The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons
Excellent Materials for You to Learn Chinese Mandarin Language
Latest Lessons
Your Turn at KTV Elementary
Everyone's waiting for you to belt it out. Sure, you might not be the best singer. You might not even be able to sing at all. But it doesn't matter. It's KTV. Get up there and give it a shot! In this lesson, ChinesePod goes to the KTV.
singing, songs, karaoke, entertainment
Home Remedies or Superstitions? Upper Intermediate
Traditional home remedies throughout the world are known for being a little weird, especially to outsiders. In this lesson, two friends talk about traditional Chinese folk remedies and their value, if any.
Chinese medicine, superstition
Rack Them Up! Intermediate
Get our your pool cues, poddies. In this lesson, ChinesePod heads to the pool hall for a couple of games. Learn how to talk about playing pool in Chinese!
sports, playing pool, entertainment, games
Bad Skype Connection Elementary
Skype conference calls don't always go so smoothly, do they? Listen and learn how to handle connection problems in Chinese!
studying, sound, internet
Cui Jian and His Greenhouse Girl KTV Time
When talking about Chinese rock music, there's one name that you HAVE to know - Cui Jian (崔健, Cuī Jiàn). The so-called "Father of Chinese Rock" spoke for the youth of the 80s and laid the groundwork for a whole generation of Chinese musicians. Learn about the master and his song 《花房姑娘》 (Huāfáng Gúniang, ”Greenhouse Girl“). Click here to have a listen to the song.
songs, music, karaoke, singer
Useful Usages Qing Wen
Using something, taking advantage of something (or someone) can be a tricky business, especially in Chinese with words like 利用 (lìyòng), 趁机 (chènjī) and 顺便 (shùnbiàn). In this QingWen, learn to tell them apart and use them correctly!
opportunity, time
Ways to Break Up Intermediate
Breaking up is hard to do, isn't it? In this lesson, a group of friends discuss the best way for a woman to break up with her boyfriend.
relationships
Restaurants with Entertainment Upper Intermediate
With fierce competition comes innovation, and in the restaurant industry in China that has meant the development of some very interesting services. In this lesson, learn about some of them!
restaurant, acting
Writing Characters vs. Typing Characters Elementary
The rise of computers in China has meant that people write less and less by hand, and spend more time typing their messages. For the Chinese learner, this has made being able to write in Chinese much easier. All one has to do is type out the pinyin for a character and select it! Find out more about this phenomenon in this lesson.
Chinese character, numbers
Chinese Food at Foreign Prices Intermediate
Chinese and foreigners alike would prefer it didn't happen, but shop owners do try to overcharge foreigners now and then. In this lesson, a foreigner visiting Luoyang heads to a local restaurant for a bowl of noodles, only to find an alarming discrepancy in the prices.
eating, price, menu
Chinese Games Part 1: Board Games Beijing Standard Time
This two part series is made for all of you gamers out there. Beijing Standard Time talks about some of China's most popular games. In the first part of the series, David and Tom talk about classic Chinese board games like Chinese checkers, Chinese chess, go and more.
games, mahjong, Chinese Chess
Making the Cut Qing Wen
In Chinese, there are many words that can be translated as "cut". This edition of QingWen takes you through a bunch of them. But be warned, poddies. Things might get a bit gruesome!
cooking, cut, food
I'm Being Followed! Intermediate
It's not a good feeling when you feel like somebody is following you. In this lesson, a woman calls the police when she thinks that someone is following her.
story, police, alcohol
The Colors of Money Elementary
Chinese money, like money in many places throughout the world, is color-coded based its denomination. However, this might come as a bit of a surprise to Americans used to greenbacks. In this lesson, two Americans make the colorful discovery.
money, colors
Alcoholic Attitudes Upper Intermediate
Attitudes towards alcohol, and especially the word “alcoholic” are different in China than in the West. How so? Give this lesson a listen to find out!
alcohol, culture, drinking
Regional Variations on Helpfulness Intermediate
There's a long standing rivalry between Northerners and Southerners in China. As the stereotypes about both have grown over the years, it makes for some interesting conversations and awkward moments. This lesson illustrates one of them.
people, personality, culture
Where'd You Get That Food? Elementary
A coworker or a roommate gets some food delivered and it looks delicious. But a larger question remains: why weren't we consulted? In this lesson, someone orders up some food, and leaves someone else hanging.
eating, food, place
Chinese Graded Readers and ACTFL News and Features
John and Vera from ChinesePod talk about their most recent projects. John has begun to release a graded series of Chinese stories for beginners called Mandarin Companion. Modeled after Western classics, these stories should prove as interesting as they are educational. You can find out which stories are currently part of the series here. Vera is getting ready to represent ChinesePod at the upcoming American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in Orlando, Florida. If anyone wants to meet up and talk Chinese academics, drop her a line!
news, features
Time to Perform Qing Wen
Alright, poddies, it's time to perform! In this edition of QingWen, learn how all the meanings of “perform” and “performance” are rendered in Chinese. From movies and musical concerts to actions in daily life or performance at work, this lesson aims to put on quite a show!
performance, show, entertainment, music, work