You know (from watching Tom Hanks save the world again) that lemon or milk depends on the brew, but would you be able to order a proper cup of PG Tips in Mandarin? Let’s hope so…no, wait, instead of hoping, in this podcast let’s give you a Mandarin Chinese lesson on black and green tea, for your drinking pleasure. Whhhhooooooooeeeeeeeeee!!! (That was supposed to be a kettle sound effect). Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0277
Surely you never thought that having change could be so important. However, when you pull out one of the “hundred dollar bills” (not as much as it sounds), you just may be leaving without anything. In this podcast, you’ll learn how make sure you’ll be able to use your Mandarin Chinese to get all of your coin back… plus, we finally find out *why* Jenny loves chocolate so! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0177
They’re handed out for any and every reason…but what do you say? “Thanks” might seem a little bland, but then again, “WOW! You’ve such fine taste in paper!” might be a bit over the top. So then what? Better find out--you’ll be doing it about 12 times a day. In this podcast, learn to do the ol’ card exchange, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0272
A big house full of needles, beds with restraints and gloves that are lubed for a reason and you still think “winging it” at the hospital will get you by? For those less confident, it’s Dr. Ken and Nurse Jenny to the rescue, in a Mandarin Chinese lesson on visiting the man who didn’t attend eight years of medical school to be called “xiansheng”. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0170
Fact: no matter how prepared you are for it; you will take that piece of chicken and bite down hard. Fact: most chicken here comes still on the bone, no matter the size Fact: the face you make upon losing a molar will look like you don’t enjoy the meal Fact: we want you to make friends, not offend them. Fact: learning how to say “ouch” will help. In this podcast, learn how to express pain in Mandarin Chinese, as well as deal with the toothache aftermath of the episode with the chicken bone. Epis...
Hard as it is to believe, as we look out our window to people doing tai chi in pajamas and 6:00am ballroom dancing with perfect hair--there might be a few “dullards” in your life. In this far from boring podcast, we liven things up a bit and help you to talk about someone boring, using Mandarin Chinese. You’ll never be bored again. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0167
Although we don’t foresee you—after being force-fed fruit an hour after a 14-dish meal (on those cool tables that spin around)—suffering from “hunger pains,” there might be a chance that your Chinese pal will say this to you…all the time. So, in this podcast, learn to talk about being hungry (or not), in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0257
Explaining in another language that you “have your father’s eyes” is dangerous, seeing as a simple grammatical mistake could mean you actually took them from him…which won’t get you invited to stay in anyone’s home. We don’t want things to be hazardous for you--thus the lesson. Learn how to talk about which parent a baby looks like…however, any comments about us having our mother’s hips will result in a beating. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0164
No, it’s not the Proclaimer’s one hit – nor is it Tinky Winky’s (too controversial, even for our Saturday Show) tune – but we do have an ole melody from yesteryear that tikes learn. We’re working on another…a little ChinesePod tune: We love you You love us Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0253
Few things in life are certain: 1. Life 2. Death 3. A non-English speaking barber might struggle in getting that “feathered” look you’re after So, it’s John and Jenny to the rescue, in the wind-blown form of a lesson on “getting a do”. In this podcast learn how to communicate some essentials to your friendly neighborhood barber cutting right there on the sidewalk in Mandarin Chinese. ChinesePod--not afraid to wear ours up, and away from the face. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0161...
We don’t know if you heard but, (if not—were you on Mars?) Beijing’s got the Olympics here in 2008. So we thought we’d make sure you can hold your own in a conversation with a Beijingerrrr (those “r’s” will make sense when you come)—or anyone, for that matter—about all the excitement. In this podcast we teach you Olympic terms in Mandarin Chinese…and if you’re lucky, Jenny will be honest about her “shot-put” background. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0247
In Chinese, you often encounter single characters that have multiple related meanings. This has the potential to confuse learners because sometimes it is hard to make connections between component characters and their meanings within multiple-character words. That's why we created this Character Mind Map series, where we focus on characters and the words they make up.Today, we're talking about 蛋 and all the interesting words using this character. Let's check them out! Episode link: https://www.c...
Now you’ve used your Mandarin skills to find the hotel, check-in, order in some room service—but wait! There is something essential you forgot to learn how to say. In this podcast, we aid you in making a phone call to the front desk to ask for some essential items, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0242
In our previous newbie tone change series, we have introduced the tone change rules for 不, 一, two third tones, and three third tones. Just like many other aspects in the Chinese language, tone changes are more nuanced than the rules you see in textbooks. That's why for the elementary tone change series, we decided that we would reinforce the rules with the help of dialogues that you hear in everyday conversations. Practice and familiarize yourselves with the sounds, and you'll be a tone master i...
