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 - Deflecting Questions in Chinese
Aug 30, 2010
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Ever been asked a question you didn't feel like answering because of indifference to the plight of your fellow man? In this Chinese lesson for Absolute Beginners, we focus on the art of deflecting questions. As anyone who has lived or worked in China knows, this is a critical skill for maintaining your sanity here. We're sure you'll be able to use this right away.Since we've been getting a lot of new people to the site lately, it is probably worth mentioning that our goal with the Absolute Beginner level is making each lesson accessible to people without any background in mandarin, Chinese. This lesson is a bit more difficult than most at this level though, so if you're a total beginner, we recommend clicking through to our text page to read our annotated transcript while listening to our dialogue and podcast.
Intermediate - Get Off My Lawn
Aug 26, 2010
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The once tidy house on the corner of Nathan and Barker Street had grown dilapitated over the years. Its unkempt lawn was now overgrown with weeds and strewn with debris, while the house itself seemed to have settled back into the shadows, its bright green shutters long ago darkened to the color of the slate-gray yard. Could there be any surprise that - in the eyes of the neighborhood children - this was a malevolent place guarded by a malevolent phantom?It is no secret that our Popup Towers facility includes various traps intended to dissuade careless children from stumbling too close to our production facilities. That said, we know that not all of you are as lucky as us and some may have occasion to deal with the curious offspring of prolific neighbours from time to time. And that's where this lesson comes in. Yelling at them to get off your lawn may not make a lot of sense in a country where grass is a rare, mystical creature, but if you put some emotion into it the sentiment should carry through. Good luck!
Elementary - It Happened One Night
Aug 24, 2010
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As the tropical breeze tugged at her sleeve, Rachel felt torn. She was certain things were moving too quickly between her and Eric, and yet there was a connection between them she couldn't resist. But something held her back yet, a murmured warning in her heart not to fall too far too fast. And so her dilemma hung on her thoughts, reminding her of everything that still remained unsaid between the two of them. We received an email the other day from someone who wanted more romance in our dialogues. This suggestion was received warmly by the members of our Bradley Cooper fan club and with a confused silence by the rest of the office ("We just did one last month," David remarked). But since we are unable to turn down such hopeful requests, we hit the studio to record this romantic gem. We hope you enjoy it. Or please don't send us hate mail at least.
Advanced - The Summer Job
Aug 23, 2010
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When the Harvard Crimson called the job market depressed, it may as well have been describing its readership. Browsing through the classifieds, Susan was shocked to see so few opportunities for summer employment. Her uncle had been urging her to take a break from academia and "get her hands dirty" at the family business, and she had avoided the thought at first, but -- and then she noticed Michael leafing through the paper a few seats away. Hadn't he been the first in her cohort to land a good position?First things first, calm down. Our advanced Chinese listening test for today is not fork-in-eye difficult. It is fast and long but not terribly punishing, so if you've been pushing yourself through our Intermediate podcasts and have the endurance for a longer challenge, take a listen and see how much you understand. It may be more than you expect.
Intermediate - An End to the Feeding Frenzy
Aug 17, 2010
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Trying to dump someone? As it turns out, muttering "thank you" and "goodbye" repeatedly isn't terribly effective, which is why our Intermediate lesson for today teaches how to sever relations with more dramatic force. You may not want to practice this Chinese on your significant other, but there's no reason not to try it on distant relatives and third-tier friends.
Absolute Beginners - Death by Skittles
Aug 16, 2010
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If those of us at Popup Chinese had to amend the lyrics to My Favorite Things -- say as part of a secretive musical project underway here in Bejiing -- you can bet that the first thing to go would be that couplet about "crisp apple streudels" and "schnitzel with noodles". And what would we include in their stead? Only the most lethal Western confectionary ever marketed to small children without a second thought.New to learning mandarin? This is a podcast lesson designed for Absolute Beginners to the Chinese language. In it, we'll teach you how to ask for various sorts of Diabetes-inducing treats by name. And if you're a more advanced learner? We have a host of more difficult materials set for release later this week. In the meantime, look through our lesson archive and find something at your level.
Absolute Beginners - Encounter with an Old Flame
Aug 11, 2010
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Let no-one to the marriage of true minds admit impediments, the saying went. And to this the conventional wisdom of her class added Steven Glass, serial paramour and destroyer of every relationship he had ever touched. Ten years later, touring campus with her new husband, Maria shuddered to think she was the only one of his former flames to actually move on and marry someone else!New to Popup Chinese? This podcast is designed for total beginners to the Chinese language. Even if you don't know any mandarin, by the end of this Chinese lesson you'll be comfortable asking strangers who they are, chit-chatting about your monolingual friends, and maybe even sharing a few intimate moments. Enjoy!
Elementary - Internet Addiction
Aug 10, 2010
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We are working on a script which goes something like this: when a new iPad moves into the neighbourhood, Lionel Cormac (played by Willem Dafoe) can't help but have second thoughts. His neighbours dismiss his concerns but before long the trolls and addicts appear, and then we're knee-deep in a zombie-killing Internet fest, with Dafoe pumping shotguns and dragging electronics into the street to expose them to direct sunlight and God's wrath."I don't think the story really flows," Brendan commented after reading our first draft. "We go from a nice parable about how electronics fuel our need for constant contact to... well... frankly I don't know where the zombies come from." So we're re-writing the script to make it a bit less of an art film. And in the meantime, we hope you enjoy this more family-friendly and somewhat navel-gazing lesson about the perils of Internet addiction.
Elementary - The Threat of Nuclear Proliferation
Aug 05, 2010
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The increasing miniaturization of nuclear weapons poses a major challenge to powers such as China. But the situation is complicated: nuclear technology is increasingly applied to commercial problems by companies which can safely navigate the byzantine regulations surrounding the export and sale of dual-use technologies.We don't usually cover such serious topics at the elementary level, but if you're studying Chinese a little nuclear physics isn't going to be much of a challenge. So grab your mp3 player and get ready for a podcast that looks nuclear proliferation in the eye and calls it what it is: nuclear proliferation. We don't know if this will make you feel better or worse about living in the nuclear age, but it will make you sound a lot more educated.
Intermediate - Golden Monkey Throat Lozenges, Part II
Aug 03, 2010
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You may have heard the slanderous rumours about our brand circulated by that other Golden Monkey pharmaceutical company. Don't believe the lies! Golden Monkey Throat Lozenges offer soothing relief from a range of symptoms with minimal side effects and a great orange taste. If you are suffering from any number of ailments or body image problems, call our telephone hotline and get medical relief with next-day delivery!The old-timers among you may remember our first part to the world-famous Golden Monkey saga. That podcast dates back almost two years now, but is as great-tasting today as it has even been. So if you're learning Chinese and like this podcast, be sure to check it out too.
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