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 Art of the Move
Jan 01, 2009
Show notes
First there is your furniture, including the cast-iron futon you picked up in college. And then your clothing, packed neatly in the solid-oak antique chesterfield you got from your great aunt. And then there are your books, boxes upon boxes of them, your 1970s vinyl collection, and the entire kitchen.Packing everything and lugging it across town can be a real hassle. Fortunately, moving is a lot less trouble when you have lots of friends willing to lend a hand. There is something strange about this move though. Listen to our intermediate listening test for today and see if you can pick up on it.
Elementary - Going to a Movie
Dec 30, 2008
Show notes
"That was a great movie," Echo blurted out halfway up the escalator. We had all just left the theater after watching Feng Xiaogang's latest New Years film "If You are the One". That's the one where Shu Qi plays a clinically depressed stewardess looking for a rich husband. A love story with Chinese characteristics.Echo's enthusiasm was met with a curious silence at first. "I guess it was ok," Zhang Wei finally replied, "but I wouldn't call it great. And it was a good thing we had those discount tickets." Another pause. "Actually, I'm not sure it was even ok. The first half hour was funny, but then it got boring pretty quickly."Not surprisingly, even good friends have different taste in film. But since everyone likes getting asked to a movie, here is a lesson on how to get a date in mandarin, Chinese.
Elementary - Questions about Sex
Dec 29, 2008
Show notes
In this podcast we push the boundaries of social propriety with our first lesson all about sex. Broadcast from our street-smart and sexy hutong studio in downtown Beijing, this podcast goes where others fear to tread. Don't thank us, it's just another day in our mission to help you learn everything you always wanted to know about animal sexing, but were afraid to ask.
Intermediate - Merry Christmas
Dec 25, 2008
Show notes
Christmas is a time for gift-giving, and so we are happy to present you with this podcast to help you make the most of the Yuletide season. And there's no reason for thanks. Just listen to it sometime in the next seven days, the sooner the better.
Absolute Beginners - Ordering Take Out
Dec 23, 2008
Show notes
Put down that frying pan and get out of your apartment's absurdly-narrow kitchenette. And don't even think of heading outside in this weather. You are in China and cooking for yourself is more expensive than ordering take-out anyway. You've got the restaurant's phone number right there on that card. All you need to do is overcome your fear of the woman who answers the phone and fends off your ting-bu-dong with shrieks of impatience.This podcast is like the parable of the man who teaches another man to fish. Except that we're teaching you how to order roast duck. So take a deep breath. Then listen to the podcast. Then pick up the phone and get yourself some cooked bird. When the hunger pangs subside you can put your savings into a Popup Chinese subscription so we have the cash to order some duck ourselves. Hunger is a two-way street.
Intermediate - The Northeasterner
Dec 21, 2008
Show notes
Sometimes a touch of winter blows down from the north, opens its icy mouth and lets loose a bone-chilling squall. And we're not talking about the weather. In this podcast prepare your ears for the Dongbei onslaught as we pay a Popup Chinese tribute to northern China, and the northeasterner.
Intermediate - Modern Romance
Dec 16, 2008
Show notes
A candlelit dinner for two at a small garden restaurant near Houhai? A romantic walk beneath the stars through ancient imperial gardens? When you find the girl (or guy) of your dreams, you'll want to know the best Beijing has for great date locations that will sweep them off their feet.In this podcast we expose the latest date craze to hit Beijing, and we're not talking about any of the clubs listed in The Beijinger. This is a dream come true for the more budget-conscious Casanova, as well as anyone who simply likes checking email.
Elementary - Andy Lau
Dec 15, 2008
Show notes
"You should try one," Andy motioned for us to take a cheeze-puff. It was a brand he endorsed, and it was selling better than milk. A ray of sunlight caught a stray tooth mid-gesture, the blinding glare sending a nearby waitress into celebrity swoon. And then the sunglasses were off and he was leaning in, exposing us to the full force of his animal magnetism. "I don't usually endorse digital products, but you guys are the best."We were floating far above Hong Kong: this was the best dream ever. Visions of the entire mainland subscribing to Popup Chinese wafted through our imaginations like milk chocolate bubbles. It wouldn't matter that they already spoke Chinese. In about a week we would have 1.3 billion customers lining up to practice hello over the phone."Then we've got an understanding." Another cheeze-puff disappeared into his spotless white maw. "I love you guys, I really do."
Absolute Beginners - The Unsuccessful Haggle
Dec 11, 2008
Show notes
If you don't take the routine fleecing attempts personally, haggling in China can be a lot of fun. Not only will bargaining give you a better understanding of how much markup your friends back home are paying for pretty much everything, pressing for a discount will give you plenty of opportunities for language practice with people from all over China.After covering the must-have keywords of this and that, today's podcast goes on to review Chinese numbers and prices. And if you're new to the entire haggling scene, we close with some quick tips on getting those prices down. Once you see the savings rolling in, you can thank us by purchasing an annual subscription, or picking up an extra pair of socks the next time you're passing through Xiushui: our hutong appears to be eating them.
Elementary - The Grumbling Stomach
Dec 08, 2008
Show notes
It is the sound of hunger, guttural and primal and expressed in its rawest form. And more often than not we hear it from none other than Apple, and right in the middle of a recording session. "I'm on a diet," she announces apologetically after the aftershocks subside. "You look fine," we reply. And she smiles and we continue.Occasionally, Echo force feeds her chicken to make it go away. This lesson covers everything up to the force-feeding stage. If you have to do that in mandarin, you're on your own.
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