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.
Intermediate - International Schools in China
May 19, 2010
Show notes
It was strange that the headmaster had arranged their tour for the weekend. While it hadn't struck Monica as odd previously, now that they were walking through campus, the choice of days seemed peculiar. For despite the fact it was a sunny October afternoon, the school grounds were almost deserted. Save for the occasional schoolboy slouching home in the distance, there was nothing to be seen suggesting she and her husband were touring the most renowned international school in Beijing. Or any other school for that matter. And then they entered the buttery....If you're living the expat life in China, you're doubtless familiar with the hordes of international schools scrambling over each other to educate your brood. Since you may not be intimately familiar with what a Chinese education involves, in this podcast we strip away the mystery and show you how the education system really works in China. And in the process, we illuminate a subtle difference between two very similar words that intermediate Chinese learners mix up all the time. So listen up and we hope you enjoy the show.
Elementary - A Case for Spare Batteries
May 17, 2010
Show notes
We were stranded in rural Tongzhou last weekend on routine business, when we found ourselves surrounded by a horde of undead construction workers. As they lurched towards us for the kill, Echo sprang into action. "Call Popup Towers," she cried as she lobbed her phone through the air. "Get Gail to send reinforcements, and get a move on it!" In the next breath, she readied her Glock C22 for action.Impressed as I was with Echo's taste in sidearms, my heart sank as I looked at her cellphone. It had been a long day, and Echo's incessant texting had reduced the battery to a single bar of health. As the shuffling zombies drew nearer, I considered that there was a valuable lesson somewhere here about the perils of a life dependent on consumer electronics, and the dangers of leaving the house without a reliable supply of spare batteries.
Absolute Beginners - Getting Married in China
May 13, 2010
Show notes
Getting married in China? We heard about your weekend trip to Hainan and thought it sounded too good to be true. So we're sure it's a done deal in her mind. All you need to do now is just sum up the courage and pop the question. And make sure you do it in mandarin: it's sweeter that way.What's that? You don't know how to propose in Chinese? If you're planning on getting married in China, this is the perfect lesson for you then. Join Echo and Brendan in this podcast as we walk through the steps needed to sweep your sweetheart off her feet. And if you're not at the marrying stage yet don't worry. We also coerced Echo into sharing some practical tips on impressing the girl of your dreams. Put these tricks into action and with a bit of luck, you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a proposal.
Elementary - Shanghai 2010: The Crime Wave
May 11, 2010
Show notes
The international press has yet to pick up on this story, but the hottest commodity at the Shanghai Expo is apparently not the Little Mermaid. In fact, it isn't even close. Join us in our Chinese podcast for today and learn what is really grabbing the crowd's attention at Shanghai 2010.Our lesson today moves quickly, but consists of fairly simple sentences. If you have trouble picking them up by ear, click through to our text section and listen to them in isolation until you can tell the words apart. And then? As a special bonus, we're enabling our Speaking Practice hotline for this lesson. So all you premium subscribers out there are heartily invited to give us a call and share your own thoughts on Shanghai 2010 and its bizarre crimes of passion. We'll get back to you soon with one-on-one feedback and commiseration.
Intermediate - Meet the Neighbors, Part II
May 06, 2010
Show notes
The porcelain shattered on impact, scattering fragments of broken China across the entire dining room. Silence hung there for a moment, and then they were at each others throats, gouging and biting, bloody rivulets collecting on the oak flooring as the dispute passed beyond reason. And upstairs, the two children responsible for the carnage sat cowed in terror, shame and guilt.We may be taking a bit of dramatic license with our introduction, but tensions definitely rise a notch in this sequel to our last lesson on how to be a good neighbor. Our dialogue here is also a bit easier, being wickedly fast, but also mostly review. So listen in and see how much you understand. And when you're done be sure to get your feedback to us by writing echo@popupchinese.com anytime.
Absolute Beginners - The German Engineer
May 04, 2010
Show notes
At Popup Chinese we're not afraid of revelling in stereotypes, which is why we have a really easy Absolute Beginner lesson today in which we'll teach you the flawless mandarin for claiming you're a German engineer. Consider this your first step towards getting a massive construction contract from the Chinese government.We're aware that you may not actually be a German engineer. Some of you might not even be German. Regardless, the Chinese you'll learn in this lesson is basic Chinese you can use to break the ice and start a conversation with anyone. And we guarantee you'll hear these questions time and time again as well. So it's best to have an answer ready, even if that answer is factually wrong and you're really a lawyer from Ohio.
Intermediate - Meet the Neighbors, Part I
May 03, 2010
Show notes
This is the sort of lesson that makes Absolute Beginners to the Chinese language cry. If you're an Intermediate student or parent, though, we think you'll enjoy our practical approach to language learning. And that's because our dialogue today offers some very direct advice on how to solve one of the central problems married couples face: finding a safe place to park the kids when they want to spend a few days alone.And what better solution but neighbors? If you've got to put up with living next door to them, you might as well learn to impose on occasion. In this lesson we'll show you how to compliment your new neighbors in their own language, as a prelude to asking them to take care of your brood. We're sure they'll be too polite to say no, especially when you start tossing out some of the platitudes we introduce in this lesson. So stop procrastinating and get listening: your next weekend retreat in Bali may depend upon this stuff.
Elementary - An Embarrassing Situation
Apr 27, 2010
Show notes
Brendan cultivates an air of eccentricity. He's constantly forgetting the names of friends and relatives, wandering around our studio looking for whatever book he happens to be holding, or putting his glasses in the kitchen blender and absentmindedly powering it up. So you may be surprised to hear that this podcast isn't based on a true story. And that Brendan usually comes to recording sessions fully clothed.And yes, this lesson definitely falls at the easier end of the Elementary curve. It would be Absolute Beginner in fact, except for the pace of the podcast and the grammar point: a rumination on the difference between 去哪儿了 and 哪儿去了. To make it up to you more advanced speakers, we've enabled our voice recording hotline. To get feedback on your spoken mandarin, or just gossip with our crew, give us a call and share your own embarrassing story in Chinese.
Advanced - The Narcoleptic Hangglider
Apr 26, 2010
Show notes
We know what you're thinking: how did I ever get to such an advanced level in Chinese without learning the words for narcolepsy or hangglider? This is admittedly an oversight on your part, but it's also one no-one need ever know about. Unlike many of our other advanced podcasts, today's lesson is built around a dialogue. And this dialogue will drill these words so deeply into your inner cortex you'll forget there was ever a day you weren't comfortable talking about neural disorders and extreme sports in Chinese.
Elementary - Sleepless Nights in China
Apr 22, 2010
Show notes
We received some advice from a famous Silicon Valley consultant the other day. If you want to promote sales, he said, put a picture of a beautiful, smiling girl on your front page. Eye contact is especially important. So we looked at our recent lessons and found they included tasteful photos of coffee, a nondescript office hallway, and a nice glass of water. And then we saw today's lesson and brightened. "What if she's young and beautiful," we asked, "but visibly sleep deprived and possibly manic depressive?"Speaking of manic depressives, we would be remiss not to mention that we have one hell of a promotion right now. Sign up for a three month University Program and get a fourth month absolutely free. This offer is only good for the next eight days, so check it out soon, especially since it may not be long until only our manic depressive tutor has any space left. Cindy is more monotone on the phone, but she does assign more interesting vocabulary sometimes.
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