ChinesePod - Beginner
Episodes
Newbie | Working Hours
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Shanghai bar scene starts with happy hour, but you won’t get the invite if you can’t tell the crew what time you get off work…and you won’...
Elementary | Don't push that button
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These days, there's a button for everything. Buttons help you make your coffee, turn on your computer to get your ChinesePod lesson...there are ev...
Newbie | I'm Married
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dandy, aren’t we? With that custom-made suit you got made here, you’re bound to turn some heads. In this podcast, ward off a wandering eye and lea...
Elementary | Learning the Lei Feng Song
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the old days, Western kids wanted to "Be Like Mike." Chinese kids wanted to "Be Like Comrade Lei Feng." In today's podcast,...
Newbie | When will he return?
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Call me at the office when you land,” your friend says. So you do… He's not in. Now unless you actually envied Tom Hanks in “The Terminal...
Elementary | What's your (animal) sign?
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here's a lesson on Sign Language. In this podcast, you'll learn how to sneakily figure out people's age, based on the twelve-year Chinese ...
Newbie | Is it far?
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So, you’ve used our lessons to land the big contract (we’d like a cut), and all you have to do is meet at their office. Who knew your western GPS ...
Elementary | Table for Three
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever had reservations about eating out in China, this is the Chinese podcast for you! Grab a seat and learn how to book a table in Manda...
Newbie | Cell Phones
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hottest plastic surgery technique to hit China is the surgical removal of mobile phones from the ear. Though it's convenient having it so atta...
Elementary | Get in line!
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For those amongst us who have taken it upon themselves to provide community service in the form of 'Line Management Consulting and Enforcement'...
Newbie | Sing and Dance
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The hills are alive with the sound of the pipa. Singing in China... rife in KTV bars, on street corners, in public parks, in low-budget questionably-d...
Elementary | Leaving Luggage with the Hotel
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps you could have traveled a little lighter, in retrospect. But the fake LV suitcases came in such a beautiful set and they match your outfit so ...
Newbie | Where Do You Live?
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your place is a mess? Didn't make your bed this morning? Get those dirty clothes off the floor and stack those dishes you were leaving for the Ayi...
Elementary | Asking for Leave
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody needs a little time away... and in this podcast you're going to learn how to ask for it in Chinese. With the plethora of guests you'...
Newbie | Cat in the Hat
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If only Dr. Seuss had learned Chinese, children China-over could have had a new chant to repeat after their teachers. "Haohao xuexi, tiantian xia...
Elementary | Stopped at the Gate
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are a few ways of dealing with getting stopped at an apartment complex gate. There is the 'tunnel vision' technique. To truly perfect th...
Newbie | Formal Introduction
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the formal introduction to the formal introduction lesson: You've mastered your Chinese hello and don't know what to do with that awkw...
Elementary | ID Check at the Internet Cafe
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last time this happened you were busted for having fake ID, and robbed of your chance at an illicit beer-enhanced evening. No, they don't think yo...
Newbie | Months
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty days has September... April, June, and November. All the rest... are so easy you won't even need a rhyme. In this podcast, learn the months...
Elementary | Checking Baggage
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You have an inkling from a post-packing teeter on the bathroom scale that your baggage may be overweight. Your only hope to avoid overweight fees is c...
Newbie | Days of the week
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are two methods for learning the days of the week in Chinese. One: this podcast. Two: personalized Chinese days of the week undies. Since the la...
Elementary | Keys, Wallet, Phone
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Good things come in threes. Case in point: watch, bag, DVD. In this case: keys, wallet, phone. All good things, and good things to remember to bring w...
Newbie | Fruit Salad
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could it be key to the Chinese ability to eat three oil saturated meals a day and maintain their girlish (or boyish) figures? No. Trust us. Even the f...
Elementary | Afraid of Dogs
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In China, there aren't really that many dogs around to be afraid of, but a good chunk of the population has a paralyzing fear of dogs. This lesson...
Newbie | Ordering Noodles
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Chinese claim to have discovered the key to a long life... eating noodles on your birthday. While they struggle for immortality, you the Newbie ca...
Elementary | Caught in the Act
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, we've all got our skeletons in the closet. It's just when someone opens the door that we get a little red in the face. In today's po...
Newbie | Do you have...?
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the hierarchy of language learning, there are the 'haves' and the 'havenots.' The 'haves' are those that know how to ask fo...
Elementary | The Panda's Secret Wish
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first cuddly creature to be used in a diplomatic capacity. A country full of bamboo to eat its way through. In its stuffed animal capacity, the fi...
Newbie | He's Not In
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You've arrived, and want to fit in, so start with the national Chinese pastime: cell phone talking (well, it's better than taking up smoking)....
