The Latest Mandarin Chinese Language Lessons
Excellent Materials for You to Learn Chinese Mandarin Language
Latest Lessons
Do You Want to Go Together? Newbie
It's time for a coffee break. In this lesson, learn how to ask your friend if they want to go with you on a trip to the convenience store for some coffee.
buying, coffee
Interviews: Obama or Romney? Upper Intermediate
Today people across America will be going to the polls to decide on a new president for the next four years. Will it be Obama or Romney? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, people across the world will be watching to see who will be leading this powerful nation in the future, and China is no exception. In this lesson, follow a news reporter as people on the street are interviewed about what they think about the US presidential election.
Obama, interview
Fake Beggars? Elementary
When going out in the evening in Chinese cities, one is likely to run into ragged looking beggars soliciting change from passersby. And while some of these beggars have experienced terrible misfortunes, for others it's just an act to make easy money. In his lesson, learn how to talk about beggars and if you think one is just faking it.
fake, money
The Opposite and The Unexpected: 相反 and 反而 Qing Wen
The use of the words 相反 (xiāngfǎn) and 反而 (fǎn'ér) both have something to do with things being counter or counter to something else. And for many of us, their usage seems to defy expectation... until now! In this Qing Wen, we explore the difference in use and meaning between these two words.
expectation, directions
So Many Airport Fees Intermediate
Airplane tickets can seem so cheap... until you add in the all the taxes and fees. The next thing you know, you're paying a lot more for a flight than you ever imagined. In this lesson, two friends try to take advantage of a discount flight, but find that getting the deal turns out to be harder than they bargained for.
tickets, tax, train
The Price of Marriage Upper Intermediate
Marriage in China is a serious business that involves more than just the complexities of love and interpersonal relationships. In a culture where family is highly revered, marrying someone means becoming part of the family. And this requires making commitments that are both spiritual and financial. For men marrying into the family, this means buying a house, which in a country undergoing a massive real estate boom is anything but a small commitment. In this lesson, two friends discuss the thinking behind this practice.
marriage, house, money
Pens and Notebooks Elementary
Pens and notebooks are essential for any student, especially a student of Chinese. For many students of Chinese, mastering all of those characters requires writing and re-writing them over and over. In this lesson, learn how to go buy yourself some pens and notebooks and get started.
school, students, pen, measure words, buying
Children's Train Ticket Intermediate
Buying tickets in China can be a hurried affair. Train stations can fill up with literally thousands of people all clamoring to get their tickets out of town. And dealing with so many people on a daily basis often makes ticket sellers less than congenial. In this lesson, a mother talks with the ticket seller about buying a ticket for her and her child to take a trip to Nanjing.
tickets, train, transportation, people, children, price
What Do You Want To Eat? Newbie
Take a deep breath. It's time to order your first meal in Chinese. Luckily, many restaurants in China have picture menus which makes ordering a matter of simply pointing to something and saying "I want this". In this lesson, learn how to do just that, as well as discuss briefly with a friend what they want. Easy enough right? But what if they don't have what you want?
eating, food, restaurant, daily life
Increase and Decrease, Rise and Fall Qing Wen
In this Qing Wen, ChinesePod's team rises to the occasion to increase your knowledge about the different ways to talk about things increasing and decreasing in Chinese.
price, numbers, data
The Brave Little Tailor (Part 1) Upper Intermediate
Hear ye! Hear ye! Listen Chinese students and listen well To a classic tale we'd like to tell Of a brave little tailor with pluck and vim Who comes to us from the Brother's Grimm... In this lesson, learn how fairy tales are told in Chinese, complete with more formal language and the use of onomatopoeia.
story, fairy tale
Getting Ready for a Dinner Party Elementary
Start cleaning the living room and getting busy in the kitchen, you're about to have a dinner party. In this lesson, learn how to discuss how many people will be eating and how many dishes to make to prepare for the dinner party. And as someone plans for a dinner party with their housekeeper, you'll also learn how to apologize for causing them extra trouble.
dining, cooking, eating, food
中国人爱储蓄 Advanced
美国人爱消费，中国人爱储蓄。有这么一个故事：美国老太太在年轻的时候贷款买房，享受了几十年自己的房子，去世的时候贷款也还清了。中国老太太存了一辈子钱，终于够买房子了，还没享受就去世了。为什么中国人这么爱储蓄呢？现在的中国人，储蓄观念发生了什么变化呢？快来收听今天的高级课程吧！
money, old people, young people, stocks
Time for a Holiday Elementary
Everyone's always looking forward to their next holiday, but when is it again? Next month? Next week? To help figure it out, in this lesson, we discuss holidays and how to talk about dates and time.
holiday, time, numbers, daily life
Receiving a Package for a Friend Intermediate
E-commerce is big in China. Not a day goes by at offices throughout the Middle Kingdom without someone receiving a package of something that they've bought online. And while toting your goodies home with you is okay, ordering stuff directly to your house by far the most convenient. But will you be home to receive it? In this lesson, someone tries to get their friend to receive their package for them, a task that might prove infinitely more difficult than it sounds...
delivery, package, online shopping
Rice with Soy Sauce Elementary
Does steamed white rice have taste? Well, some of us seem to think so. However, there are those who just can't resist drizzling a bit of soy sauce over it to add a bit of flavor. In this elementary lesson, two friends discuss putting soy sauce on rice.
food, eating, rice
Asking to Be Paid Back Intermediate
Lending money to friends can be a risky business. They might be a good friend, but are they good with money? What's worse, how can you put pressure on a friend to pay you back? In this lesson, two friends discus how to get another friend to pay one of them back.
money, friends, life
Hot Dogs and Fried Rice Newbie
China's known for its fried rice; it's not known for its hot dogs. Still, there are plenty of spots in the Middle Kingdom to grab one these days. Of course, not everybody has an appetite for them...
eating, food, daily life
Sales Part 2: Determining a Customer's Purchasing Power Upper Intermediate
On the streets of China's major cities, it's not uncommon to see Italian sports cars, luxury handbags and expensive wristwatches. China is now full of customers with big time purchasing power, but how do you know who has got the cash to pay a who doesn't? In this next lesson on sales, our instructor gives us some tips on how to determine who our potential customers are and if they have the ability to pay.
business, marketing, sales
Which Train Station? Elementary
When catching a train in a Chinese city, you need to know which train station you're leaving from. Cities will often have several train stations, and they are often nowhere near each other. In this lesson, a traveler in Shanghai is surprised to find that his taxi driver asks him which train station he wants to go to.
transportation, taxi, train, station, directions