ChinesePod - Beginner

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...

Newbie | A Ghost Outside

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With Halloween making its marketing inroads to modern China, the ghosts are sure to follow. Turn out the lights, shine a flashlight on your face and g...

Elementary | Diving

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though diving out of the way of oncoming vehicles has not yet been included in the Olympic roster, that could change any day now. Hey, don't laugh...

Newbie | Pumpkin Food

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While Linus is keeping his Great Pumpkin vigil in the pumpkin patch, his counterparts in China are doing their own chowing down on the culinary deligh...

Elementary | No Kidding

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It may seem quaint or funny, maybe even a little melodramatic, but when you need it and find yourself flailing in the green, oolong, bubble tea sea......

Newbie | Phone Call for the Boss

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the chorus of cell phones belting out staticky Chinese pop songs and Crazy Frog remixes, identifying your ring tone can be a challenge, at best. ...

Elementary | Too Picky

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You may feel that it is your God-given right to not have the eyes of your shrimp staring back at you from the plate. Or that bones in your fish are no...

Newbie | Speaking and Writing

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is said that the ability to speak and write is what separates us from the monkeys. Now, if you want to be the Monkey King, then try your hand at le...

Elementary | Preparing for the Heat

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you come to Beijing in August for the Olympics, you'll meet a sea of umbrellas and wonder if you watched the wrong weather report. If the Chi...

Newbie | Something to Do Tomorrow

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With a new ChinesePod podcast coming out every day, all Cpoddies everywhere always have something to do tomorrow. So, listen to this lesson on how to ...

Elementary | Getting Water Delivered

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There was once a fair maiden who lived five stories up, no water to drink, not even a cup. How DOES a princess hire a 60 year old man to carry a five ...

Newbie | Finding the Teacher

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The title of this lesson may bring back painful childhood memories of that field trip to the museum; the one where you got lost somewhere between the ...

Elementary | Hawaii

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's face it, it's December, we'd all rather be there than here... those more fortunate are, those of us less fortunate are sitting here ...

Newbie | Too Fat

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Finally, a place where to be fat is to be glorious. So, next time your friend tells you've gotten fat since coming to China, don't start looki...

Elementary | The Dice Game

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This ain't no slummy fuzzy pink dice dangling from some cracked rearview mirror, peeps. We're talking dice of the hardcore, extreme-sport-gami...

Newbie | Don't Leave

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've spent the last year glued to your headphones in a "The Fix" induced trance-like chant. One day you wake up and your significant o...

Elementary | Tennis Anyone?

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pop quiz. We know you are all Jenny Zhu's biggest fans. But while you're all a-sighing over her, what makes little Jenny Zhu's heart go pi...

Newbie | Eating Tofu

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So, you're thinking a lesson on eating tofu sounds about as bland as that spongy white square of mush on your plate? That's what you thought.....

Elementary | Buying a Bouquet of Flowers

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This friendly reminder lesson goes out to all you boyfriends, husbands, secret admirers, penpals, joe blows and stalkers in the land... buy some flowe...

Newbie | Knowing the Teacher

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listening to ChinesePod podcasts every day, one gets to know many profound things from teachers Ken and Jenny. But of course, to quote the infamous Mi...

Elementary | World Records

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Put down the bowl of... what IS that... there's no world record for eating the most chicken feet, and you fell asleep three hours after setting ou...

Newbie | What's tomorrow?

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So you download the BitTorrent file of 500 ChinesePod podcasts and hole yourself up for days on end learning Mandarin and laughing along with Ken and ...

Elementary | Getting Dressed

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though XYZ doesn't translate well into Chinese (that being said, the letters X, Y and Z do have great pinyin potential), you may find yourself in ...

Newbie | Identifying Family Members

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The one-child policy might make a conversation about family members in Mandarin Chinese seem like a breeze. Be forewarned: to a nation of only childre...

Elementary | Sailing

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sailing? In Beijing, you say? Boats gliding through the moat of the Forbidden City? Or a fake ocean to go with the fake ski hill? No... even better. Y...

Newbie | How do you take your coffee?

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Coffee is a harsh mistress. One perhaps best relinquished before you arrive in tea land. But for those who can't face the notion of life without h...

Elementary | Thanksgiving

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing talk of turkey and mashed potatoes is like cruel and unusual punishment to oven-deprived China-ites. Rather than drooling, get into the spirit...

