ChinesePod

If you come to China you're going to be getting served tea everywhere: in restaurants, homes, even offices. In today's newbie lesson, we'll be joining a young woman as she enters an office. Listen in and learn the language for basic manners and politeness in Mandarin Chinese.

It’s been established you like your city, but why exactly? In this podcast, you will learn how to compare two things using Mandarin Chinese; in this case, cities. The more comparisons you can make, the smarter you sound. And the smarter you sound, the more you like us. And the more you like us, the better the Christmas gift we get from you. See how that works?

China is a nation of early risers, so don't be too surprised when housekeeping starts pounding on your hotel room door at 8am. In this Chinese lesson, learn to kindly and clearly tell housekeeping that you're more interested in sleeping than a tidy room.

Hopefully you've bought plane tickets before and you're aware that the price can vary a bit according to when you buy. With this lesson, you can also be prepared to deal with this reality in Mandarin Chinese!

Ah, tables and chairs. Even the most minimalist decorator agrees that "being able to sit down" and "having a raised surface to put stuff on" are good things. There are a few surprises in store for you in today's Chinese lesson, though, so tune in and learn.

So it's another long, boring morning meeting. What's an employee to do? In this Chinese lesson, the boss makes it clear that it's not OK to sleep during the meeting. Learn the key language here.

Everyone loves birthdays, and chances are if you're new to Chinese they'll be some of the first things you broach in conversation. Learn about birthdays, dates, and days of the week in Mandarin Chinese in today's lesson.

Do you like Shanghai? There may only be one right answer to this question (depending on who's asking), but there are also plenty of viable non-answers. Learn how to navigate this verbal minefield in this Chinese lesson.

We know the challenge of getting into Mandarin Chinese is daunting to say the least, but don't worry, ChinesePod is here to help! Today's lesson is a practical guide for the complete newbie, hopefully assuaging some of the fears associated with learning Mandarin and giving you pointers of what you should do. Be sure to check out ChinesePod's Pinyin Pronunciation Chart; a handy reference for learni...

OK, so we know you're coming to Hong Kong. The question is when. And please speak more clearly, because that old cell phone you use gets terrible reception. We've boiled these sentiments down into one Newbie-sized bite of useful Chinese.

You may know that the Chinese (especially the Shanghainese) are rather open about discussing prices. Housing prices are a conversation staple. But you may be surprised how much a car can set you back in modern China. Learn how to ask how much a car costs, and embrace the harsh financial realities of modern life in the PRC.

It's easy to make friends in China, and before you know it you'll be getting invited over to new friends' houses and inviting your friends over to yours. Today's ChinesePod lesson will teach you the basics of at-the-door pleasantries that you'll exchange when you arrive.

Cola or milk? Sugar or calcium? Cavities or strong bones? While the more healthy choice may be quite obvious, it's still important to know the price of either product as well. Learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to ask for prices in today's newbie lesson.

Fans of "are we there yet" will enjoy annoying their companions with the endlessly repeated question, "what time is it now?" Whether you're just curious, or you're shooting for the "super obnoxious" end of the spectrum, you've got to admit that this is a useful question to master. Cover the essentials in this Chinese lesson.

You're in China and you want some tea. Where do you go? A tea house, of course. But what happens if you can't find one? Perhaps you'll have to settle for another kind of caffeinated beverage...

The office water cooler: this is such a common part of most offices that in English we even have a way of describing gossip that originates there! But what happens when the water runs out? Learn how to talk about this in today's super-practical lesson.

Security checks are a given at airports and most bus stations in China. But these days, you're likely to see them in some subway stations, as well (ahem, Shanghai)! Check out today's lesson to learn some important terms related to safety and security checks.

All eyes are focused on South Africa this summer as the nation prepares to host the World Cup. Check out today's lesson and learn how to describe one important South African export (here's a hint: we hear they're a girl's best friend).

Science is fun! So are sports! But what happens when you want to discuss one in Chinese, but you instead use words describing the other? Sounds like you have a problem with tones, but not to worry! ChinesePod is here to help!

For whatever reason you're in the airport and the flight you've got just won't do. Now comes the tricky part! How do you ask to change your ticket? Find out today with this elementary level lesson.

Today's lesson is all about getting a tan on accident! Tune in to find out all the key tools you'll need to bring to the beach this summer in order to avoid tanning!

Most of us have spam filters on our email inboxes. They certainly make life easier a lot of the time, saving us the hassle of deleting loads of advertisements for unnecessary (and often less-than-wholesome) products. Yet sometimes spam filters also cause problems. Check out today's lesson for some useful technology terminology.

We're off to the shoe store today to pick out a pair appropriate for the summer months. Learn how to describe shoes and shoe sizes in this ChinesePod lesson.

In China you'll have no problem finding many of the fruits you like to eat back home: bananas, apples, watermelons. But China also has a lot of unusual fruits you might have never heard of (or even seen before)! Learn about some of these in today's lesson.

From Papa John's to Pizza Hut, American pizza franchises have become a common sight in China's big cities. Learn how to order the pizza you want with today's lesson.