Elementary | Moscow
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You've always had a secret affinity for borscht, and a secret compulsion to buy nesting dolls at neighborhood garage sales. Enter this lesson, whe...
Newbie | Can you Speak Chinese?
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Answering the question "Can you speak Chinese?" in the affirmative is always a proud moment. Perhaps, yes, literally, one moment. Let's ...
Elementary | Seoul
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps best known for remarkable food items such as spicy smelly preserved vegetables and some 'alternative' meats, this capital of Korea is ...
Newbie | Are You Tired?
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discovering these 800-plus podcast lessons, likely you've been up for days, listening. You're not tired yet, due to the language-learning high...
Elementary | Paris
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've got the Summer Palace; they've got Versailles. We've got Shaolin Temple; they've got Notre Dame. They've got stinky cheese; ...
Newbie | Upset
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Reports churning out of celebrity Los Angeles have sparked concern over the latest anti-aging fad: drinking of the tears of young Asian girls. We, Chi...
Elementary | Olympic Excitement
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
08-08-2008. The day we've all been waiting for. The factories are closed, the cars are parked away. The buildings are ready, the skies are blue (h...
Newbie | Where are you going?
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Little did you know when you started learning Mandarin that you would be placed in the thick of an age-old war of 'where' words. Decide which ...
Elementary | Rock, Scissors, Cloth
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The debate over who invented this game is not as heated as the one about who invented the noodle, thankfully. Perhaps the noodle debate could be settl...
Newbie | Getting Nationalities Straight
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Contrary to popular notions, no, we're not all Americans. The nationality guessing game: favorite exchange of bored cabbies and their captive audi...
Elementary | War Zone
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We assume you will never be a foreign soldier in a Chinese army, and sincerely hope that world peace is attained and this lesson will soon be obsolete...
Newbie | How have you been?
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When faced with the 'Do Chinese people really say ni hao ma or are they just succumbing to Englese' quandary, here is a lesson you can use to ...
Elementary | Microsoft
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A little name-dropping serves one well in many environments. 'Brad Pitt' is just too long to say in Chinese, so let's start with a more bu...
Newbie | Buying a Newspaper
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At this juncture, we know some of you bespectacled types are going to show-off your 4,000 character-plus savvy and say you read the Chinese newspaper....
Elementary | Aussie Rules
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Olive-ball may not be big in China, but in Laowai land it is. English, American and Aussie styles may differ quite a bit, but they all hold the same p...
Newbie | Chinese Green Eggs and Ham
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of green eggs is not one so particularly far-fetched in China. Could a 1,000 year old egg be any other color? Sam-I-am has found his place...
Elementary | Golf
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"So, I’m on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama... " If Carl the grounds-kee...
Newbie | What's up?
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we were slangpod.com, this lesson would be called 'whattup.' But for the sake of warding off potential improper English critics, we'll ...
Elementary | Sound Check
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today a little musical interlude for your listening pleasure. This ain't no muzac, nor is it out of tune KTV. On the other hand, it isn't Cold...
Newbie | Time for Class
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Now that 2008 has been declared the "International Year of Languages" by the UN, it's time to buckle down and study Mandarin for world p...
Elementary | Wake-up Call
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No, this isn't the mid-evening call soliciting those 'other' services provided at certain questionable establishments... this is the all i...
Newbie | Hot Soup
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The humble soup. Brought to life by a symphony of slurps... worthy enough to elevate eating to an oral concerto. In this podcast, get 'drinking...
Elementary | Instant Noodles
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Mr. Noodles rage that swept elementary schools in the 80s (crunchy raw with seasoning packet sprinkled on top) doesn't hold a candle to Chines...
Newbie | I Have Class
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No, we are not talking about the Ron Burgundy type of class, we are talking about the kind you go to...or at least supposed to go to. So don't ski...
Elementary | Missing Luggage
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you think the people all look alike, wait until you see the luggage coming out of the conveyor belt. Apparently 394 of the 395 other passengers bou...
Newbie | The Neutral Tone
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oft over looked due to its timid tone and quiet presence, this Mandarin Chinese tone is anything but passive. In this podcast, we visit the sometimes ...
Elementary | Hiking
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You've been stuck on city streets too long. Lace up your shoes, point in the direction of trees, and trade in red China for green with this podcas...
Newbie | The Fourth Tone
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Here we arrive at the last stage in the rise and fall of the four tones of Mandarin Chinese, and poor fourth is a bit of an enigma. Due to his angry t...
Elementary | Barbecuing
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The apparatus may be the same. The venue, similar--give or take a few trees. The wafts of the mouth-watering scent of roasting flesh. You begin to rem...