Newbie | Too Much to Drink

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Don't be fooled by the bottles of Russian vodka collecting dust by our water cooler, or the small bottle of baijiu on Amber's desk: the drug o...

Elementary | Hard of Hearing

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Screeching scooter brakes, cacophonous construction and prolonged iPod use to block it all out is a China dweller’s recipe for auditory undoing. Bef...

Newbie | Time to Go

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No, this is not another in our 'taking the classroom to the bathroom' series of Mandarin lessons. Rather, this lesson is about having to get g...

Elementary | Athlete Injuries

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In China, potential injuries are lurking around every corner. Prepare yourself... when your foot is stomped on for the twenty-fourth time in one bus c...

Newbie | I'm hot!

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For those of us all sweaty in our China summer, this lesson has a special significance. We want to know how to voice our complaints to the weather god...

Elementary | Scary Clown

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Clowns freak people out. They have weird hair, and what's with the big shoes? 10 million crying children can't be wrong. Who came up with clow...

Newbie | I Can't Write It

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Never thought we'd one day be just another illiteracy statistic, but, alas, learning Mandarin can be a humbling undertaking. If you just wrote dow...

Elementary | Yang Jie's Fury

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Men everywhere know about the fury of the woman scorned, but that holds nothing in comparison to that of a hormone-raging, pubescent, Sweet Valley Hig...

Newbie | Pretty Ugly

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since 'politically correct' is getting kind of old, ChinesePod today teeters on the edge of controversy with a purely shallow Mandarin Chinese...

Elementary | Yang Jie's Diary: He's Not Stupid

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this excerpt from Yang Jie aka the Princess' Diary, we get to see how a library date pans out for the under-appreciated Wang Wei. Will he make ...

Newbie | Someone Needs A Shower

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's face it. With the rising temperatures of summer, some of those around you may not realize that they are a little bit stinky. Today we are go...

Elementary | Wang Wei's Diary: The Importance of Brains

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You know the old adage: if they don't find you handsome, they better find you brainy. It's revenge of the nerds in this episode of Diaries of ...

Newbie | Really Good Food

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How to win over Chinese friends and wrangle more dinner invites? It's all about the compliments, people. Learning how to wax poetic about food bod...

Elementary | Li Yan's Diary: More and More

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The romance seems to be escalating. Things are getting juicy. They've gone from studying to eating to... utterly scandalous... watching movies tog...

Newbie | Asking for English Books

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You're in the place aptly dubbed "Book City," and the masses of Chinese characters overwhelm you like the masses of humanity you just jo...

Elementary | Yang Jie's Diary: Date with a Nerd

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's about time the nerds of the world got some respect. Bookworm Wang Wei seems to be trying to win the heart of fair Yang Jie. What does Yang Ji...

Newbie | Asking for a Phone Number

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the risk of subjecting our poor receptionist to an onslaught of telephone calls from Jenny fans trying out this newly-acquired language tomorrow mo...

Elementary | Wang Wei's Diary: Food and Girls

04 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In today's diary entry, we get the male perspective on life in the world of Li Yan, Yang Jie and Wang Wei. Why does Wang Wei stare at Yang Jie eve...

Newbie | What meat is this?

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a place where anything with its back to the sun qualifies as dinner, you’ll need to be “alternative” meat savvy. This lesson will save you fr...

Elementary | Li Yan's Diary: Love and Italian Food

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some may deem it 'nosy,' but we prefer the term 'inquisitive.' This week, we find another diary under the mattress, and this time it&#...

Newbie | Repeat After Me

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though we all wish we sounded like Jenny when we repeat after her, the old adage is true, that practice makes (well, almost) perfect. So don't giv...

Elementary | Yang Jie's Diary: Everyone Is Dating

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a Mandarin Chinese lesson to take you back to the simpler days of ugly boys, teenage angst and unrequited crushes. Yes, come with us as we sne...

Newbie | My Dog

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are dogs to love (big, drooly, friendly pups) and dogs to love (loyal, best friend mutts)... hey--who doesn't love pooches? (No offense to t...

Elementary | New York City

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New York City? What the heck does learning Chinese have to do with New York City? Don't be naive. In the gritty underworld of the fake Prada black...

Newbie | Giving up a Seat

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a place where an empty seat on public transportation is about as uncommon as toilet paper in the bathroom, it's understandable why there is a c...

