ChinesePod - Beginner

The unending feud between those annoying morning people and their alter-egos, the 'night cats' comes to a Chinese lesson today. Listen in as pre-noon takes on post-noon, chipper good mornings take on groggy good afternoons. Listen and learn in Mandarin how to do battle for control of the alarm clock setting.

All good stories have to come to an end, including the saga of our friend Yang Jie. She kinda got sick of writing, as diary-keepers usually do. Plus, we were starting to feel like creeps, slinking into her room every night to sneak a peek. In this podcast, find out how things turn out for Yang Jie and co-stars. How do you say in Chinese: "She's not that into you..." Episode link: htt...

Open the lights and turn off the door, er, I mean, turn on the lights and close the door... why is this so confusing? Just get in here and pretend you love me. Close the lights if you have to. In this podcast, a Mandarin Chinese lesson on how to turn on/off the lights. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0744

Today is Tomb Sweeping Day. The special day of paying respect to ancestors, lighting incense, making burnt offerings, and, like any self-respecting Chinese holiday... lighting off firecrackers. The holiday also favored by those with money to burn. So open up your wallet, light up your money, and listen to this podcast to learn more in Mandarin about the traditions of tomb sweeping. Episode link: h...

Oh, look at him. He's a cross between Tony Leung and a young Ken Carroll. No, more like Chow Yun Fat meets John Pasden. Those are the handsome boys in this neck of the woods... how about yours? Listen to this podcast and learn how to talk about them, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0737

Being a new language student, everyday can feel like Fool's Day, so think of today as a day to celebrate fools. Take your turn laughing at someone else. Pull the worst fool-causing prank you can, and spend the next year reliving it during those moments of Mandarin learning mortification. In this podcast, we help, with the ole not-so-original but oh-so-easy-to-pull-off Chinese 'hot-sauce-in...

Though they scare us, rip us off at times, and don’t wash the white seat covers nearly enough, there’s nothing like the vindication of winning the taxi battle and claiming your prize of a ride home. This lesson reminds us of all the times we almost wanted to kiss the taxi driver that finally stopped for us on a rainy day. Listen and learn how to snag your taxi, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: h...

Everyone knows there are a lot of fakes in China. Fake prada, fake watches, fake art students... yes, those too. So stay away from those sweet looking Nanjing Lu predators, and stick to the real art museums of China. Where treasures of jade bok choy and 50,000 renditions of West Lake lie awaiting your discovery. Educate yourself, art-wise and Mandarin-wise, in this lesson. Episode link: https://ww...

No, it's not a lesson on CB radio lingo, good buddy. Rather, it's those pesky Chinese tones again. In this podcast, a Mandarin lesson to dissect the difference in sound between the perfect 10 and oft-maligned 4. Listen in, and you'll be blowing them away with the 'forty lions' tongue twister at the next game show that comes your way. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/072...

Babe Ruth barnstormed in Shanghai, and MLB says baseball was the "unofficial sport" of the People's Liberation Army in the 1940's. But 60 years later, only five Mandarin swinging ball players have made it to the big leagues, all coming from the talent pools of Taiwan. Opening day is 'round the corner, so listen to this podcast and take a swing at this lesson on "fat-big-...

Some people are addicted to coke, others to crystal meth, but for the Chinese, the white powder of choice is none other than MSG. True, the MSG high leads to jacked up tasting pleasure, but if you want to avoid the crash, you might want to ‘just say no.’ Listen to this podcast to learn how--do your part in the War on MSG. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0724

Whether you've headed to this lesson because you're feeling a little lethargic in your study efforts, or because the idea of a cheerleader egging you on brings you some sort of post-jock high school flashback comfort, you're sure to gain a little spring in your step. Listen to this podcast when you're feeling down--Jenny will wave her pompoms and teach you to study Mandarin and not...

Just when you learned the Chinese word for 'key', technology had to come in and mess it all up for you. In this podcast, check-in to your hotel with us, in Mandarin, and feel the sense of accomplishment of finding your room, all in Chinese! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0721

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet....Ken Carroll!?? Whilst Ken may not be as hot as Molly Malone, he certainly knows his way about Dublin. Listen to the Sino-Irish man himself as he takes you on a Mandarin Chinese tour through the streets of the capital of Ireland with all its pubs, pints, and...eh... leprechauns. Episode link: https://www.chine...

The visions you're having of glistening bacon and bottomless coffee might very soon be dashed. A lumpy curdled bowl of soy product and noodles a la oil don't appeal at 7:00 am? Wait till you taste... you just might come over to the Chinese side of breaky. This ain't no mini-wheats. 5,000 years in the development, learn in this podcast how to eat breakfast, China-style. Episode link: ht...

The 'Warring Bills' period of Chinese history is officially over for all ChinesePod users. An international treating treaty has been declared, and it involves a handy little phrase that will be an instrument in achieving restaurant check peace. Listen to this podcast to learn what it is, and make your contribution to world Chinese dinner table harmony. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod....

Granted, the 'you're tall' compliments have gotten fewer and farther between since Yao Ming had to come on the scene and wreck it for all of us. However, you can still milk some around here... just get some high heeled boots. Listen to this podcast, which will teach you not only to tell someone your height, in Mandarin Chinese, but also teach all you imperialists to think metric. Episo...

We are not talking about the starting time of your own athletic competition... the last of which was probably field day at your junior high school where you took home the purple "honorable mention" ribbons in every event you entered. We are talking about the best athletes in the world, and they are going to be here in China before you know it. So sit back in your lazy boy, grab some Chee...

Mouths were intended to be used for so much more than speaking Chinese. Sometimes the language of love communicates better than the best vocabulary, so it never hurts to get a little lip service... In this podcast, get smoochy-smoochy with us and learn to ask for a kiss, in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0709

You've camped out for U2 tickets, queued for boxing day sales... but the bank? Waiting outside the bank before it opens is a national pastime and community social event in China. So take your number (ah, so this is why they line up at the screech of dawn), take a seat and hunker down for your lesson in patience. While you wait, listen to this podcast on bank hours in Chinese and secure your te...

The kind host refilling your tea for the twenty-fourth time is indeed generous, but for those of us with TB (tiny bladder), we just might need to learn to tell them when to quit. Listen to this podcast, and learn to graciously decline another cup in Mandarin Chinese. Either that, or just sip slower. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0704

Long before Catherine the Great made equestrian famous, people used to jump things on horseback. But not in China. Considering their stature and overuse of the word ma, if any nation should dominate a sport, it's the Chinese in equestrian. Sadly this isn't the case, due to an ancient declaration of karaoke as the national sport. In this podcast, learn about this Olympic sport, in Mandarin....

Quite possibly the most useful phrase around, 'forget it' has been well-used by many a sulky teenager, dejected lover, pms-ing girlfriend and/or frustrated communicator. Listen in to this podcast, and learn how to get the most out of this multi-faceted conversation concluder, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0700

Even though your waiguoren butt is not going to fit in these seats, you'll at least be able to find the right one. Avoid becoming the event sideshow whilst dislodging said bum from said seat in front of an audience of 50,000. Study this lesson and you'll know how to find your correct seat in Mandarin. Listen to the podcast while running on the treadmill and kill two birds with one stone. E...

Of course, being a single man-about-town in a city chock-full of laowai-hungry gals this phrase will not come in handy at all. But, on the off-chance you find yourself being pursued, listen to this podcast and learn the language of getting hit-on, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0696