you the straight scoop on matchmaking in China, meeting the Chinese in-laws, the mystery behind why Asians "allegedly' turn red when they drink... plus some slang right from the streets of China.


How do you take your coffee? Newbie

Coffee is a harsh mistress. One perhaps best relinquished before you arrive in tea land. But for those who can't face the notion of life without her, here is a Mandarin Chinese lesson modeled on a fantasy utopia-China, where not only could you have your coffee, but your sugar and cream too. Listen in, and you never know, you may just get your cuppa to your liking. If not... there is a Chinese medicine perfect for treating that withdrawal headache.

food, preferences, questions

Calisthenics Upper Intermediate

You may be so busy studying Chinese that your exercise program has gone the way of the rickshaw. Don't wait until the situation degenerates to the point of your robust belly drawing comparisons to a piece of tofu. Listen to this podcast, and learn in Mandarin about exercise programs to suit everyone out there. Heck, you could even try the rickshaw, it's great for trimming love handles.

appearance, health, hobbies

#15 Movie Madness

With the general sentiment being that our clip from Groundhog Day was too easy, we aimed to make The Madness harder this week. Since we can't take down the IMDB, this means choosing a more obscure clip from a (still) relatively well-known film. Our pick this week has it all: romance, explosions, a great script, and a male lead whose name is utterly unpronounceable in Chinese. Kudos to anyone who gets this. If you ALL get it again, we'll switch to showcasing Soviet Cinema. Listen along with Dave, Amber and Jenny and send your guesses to Amber's profile.


Too Much to Drink Newbie

Don't be fooled by the bottles of Russian vodka collecting dust by our water cooler, or the small bottle of baijiu on Amber's desk: the drug of choice here at ChinesePod is caffeine. And while it may be socially-acceptable to quaff a few cups of either while working, one too many will shoot your judgment and send coworkers fleeing in terror. Listen to this podcast and learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to fend off booze-bedraggled assailants.

greetings, people