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 - The Police Hotline
Jul 13, 2009
Show notes
One of our ulterior motives with this entire podcasting business is getting famous and good-looking Chinese celebrities into our recording studios (yes, we take requests). Which is how we're able to bring you this recording starring one of the more recognizable celebrities you're likely to encounter in China. Although she may not be Cecilia Cheung, if you've been in China for a while we're pretty sure you'll recognize her....In this listening test your challenge is to listen to our recording once and then click through to our quiz section to gauge your comprehension of the story you've heard and the language it uses. If you run into any problems, we've prepared our regular annotated version of the text with mouseover popups.
Absolute Beginners - The Chinese Diet
Jul 09, 2009
Show notes
We've heard there's a crumbling yellow list posted on the wall of the State Department's China Room warning its newly recruited analysts of signs they may have gone native and should seek professional help. Number six on that list is apparently ordering a second bowl of rice with dinner.Depending on how long you've been in China, you're probably either shaking your head in disbelief at the mere possibility, or nodding your head in solemn agreement, because sometimes one bowl of rice just isn't enough. Which is why we're pleased to present you with information on the latest Chinese diet craze. In addition to helping keep the pounds off, this minor adjustment to your dining habits will keep you employable by the US government. Listen in for the details.
Absolute Beginners - Drive Safe
Jul 08, 2009
Show notes
You never know who's been in that taxi before, and China is a place where it pays to play it safe. So join us in this podcast as we review a couple of standard precautions you should take before getting into any foreign vehicle. Because you never know when you're going to get hit by a bus. When you're just sitting there. Not moving. At a traffic light.
Intermediate - Global Warming
Jul 06, 2009
Show notes
As you step out your front door in the morning to go to work, the same as you would on any other day, something seems off. Could it be the fruit vendor floating down the alley? Or the cat drifting past the front gate of your apartment? Listen in to this Intermediate podcast for a short briefer on what mother nature has in store for Shanghai. Suffice it to say that things will continue to be hot and wet.
Absolute Beginners - Life in Hebei
Jun 30, 2009
Show notes
Those of us living in Beijing occasionally hear tales of the strange lands and barbarous customs that exist beyond the third ring road. Visitors to our studios bring whispers and rumors of yet wilder places that stretch off in the lands beyond the fourth. And beyond them? Few have seen the savage mystery of Greater Hebei and returned to tell the tale. We know of only one, and his name is Frank Fradella.
Elementary - The Filthy Kitten
Jun 29, 2009
Show notes
Beijing has a lot of stray cats. Which translates into a lot of stray kittens. They are small, cute and usually covered with mud. And should you run into one while out on a date, you're likely to witness something along the lines of what happens in our lesson for today. So listen up and be prepared for the next time savage cuteness intrudes on your love life.
Intermediate - Lifehacker in China
Jun 25, 2009
Show notes
Did you know the average person spends two to three years of their life sitting on the toilet? It goes without saying that most of this time is not spent productively, which is why we're pleased to share this listening test with you today. In it we offer up a life-saving secret that will help free up some of your time for more important things like studying Chinese.Office visitors please note: in response to the growing popularity of this technique among staff, we have implemented draconian controls on office washroom usage. You are encouraged to bring your own toiletries.
Absolute Beginners - Parking the Car
Jun 23, 2009
Show notes
In this podcast we'll teach you a respectful form of address you can use to refer cab drivers, serving staff and martial arts instructors. We'll also teach you left from right, and share some tips on how to make the best use of your newest language partner (the cab driver). And as icing on the cake, Brendan and Anthony share some of their taxi stories from the wilds of Zhengzhou and Harbin, known collectively in these parts as "the interior".
Elementary - The Break-Up, part II
Jun 22, 2009
Show notes
In today's lesson we return with another outburst of marital dischord, and a dialogue that falls somewhere around the upper boundary of our Elementary series. The mandarin here will come at you fast and furious as our voice actors tear into each other at full speed and sometimes even yell over each other - just like a real argument.If you find yourself despairing of the speed, take a deep breath though. With the exception of a single idiom, our vocabulary is relatively basic. And in addition to all the screaming and melodrama you can handle in a Monday podcast, this podcast covers a very useful way and relatively basic way to express the Future Tense. This is the powerful 会... 的 construct, which you'll be using all the time.
Advanced - Vintage Science Fiction
Jun 16, 2009
Show notes
We sent our troops into the studio with a simple request for vintage science fiction, but it wasn't until we conscripted the duck they began to get the picture. So listen up if you're a fan of imaginative and futuristic stories. In addition to covering critical everyday vocabulary like "photon cannon", our podcast contains some revelations about Echo's film preferences that may shock and amaze....
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