The most convenient way to learn Chinese the way it is actually spoken and used. Start with our basic lessons, and in no time you’ll be listening to music, watching films and television and engaging in the actual language. With free daily podcasts, a vibrant community, online study tools and much more, PopupChinese is the most powerful and personal way to learn mandarin.
Absolute Beginners - Are You Sick?
Jan 27, 2011
Show notes
We hate to be the bearers of bad news and all, but if you're coming to China for the long-term you are pretty much guaranteed to get seriously ill. And we mean ill in the call-the-doctor-to-defibrillate-my-lungs sense of the word. At least until your immune system starts taking this country seriously, life in China will be a lot like that time you tended bar at that sangria party in college, only without the wine and fruit juice.Learning Chinese? If you're an absolute beginner to mandarin, join Echo and David for a Chinese lesson that covers some critical basics of the language. Start listening now and before ten minutes are up you'll know how to ask and answer questions in Chinese, and be an expert at shunning friends and relatives who show the slightest signs of potentially contagious infection.
Intermediate - The Inferno
Jan 26, 2011
Show notes
In no time the interlopers had progressed to the center of the industrial plant. They moved in silence with the precision of a military crew, but as the swirling oil eddied around them, it became clear that the original plan had gone awry. Had they turned a wrong corner, or was their entire adventure an unexpected trap? Whatever the explanation, there was little time to lose....Our intermediate Chinese lesson for today is a short listening test with ten devilishly difficult questions. If you fancy you've excellent Chinese take a listen and see how you do on our accompanying quiz. It is harder than you think!
Elementary - The Fourteenth Floor
Jan 24, 2011
Show notes
Today's dialogue is somewhat inspired by real life. The short version is that our cat Squeak has taken a fancy to crawling out our apartment window onto a narrow ledge from which unaided return is basically impossible. We're not sure if this a form of escapism, a product of deep-seated unhappiness with life, or if the animal is just plain dumb. Any tips on how to stop him from trying to kill himself are of course welcome.Learning Chinese? Our dialogue today moves quickly, and our two grammar points aren't trivial either, making this one of the more challenging lessons we've put up at the elementary level. If you're working towards intermediate status give it a listen and see how much you understand. And if you have any questions or comments please leave them below or send your feedback directly to podcasters gail@popupchinese.com or brendan@popupchinese.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Intermediate - Dinner with the Party
Jan 20, 2011
Show notes
"There's something about your familiarity with Marxism that's uncontrollably sexy," she groaned. "The principle that the revolution is led by the vanguard is more Leninist than Marxist," we replied. It may well have been Trotsky, but who was going to drag up such internecine issues when things were going so well? "And the Three Represents," she countered, "do you think it reconciles revolutionary socialism with market-led economic development...."We haven't done a lesson on obscure Chinese political phrases yet, mostly because they can be a bit hard to drop into conversation. But while you can live without this stuff most of the time, every now and then you'll have dinner with someone important and being familiar with Chinese political rhetoric becomes surprisingly useful. So join Brendan and Gail for a quick Chinese podcast that covers some of the more common terms getting bandied about these days, including the revolutionary contributions of current Fearless Leader Hu.
Elementary - On Avoiding Intestinal Problems
Jan 17, 2011
Show notes
It's not that we're always indecisive about dinner, or that we have something against Sichuan food. It's just that the last time Echo and Brendan conspired to take us out for hotpot they managed to produce the hottest hotpot we have ever eaten. Although most of us quite sensibly stopped trying the spicy broth after a few bites, it still took days for our functionality to return to normal, and the office was not a pleasant place that week.So consider yourself warned. That said, if you really want to punish yourself or your significant other, we recommend dining at 孔亮. This Sichuan restaurant has been transplanted straight from hell to the south side of Guijie right across the road from Little Sheep and one restaurant east of 渔佬. Make sure you order the spicy hotpot, and good luck.
Intermediate - Pirate Zombie Bank Teller
Jan 13, 2011
Show notes
Let us skip the tale of Pirate Jack's flight from the gallows, noting only that the implausibility of his escape continues to fuel speculation that the world's most feared brigand did indeed die on the hangman's noose that day. And yet how to explain what happened years later: the discovery of the world's most fearsome pirate and scourge of the China seas employed as a common bank teller in the backwaters of the Caribbean....Learning Chinese? We're willing to admit that our Chinese lessons are sometimes a bit unorthodox. But if you've been plugging away at Chinese for a while, we think you'll find our lack of please-sit-down-and-have-another-cup-of-tea a breath of fresh air. So join us for the greatest pirate story ever told, and write us with suggestions for what comes next at ideas@popupchinese.com.
Elementary - The MacGyver of Chopsticks
Jan 12, 2011
Show notes
As a confidant of ours confessed over beer one evening, "you'd think that now I'm running my own business in Beijing, people would assume I could eat." And yet, strange as it may seem, speaking mandarin is considered one of the easier skills for foreigners to master. The real parlor trick for impressing your Chinese friends and colleagues is simple tool manipulation, or the ability to put food in your mouth with sticks.Learning Chinese? Our elementary series starts introducing basic grammar while focusing on very high-frequency and colloquial mandarin, the sort of language you'll use everyday. This is a good level for you if you've already learned the basics, but are still struggling to really internalize the language. If you're completely new to Chinese and are looking to start from scratch, we recommend checking out our lesson series for absolute beginners. You'll be back up at this level before you know it.
Absolute Beginners - Memories of Changsha
Jan 10, 2011
Show notes
This dialogue reminds us of our brief vacation in Changsha several years ago, when a few us of shared a bus with every single other inhabitant in the city. We're not sure what the occasion was, but it got so crowded the conductor basically gave up on collecting fares, while the rest of us gave up on our hopes of ever getting off the bus. The incident ended when the vehicle broke down in a traffic jam, giving us a much greater appreciation for the Beijing metro.Learning Chinese? Our Absolute Beginner lessons are designed for people with no previous experience in the language. If you've already got some Chinese under your belt and want to move a bit faster, visit our lesson archives and explore our lessons at the elementary, intermediate and advanced levels.
Elementary - The Beijing Subway
Jan 04, 2011
Show notes
We have a love-hate relationship with the Beijing metro that comes out in this podcast. If you've lived in China we're sure you'll understand. But even if you haven't experienced Chinese public transit for yourself, you have a great reason to listen to this Chinese podcast. Because remember when we told you that the Chinese verb "to be" is a lot different from its English counterpart, and that sometimes it shows up doing really strange things? Well... our Chinese lesson for today covers exactly such a case.For those of you keeping track, this lesson is definitely at the higher end of the difficulty spectrum for our Elementary lessons. This dialogue moves quickly, but the vocabulary isn't really that difficult. So hang in there and be sure to check our online or downloadable transcripts if you have trouble. And remember that questions and comments are welcome in our discussion section below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Advanced - If You Are The One, Two
Jan 03, 2011
Show notes
There are some films we see because we're bored. Others because we've been drugged and forced into the theater. And still others because they star Ge You, the lead actor in "To Live" whose turn with Donald Sutherland in "Big Shot's Funeral" put him on our radar as a very funny comedian. The presence of Shu Qi in this one didn't hurt either.That said, and considering the sheer inanity that was the plot of the first romantic comedy, it was a miracle we sent Wang Ziqian to see this sequel. And even more of a miracle he came back positive about the film, raving that "the product placement wasn't nearly as bad as I thought!" And while we have to wonder how sincere his sentiment really is, we nonetheless sent him and Gail into the studio for an advanced podcast all about the film that - like it or hate it - is now setting box office records in China. We hope you enjoy the show.
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