ChinesePod - Intermediate

You don't know how you got here, everyone seems shorter than you, and they're communicating in ways you just don't understand. No, you're not in some remote Chinese village; you may be aboard a UFO! So whether you've been having missing time experiences, close encounters, or are just plain obsessed with anal-probes, in this lesson ChinesePod unlocks classified Mandarin podcasts on the otherworldly...

Will the drama never end? (We secretly hope not, as it makes for great lessons). Catching up with Zhang Liang and Chen Li, this time Zhang’s worried that Lili is becoming a bit too interested in her successful ex and decides to go to his “bro” for advice. In this podcast, here a man’s take on women, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0390

Running out of battery on your phone can be a pain when you're waiting for an important call or you're just really eager to see what Kim Kardashian's going to post on Twitter next. If you don't want to carry your charger with you and fight it out for outlet space in a cafe, maybe an external battery pack is for you, but do you know how to deal with a dying battery in Chinese? This lesson will teac...

Though transformers are the flavor of the month, some of us puritans yearn for the simpler days of 'Mother May I' and 'Red Rover.' In this podcast, take a step back in time in China and find out what the kids were up to over here while you were busy playing with your cabbage patch kids and hot wheels. Learn in Mandarin Chinese about what toys the kids from the other side of the block fancied back...

We know our ChinesePod listeners are all good-looking and successful people. This means that at some point you’ll be chairing a meeting. So can we help? You bet we can! All we ask is that you wear your “ChinesePod RULZ” power tie. Listen to this podcast to learn how to conduct a meeting in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0388

A VPN in Western countries can be useful for hiding your less-than-savory browsing history at work, but in China it's an absolute necessity if you have any intention of using international networking sites or Youtube. Learn a bit about this useful cloaking device in today's elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1949

If you thought incense was for creating a mood and that orange robes were a fashion statement... that vegetarianism was just a California fad and nuns were only for Catholics... it's time to listen to this enlightening podcast on the intricacies of Buddhism and Taoism. Learn in Mandarin Chinese about the history, culture, and tenets of two of the most dominant religions in China. Episode link: htt...

You wanted more drama so more drama it is. In this podcast, you’ll learn what a parent-child argument sounds like in Mandarin Chinese. We’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with “homework and good grades”. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0378

It's safe to say that everyone has been on an awful date before. Whether it was that it was horribly awkward, a terrible clash of personalities, or that the other person was just a bedraggled mess, we've all had at least one dating experience that we'd rather forget. Today's lesson is the story of one such unlucky young woman recounting her own nightmare of a date. Tune in to hear more! Episode li...

We like to think of learning Mandarin as "extreme language learning." It's no wonder, then, that "extreme tourism" would go hand-in-hand. What about an "extreme tourism Chinese language learning travel excursion?" Now, that would be cool. Listen in to this podcast and go on just that. (Helmet and shin pads recommended.) Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0587

An overview of the “Fuwa,” the 5 official mascots for the Beijing Olympics. They’re everywhere…as in: can’t-get-away-wake-up-in-cold-sweats-cause-they’re-chasing-you everywhere. We’re talking about “Fuwa”, the 5 official mascots of that small gathering happening next year in the capital. Listen in to this podcast to understand the significance of these cute little guys, in Mandarin Chinese. Episod...

Everyone loves the aquarium: brightly-colored tropical fish, massive sharks, cute otters, and even beluga whales (if you're lucky enough to be in Shanghai, at least). ChinesePod is following a lucky child and their parents to the aquarium today. Learn all the vocabulary for your favorite marine life in today's intermediate lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1873

The web that social networks weave is intricate. To some, an essential socializing tool. To others, perhaps, a time waster. And yet others... a stalker's haven. No matter how one rails against them, there is no doubt that that self-same person is a member of at least two of their own social networking sites. This podcast will teach you the ropes of social networking from Jiangnan to Urumuqi, in Ma...

You’re dealing with four tones, thousands upon thousands of words, and you’re going to try and shop for your own office supplies? Listen in to this podcast to learn how to order some very essential office supplies in Mandarin Chinese. Or better yet, a lesson on making someone else go to pick up those ballpoint pens, printer paper and markers for you! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0349

We love getting visitors at the ChinesePod office here in Shanghai. Thankfully, no matter if you speak Chinese or not, our bilingual staff can offer you a wonderfully fulfilling tour. Unfortunately, not all offices in China are as well-equipped as ours. Today's lesson offers a simple office tour in Mandarin Chinese with some essential workplace vocabulary. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/...

There is a rage sweeping the number geeks of the nation, and it's called Sudoku. ChinesePod, confident that all Chinese-learners are mental gymnasts by nature, brings you enlightenment on this popular mind-puzzle. Now, for those amongst us who are not number-crunchers, think of this podcast as your one chance to learn how to talk about columns, grids, and rows with fluency in Mandarin. And for tho...

Some do it because nowhere else in the world could you get a tailor-made suit for under $100. Some do it because everywhere else in the world laughs at a request for “tight in the bum, boot fit corduroys”. Regardless, you come here, and you leave with twice the amount of luggage. In this podcast, learn how to tell your tailor exactly what you want, in Mandarin Chinese. Study hard, because we’d lik...

Shopping is an integral part of many a tourist's experience travelling. But what do you do when you don't know where to go to get your shopping fix, be it Gucci bags or local handicrafts? Check out today's ChinesePod lesson to learn how to ask your friendly concierge for directions to the local mall in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1795

The clammy handshake... the subsequent perspiring flush of sweat, the blank mind run through the wringer as the suit across the desk shoots out a machine-gun-like barrage of blank-drawing interrogations. All that's missing are the torture devices and spotlight in your face. Do job interviews terrify you at the best of times? No longer! Because job interviews in Chinese are going to be a whiz, afte...

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 th...

In this lesson, we discuss going to see a SCARY movie and what other alternatives there may be. Join Jenny and Grace as they discuss going to see the new Jurassic Park 2. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4092

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...

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. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2045

What do you do when your phone is dying and you don't have a charger? You have to ask to borrow one. Listen to Grace and Jenny as they search for a charger. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4085

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...