Newbie | The Third Tone
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The third tone is basically the middle child of the Mandarin line-up. It gets abused like a red-headed step child. Sometimes it's third, sometimes...
Elementary | KTV
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yeaaaah, you've been known to chang a little ge when no one is around. So, stop the bashful act... have a few beers if that helps... and get your ...
Newbie | The Second Tone
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the tones, the second tone is the most exciting. It's a rising tone. Don't get too charged up though, we don't want to turn it in t...
Elementary | I don't want it!
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Watch, bag, DVD... Watch, bag, DVD... Watch, bag, DVD... Watch, bag, DVD... Watch, bag, DVD... Watch, bag, DVD... Watch, bag, DVD... need we say more?...
Newbie | The First Tone
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The alpha, the genesis, dongxi numero uno. All the other tones wish they were this high, but without the other tones, we wouldn't know how supreme...
Elementary | Pearl Tea
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Your last Chinese dining experience has left you with a little post-traumatic stress, yes, but let us assure you that that toothsome slimy black ball ...
Newbie | Is someone in here?
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes bathroom stalls in China don't have doors on them. Though this may seem shocking to some, it's quite convenient when faced with the ...
Elementary | Diet Coke
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No, ChinesePod has not sold out. We have not succumbed to target marketing, multinational corporate conspiracies, nor do we endorse one cola over anot...
Newbie | Bumming a Smoke
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Your doctor tells you to quit, the surgeon general's cancer warning on the pack kinda freaks you out, but the artist in you can't get those wi...
Elementary | Not on purpose
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oops sorry i bumped into you, oops excuse me my umbrella hit your eye, oops I opened the car door into you, oops, oh no, I wiped my baozi juice on you...
Newbie | After You
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's only been rumored to have ever happened in this city once, and that was from a Canadian tourist who was visiting from the Niagara falls regio...
Elementary | Country Standings
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Don't worry if that old hamstring injury dashed your Olympic dreams of bringing glory to your nation... do what Da Shan did... put on a blue silk ...
Newbie | Before Noon, After Noon
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The unending feud between those annoying morning people and their alter-egos, the 'night cats' comes to a Chinese lesson today. Listen in as p...
Elementary | Yang Jie's Diary: The Final Episode
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
Newbie | Turn on the Light, Turn off the Light
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Elementary | Tomb Sweeping Day
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today is Tomb Sweeping Day. The special day of paying respect to ancestors, lighting incense, making burnt offerings, and, like any self-respecting Ch...
Newbie | Handsome Boy
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 boy...
Elementary | April Fool's
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Newbie | A Taxi for Tired Feet
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Elementary | Art Museum
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Newbie | Ten Four
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 disse...
Elementary | Baseball
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Babe Ruth barnstormed in Shanghai, and MLB says baseball was the "unofficial sport" of the People's Liberation Army in the 1940's. B...
Newbie | Hold the MSG
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
Elementary | Cheering
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 egg...
Newbie | Key Card
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 hote...
Elementary | Dublin
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Newbie | Chinese Breakfast
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
Elementary | Going Dutch
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 'Warring Bills' period of Chinese history is officially over for all ChinesePod users. An international treating treaty has been declared,...
Newbie | So Tall!
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Elementary | Event Times
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 whe...
Newbie | Give Me a Kiss
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mouths were intended to be used for so much more than speaking Chinese. Sometimes the language of love communicates better than the best vocabulary, s...
Elementary | Bank Hours
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Newbie | That's enough tea
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 lear...
Elementary | Equestrian
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Long before Catherine the Great made equestrian famous, people used to jump things on horseback. But not in China. Considering their stature and overu...
Newbie | Forget It
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Quite possibly the most useful phrase around, 'forget it' has been well-used by many a sulky teenager, dejected lover, pms-ing girlfriend and/...
Elementary | Finding One's Seat
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 sidesh...
Newbie | Do you have a girlfriend?
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Elementary | Whatever...
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coined phrase of sulky teenagers and pet phrase of indecisive girlfriends. When you know what you don't want but not what you do want, turn to thi...
Newbie | How is business?
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Now, due to being asked so many personal questions by nosy neighbors, we know you all were waiting for the lesson on 'none of your business.' ...
Elementary | The Super Bowl
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Glendale, Arizona. The home of Super Bowl XLII. No, that's not a world record sized wok, it's football, American style. The New England Patrio...
Newbie | Are you OK?
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Someone's fallen and they can't get up. You want to help, but likely due to the stress of the whole ordeal, you've forgotten every Chinese...
Elementary | Cold from Biking
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If the potholes, rogue taxis and silent electric bikes passing on the right don't get ya, cold will! Sure, snow pants and moon boots seem cumberso...