ChinesePod - Beginner

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. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2059

While “how much” is usually reserved for all the bargaining you do here, it can also be used for “quantifying things,” meaning that you need to understand “measure words,” which means we need to make you a lesson on it… lest your retort to “how far is it” be “too expensive!” Listen in and expand your knowledge of this especially fun element of the Mandarin Chinese language. Episode link: https://w...

The maître d’ asks (in Chinese) “how many “--but you don’t understand, and resort back to your old days of “greasing the palm.” So she sees the 100 kuai note and assumes that you’re dining with 99 others. You’re more than welcome to book the place, or perhaps a quick Mandarin Chinese lesson on “how many?” would aid. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0351

Children are well-known for their boundless curiosity. It can be heartwarming and wonderful to behold on occasion, but if you're a parent, you're well aware that endless questions with no simple answers can get old quick. Today's dialogue features one such Chinese parent's predicament. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2030

Younger brothers can sometimes be a nuisance, breaking your things or asking you an endless amount of questions (kids are curious, after all). But more often than not, we can't help but feel proud for them. In this lesson we learn how to introduce our younger brother and tell his age. Younger brothers can sometimes be a nuisance, breaking your things or asking you an endless amount of questions (k...

Oh, you’ll find yourself in that uncomfortable situation, the one where you come here to visit us, and the guy next to you starts talking (in Chinese) about the upcoming Olympic marathon. Do you really want to be that person who just ends up saying “xie xie” the whole time? No. You don’t. In this podcast, learn to talk marathons with the best of them, in Mandarin Chinese Episode link: https://www....

Today's newbie lesson will teach all of you who've just started learning Chinese how to give a basic self-introduction. We admit, this framework may not knock you off your feet with its scintillating content, but hey, it's functional and will get your point across. Learn how to let people know where you're from and what you do in Mandarin Chinese today! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/202...

You’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Finally, the Olympics are here and you won’t have to hear about them anymore. No, but really, the Olympic opening ceremonies are a grand spectacle that is amazing to witness. Learn to talk about them in Mandarin Chinese, and about trying to buy tickets (good luck!) in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0287

Once again, we respect your individuality. Thus the choices: When you need to throw that “baozi” napkin away, you can either make a “throwing” gesture – which would lead to an in-depth discussion on the NBA – or simply ask where it belongs. It’s up to you. We’ll love you either way. If you choose to listen, this podcast will teach you how to ask the location of something, and to point someone in t...

That “Cocktail Party” lesson got you an invite to dinner, and you even went as far to buy the traditional gift of “duck neck” to hand over to your guest. But what say you when the door is opened? In this podcast, learn some Chinese etiquette on being a good guest, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0326

It is common workplace knowledge that the reason Rian the Intern took a long sabbatical a few months back was because he was so deeply touched by “Love, Actually” that he got back into poetry. So this podcast is for him--and everyone else who still believes in the power of love-- an oh-so-special Mandarin Chinese lesson on Valentine’s Day gift-giving. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0425

Wo ai ni. I love you. I mean it. Look at these flowers i bought you, and these chocolates. And this card... it is a Hallmark day after all. Nothing says i love you like a lesson about Valentine's Day. After all... the Chinese celebrate not one, not two, but THREE Valentine's Days. And who said Mandarin wasn't the language of love? Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0791

Not that you’d ever find yourself in a position to identify what something is (this said we we’re still recovering from the “calf brain” we unknowingly tried last weekend), but should you wish to identify before ingesting, you might (burp) benefit from a lesson on asking what something is. In this podcast, learn how to ask what something is in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod...

It's the first day of college, and a younger sister is asking lots of questions about the older brother's classmates. The three de's Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/3037

Getting lost is an inevitable problem even you have Google Maps on your phone. Sometimes we still have to ask someone for help. So today, we’re going to learn what we can say when we are lost. Let’s get started! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4364

The fact that they invented them means that they can set them off all night (and we do mean ALL night) – but what does a parental talk before the fireworks begin sound like? A cracking lesson to get you in the Chinese New Year mood! (Oh, that’s right, you don’t celebrate this holiday there… we’ll send you a postcard.) In this podcast, learn to talk about these dangerous little explosives in Mandar...

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? Episode link: https://www.chi...

It's the day before Chinese New Year and everyone is antsy to get home to have dinner with their families. Some employees are able to get off work early and head home, but not everyone is so lucky... Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2368

The tones of Mandarin Chinese are a challenge for every learner. You don't just master tones in a week; it's a lengthy process. One thing you're going to be doing for a while, then, as a dedicated learner, is clarifying the tones for the words you're learning. In this lesson, learn the crucial question for asking "what tone is that?" Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2024

In the second video starring guest host Dan, we discuss a dialogue between two co-workers. One of them is very inquisitive, asking lots of questions about what the other person likes to do in their free time. The responses are not the most polite or detailed of answers. Learn ways to ask "What do you like to do when you're working/relaxing/at the weekend. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/3...

When you're first learning Chinese, it's pretty tough to express your basic opinions, needs, and desires when you don't know the names of the various objects that surround you. Today's lesson will teach you a useful phrase that will let you smoothly ask your teacher what something is called in Chinese USING Chinese! Handy! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2020

Everyone's got different preferences for living situations. Living with roommates can be vexing for those who desire personal space but a necessity for those who crave constant human interaction. Learn how to talk about your own housing situation in Mandarin Chinese in today's elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2013

No matter how linguistically well-prepared you may be when you visit China for the first time (all thanks to ChinesePod, of course!), you'll still inevitably encounter any number of awkward and embarrassing situations that will require a basic exchange of niceties in the local language. Today's newbie lesson will equip you with the most basic of phrases to both apologize for your blunder as well a...

In certain groups, McDonalds has been renamed the “McEmbassy” – and no matter how much you tell yourself you won’t, you will end up caving in to that craving for something familiar. So what would a burger order sound like? A super-sized lesson, that’s what. Listen in to this podcast and learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to order food in a fast food restaurant. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod....

There're always people breaking rules, such as eating in a library or taking pictures in a museum. Do you want to stop them but don't know how? In this lesson, we are going to learn how to ask people not to do something and ask whether can we do something. Let's get started! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4352