American favorites from Chinese take out include dishes like crab rangoon, General Tso's chicken and orange beef. However, these dishes are more American than Chinese. In fact, most Chinese people are unlikely to even have heard of these dishes. In this lesson, listen as two Chinese friends talk about American style Chinese food while looking for a bite to eat in the Big Apple. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2074
If you've ever had a roommate, you know how essential it is to be able to accuse someone of snoring. In this Chinese lesson, learn the key vocabulary surrounding snoring, sleeping, and being unable to sleep. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1639
China's recent prosperity has made many of its citizens richer, even the beggars! Realizing that they can make more money from the goodwill of others as opposed to working on their own, some beggars on China's streets aren't in desperate need; they're professionals looking to make a living. In this lesson, learn about the phenomenon of professional beggars and what you can do to tell the real ones from the fake ones. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2062
There's a common but delicious cucumber dish in China called 凉拌黄瓜. Learn exactly what this Chinese dish is, as well as how to make it in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1636
It's well-known that table manners can vary a bit from culture to culture, and that Chinese table manners can sometimes be interpreted as "interesting" abroad. But a new generation of well-educated Chinese travelers are ready to shed that old image. In this lesson, listen in on a discussion on this very topic. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1983
Where do traffic and theater collide? On the streets of China, of course! Sometimes a very minor accident can result in quite exaggerated claims of injury. Learn the key Chinese language involved in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1633
Have you ever heard of the "fan death" phenomenon, well-known in Korea? The theory is that sleeping in a room with closed doors and windows and a fan on will almost inevitably result in a tragic death. Don't believe it? Neither does the person in this dialogue. Listen in and learn... Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1981
So you're boning up on your Chinese in preparation for that epic trip to China. You're trying to cover all the bases. But have you prepared for the "emergency game of hide and seek" contingency? Don't worry; this lesson is just what you need. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1629
Don't you hate it when you have millions of RMB (which you claim you won legally gambling in Macau), but don't have a way of discreetly "converting" that money into squeaky clean assets, seeing as how you're a high-level official in your home county, and your constituents kind of frown on that kind of thing? Yeah, so do we. And we wrote this podcast about it. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1974
Chinese cuisine boasts some of the most varied and tasty dishes in the world. But if you're new to this land, there's a good chance you'll experience the darker side of Chinese food as well: food poisoning. And you know what happens when you get food poisoning, right? Then you know what we're learning in this Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1626
Usually being under someone's spell isn't such a good thing (just ask Brett Favre), but oddly enough, new methods of therapy that utilize hypnosis are becoming popular in China and elsewhere. If you're trying to kick a nasty habit, today's upper-intermediate lesson is just what the doctor ordered. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1971
We live in a world where next-door neighbors are frequently strangers. But it doesn't have to be that way! As a learner of Chinese, you need to get yourself out there, speaking Chinese every chance you get. So if your next door neighbors are Chinese, listen to this lesson and then go introduce yourself! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1623
It seems like an internship is the new "senior thesis." And it's a good thing for business because hey, those interns are cheap! Learn the appropriate language for discussing the prospect of hiring an intern in this business-focused Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1961
Chinese license plates are, of course, "license plates with Chinese characteristics," so they each have a Chinese character on them. These characters typically stand for provinces or municipalities, but sometimes the province-character relationship is less than obvious. In this Chinese lesson, a foreigner gets his Chinese license plate education. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1619
Finally, a ChinesePod lesson for all our opera-loving listeners. Well, not so much operas themselves but bel canto, a world-renowned singing style that's exceedingly popular in China as well. Tune in to find out more! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1954
There are certain personal questions you can expect to be asked in China. Some of them are financial in nature, but others are even more personal. Mentally prepare yourself for these questions with this lesson, while also learning a thing or two about Chinese-style office flirting. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1615
ChinesePod's back with another lesson for all you gamers out there, with a Chinese tilt. We'll cover computer games and console games, plus how to (talk about) hacking your system so you can use all those 7 RMB pirated discs. Get your game on with today's upper-intermediate lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1951
In this lesson, we talk about the glorious modern Chinese tradition of "substitute buying." Making a trip from China to the States or Europe isn't an everyday thing, so naturally you don't mind buying a whole bunch of things on the big long list your friends wrote up, right? Learn about the special benefits of duty-free shops here! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1612
There exists a somewhat uncommon and eccentric business practice utilized by certain companies in China: "military-style management." Predictably, this management style includes a lot slogan-shouting and push-ups. Tune in to today's upper-intermediate lesson to find out more! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1943
Teaching is hard work, so every now and then you might need to come up with an excuse to take a week off, like "surgery" or something. But being the responsible teacher that you are, you're going to need to find someone to take those pesky classes off your hands. Learn how to use Mandarin Chinese to find that substitute teacher in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1609
Salaries at home are confusing enough to calculate after taxes, but they're even more confusing when you're abroad and have no knowledge of local rates and labor laws! Today we'll meet one such confused employee wondering why a substantial portion of their pay has been docked. Learn all about calculating salaries after taxes and vacation days in this upper-intermediate lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1941
What could be more fun than filling out a simple form so that a website can tell you what kind of person you are? Listen in to this Chinese lesson, in which two girls discuss the results of their online personality tests. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1606
"Z Visa," "Alien Employment License," "Foreigner Entry Visa Invitation Letter," "Temporary Residence Permit." If you're not familiar with these terms yet but you want to work in China and handle your own paperwork, this is information you're going to want to study. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1934
When the guys get together for dinner, you know there's going to be some drinking. And if they're at all traditional, it's not beer they're drinking. It's baijiu, the Chinese rice wine that strikes fear into the hearts of foreigners everywhere. In this lesson, learn the names for the finest and the most famous of Chinese baijiu. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1602
Calligraphy as an art form is one thing, but what about just having decent handwriting? Sadly, even that sign of "culture" is going by the wayside in modern China. Why practice penmanship when you can be happily chatting on QQ or texting on your cell phone? This is progress, right? Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1931
If you're a basketball fan, you should have no trouble making friends in China. If you want to do more than non-verbal cheering, though, you might be looking for a few more expressions to refer to your favorite basketball teams. In this Chinese lesson, we've got you covered. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1599
Even if you're able to find an agent from a reliable real estate company to help you find the apartment of your dreams in China, you're still going to be confronted with a massive block of Chinese at the end of the process: the lease. Needless to say, it will probably take you a bit of time to read through the entire document, but today's upper-intermediate ChinesePod lesson should ease the pain a bit! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1924
Ah, meeting people online... there was a time when such matters were routinely lied about, or only uttered in shameful whispers. We're way past that now, though. The topic has become which dating sites are the best, and the shame has been left behind in the dusty corner with all those dial-up modems. Learn how to register, sign in, and meet the love of your dreams online in this Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1596
Back to school! In this edition of ChinesePod's "Saved by the Gong" series, physics students learn the principles of buoyancy. What causes one object to float in a liquid where another one sinks? Learn all about it in this lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2299
The scene is a young couple's bedroom. He's dressed and ready to go, while she's only just begun the long process of outfit deliberation. There will be ideas, questions, new ideas, reconsiderations, and changing of one's mind. If you gain nothing else from this Chinese lesson, at least learn the phrase "I changed my mind." Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1592