Elementary | Gymnastics

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you feel like you've been doing back flips trying to learn Chinese, this lesson is for you! This next in our series of Olympics lessons is abou...

Newbie | My Cat

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are cats to love (white, fluffy kittens) and cats to hate (those gold ones waving their strange little arm at the till in the Chinese restaurant...

Elementary | Superman

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your wonder-twin powers won't activate and the kryptonite is sapping the Mandarin from your very brain. The frustration is making you feel like ki...

Newbie | Moving

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Don't think of moving house as a pain. Think of it as an excuse for throwing a house-warming bash. Invite us! We'll bring a nice plant. In thi...

Elementary | Cycling

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some cyclists train for years before hitting the track in the Olympics. Other cyclists buy a $30 bicycle and are thrown onto the gritty pavement of a ...

Newbie | I'm Bored

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the onset of summer vacation, mothers everywhere are familiar with the refrain: "I'm bored!" Now, if you decide to join the kids in...

Elementary | Basic Shapes

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After months of painstakingly writing Chinese characters, we recommend you take a moment to vent your frustrations by grabbing a felt marker and angri...

Newbie | I Forgot Your Name

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Now, we know that when names consist mainly of a medley of Xs, Qs and Zs, it can be easy to lose it under pressure. So, when that friend that you just...

Elementary | Olympic Training

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It would be remiss to have a Mandarin lesson on training for the Olympic Games without a Chinese learning analogy to go with. So... Ken is your coach....

Newbie | Please Speak Chinese

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've just stepped out from the office when a frenzied pack of language students senses your presence and rushes over with English greetings. We&...

Elementary | Number Two

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writing classy lessons about bodily functions may be considered a difficult task by some. One lesson better left to the naughty neighborhood kids, per...

Newbie | Sweet Watermelon

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You know it's summertime when those trucks roll into the city, feeding streetside stalls thronging with business as the evening ambles home. Ask a...

Elementary | Volleyball

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How a sport which involves sweaty sun-kissed bodies prancing around on sandy beaches became an official Olympic sport, who can say. But the gods of At...

Newbie | Ice Cream

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The kids are eating it. The old people are eating it. The babies are smooshing it into their faces and hair. The lady that sells stinky tofu sells it....

Elementary | Trouble with Grades

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fortunately, ChinesePod won't be sending report cards home to your moms (though we of course would give you all A's!) However, for the million...

Newbie | Wrong Change

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You're dancing around gesticulating. They're dancing around gesticulating. Children are clapping and someone might even be singing, shaking an...

Elementary | To Bow or Not to Bow

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A shake of the hand received with an approving grip. A bow of the head prompts a slightly confused bow in return. A bear hug... a stone stiff body. Tw...

Newbie | Going to the Museum

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Remember the days of field trips? Now, field trips in podcast-land aren't to the zoo; nor are they to the waterslides park (though that can be arr...

Elementary | Interview with an Athlete

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard about the agony of defeat. None of that here. In this podcast, learn about how the thrill of victory feels to an Olympic athlete. Lis...

Newbie | Cold Beer

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Not that we think you would like hot beer, but believe us that in China it may be essential that you specify "cold" when you order your beer...

Elementary | The Stingy Boss

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bosses amongst us, sit up and take note. Though you may not have had time to see it (due to being occupied with your "boss" things), you mus...

Newbie | Two Little Tigers Song

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"TIGER, tiger, burning bright, in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?" In the distant post...

Elementary | Jaywalking

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though being the only one at the intersection NOT jaywalking may make you feel like you're not one of the 'cool' kids, we'd hate for y...

Newbie | Requesting a Napkin

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you've given up on using chopsticks and haven't studied our lesson on requesting a fork yet, you may just have to pretend that where you co...

Elementary | Track and Field

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think of track and field as a profound metaphor for Chinese learning: Jumping over grammar hurdles, throwing out words like shotputs, the high-jump of...

Newbie | Giving an Example

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When learning a language there are a profusion of ways to acquire new language. One method many have found helpful has been dubbed "pictionary.&q...

Elementary | How spicy?

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When your mouth is on fire and the only thing within reach with which to douse the flames is a tiny cup of hot tea, you had better be wise enough to t...

Newbie | What stop is this?

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though you may find having your face pressed up against someone else's cheek a little unpleasant, think of the intimacy it affords. Once you have list...

Elementary | Why, why, why??

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why is Chinese still using hieroglyphics for its written language? While some questions are simply unansw...