You just thought the “what’s that, what’s this” went out at 7 years old…wrong. From the moment you realize that 山 means (and looks like a) “mountain,” you’ll be hooked. You’ll want to learn more. We want to help. The world wants you to listen. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0239
Chengyu are Chinese idioms that consist of four characters. Although they originate from classical Chinese, Chengyu remain as an important aspect in both spoken and written language. They may seem erratic and confusing to you at first since they don’t follow the usual sentence order and their meanings depend heavily on context. But don’t worry, in this Chengyu series, we will introduce simple Chengyu made up with all the characters that you already knew, and you can infer the actual meaning by l...
Let’s face it, all excuses aside, you learn Chinese to be cool – the same reason we buy gifts abroad for people, the same reason we send postcards. What’s that? You don’t know how to send a letter? By all means, let us help. In this podcast, come with us to the post office and learn how to mail a letter in China, using Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0235
Know the difference between “Wang Fu Jing” and “Nan Jing Lu”? In one place you can find “The Bund”, in the other you’ll eat a “bun”…know the towns we’re talkin’ bout (Willis)? The two centers of the middle country, of course! In this podcast, Ken and Jenny referee the Beijing VS. Shanghai rumble. You will learn to talk about China’s two most famous cities using Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0156
In Indonesia it’s “Bali Belly,” Mexico “Montezuma’s Revenge,” and in China… commonplace. There’s a good chance that despite how tasty those hairy crabs look (or not), your tummy might disagree. In this podcast learn how to express your stomach woes in Mandarin Chinese (You’ll notice we didn’t make this an intermediate lesson as *detail* isn’t needed). Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0229
The fact that ChinesePod’s size 12 foot gets laughed out of every shop in town should clue you into something…you’re big, they are not. Realizing that, we couldn’t pass on doing a lesson on a domicile being diminutive. In this podcast, learn how to talk about housing and the size thereof in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0153
Ask anyone who’s flown into Pudong Int’l Airport and we promise that the words “laid-back” and “relaxing” will never cross their lips. So should that suitcase full of Imodium AD and ChinesePod backup CDs go a-missing, this podcast will prepare you well. In this lesson you will learn how to say that you can’t find your luggage. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0226
We know all ChinesePod learners wanna look cool, so when we realized you might leave the house wearing something a little lacking that “je ne sais quoi”, we immediately put together a lesson to aid you with that conversation. You can’t have “ChinesePod” without “C-H-I-C”, so in this podcast learn all about what suits you, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0149
Things that will get you the best seat in the “jia”: 1. Saying “I love Yao Ming!” 2. Saying “I love Chinese food!” 3. Saying “I love China” So, for those who don’t know of giant basketball players, or who haven’t yet ventured out into the “hairy crab” food section, in this podcast we’ll make sure you know how to confess your love for the P.R.C. in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0221
Any one of us here will tell you the golden rule of dining: Never, we mean never, ask what kind of meat it is. So, should you care to counter that “Mystery Meat” with something that came from the earth, of course it’s ChinesePod to the rescue. In this podcast, we help you to learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to ask for something green--before you turn that same color. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0146
If your height, hair color, eyelashes, and big feet somehow don’t scare off the kiddo cowering behind his mother’s leg, you might find yourself with a new little friend. So either you confuse him even more by throwing in what you’ve learned up ‘til now (see: taxi lingo, mild insults) or ask him that age-old question that always gets you an answer in the form of fingers. In this podcast, you will learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to ask someone how old they are. Episode link: https://www.chinesep...
Forget wedgies, spit-balls and unsuccessfully trying to hold number one until after nap-time; if you can’t find your class, it’s going to be a bad year. In this podcast, Jenny (head of the class) and Ken (sat at the back of class) give you a Mandarin Chinese lesson in helping you find your classroom. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0143
Any stroll down Wangfujing or Nanjing Lu will tell you the shops aren’t the only ones selling. Constant “hallo!’s” tailed with “bag?” “watch?” and “DVD?” will follow you no matter what you do to escape. So, either learn how to walk faster, master the “laowai lookaway,” or simply find a brilliant podcast that will teach you “no, thank you”, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0213
In Chinese, you often encounter single characters that have multiple related meanings. This has the potential to confuse learners because sometimes it is hard to make connections between component characters and their meanings within multiple-character words. That's why we created this Character Mind Map series, where we focus on characters and the words they make up.Today, we're talking about 包 and all the interesting words using this character. Let's check them out! Episode link: https://www.c...
We know you would *never* lower yourself to buying a “Rolax” here and passing it off as an original for someone’s birthday, but we’re sure that “friend of yours” will. So how to politely suggest that the opening bid might be a bit out of your range? A lesson on acting incensed by the price could save you a few “jiao.” In this podcast, learn how to tell someone “it’s too expensive” in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0209
We’ve helped you get through that initial “hi”, “thanks” and “where is the toilet” (all you need, really), but you’d like to stop talking about “hi”, “thanks” and “where is the toilet” (your friends are bored). So why not ask them about their interests? In this podcast, Ken and Jenny take time from their hobbies (walking on the beach, talking about feelings) to help you learn how to ask others theirs, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0141
