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.
Elementary - Take off your Pants
Oct 06, 2008
Show notes
In today's lesson we cover all the vocab you'll ever need to know to engage in casual chit-chat while stripping down for work or fun. We also cover a core grammar point: how to ask questions with verb reduplication when our verb takes an object. Very useful for asking someone if they are - in fact - going to be taking off their pants.And get your mind out of the gutter! There are a number of perfectly legitimate reasons you'll need to know this stuff, not the least of which involves visiting the beach, performing routine weapons checks, or showing off your spectacular tan-line at the World Economic Forum.
Advanced - How to be an Actor
Oct 04, 2008
Show notes
We'll admit that your debut in China didn't go over so well. Everyone knows the tones are tough, but when Jackie Chan saved your life and you told him to... no... no... let's not dwell on obscenities. I was surprised the audience hounded you out of the theater with pitchforks though (and where did those torches come from?). At least your publicist is happy at your making the front page of Xinhua!But it's not the end of the world. We just want you to listen to this podcast, since maybe you need a little grounding from the pros. Acting in China is hard work: voice training, limericks, memorization and sweat, sweat, sweat. But the good news is that there's no need for you to enroll in the Central Drama Academy: today we're bringing its voice training secrets right to you.
Intermediate - Hiring in Hangzhou
Oct 02, 2008
Show notes
Today's listening test is a bit of an anomaly, since even the most advanced student will probably have difficulty with some elements of this conversation.Is your curiosity piqued? Take a listen to our Chinese podcast and then scroll back to the quiz section to test your comprehension. And don't worry if you missed something. You can always click over to the text section afterwards for a manually annotated copy of the dialogue with our helpful mouseover popups. Let the test begin!
Absolute Beginners - Love Triangle
Sep 30, 2008
Show notes
Love is a complex emotion, especially when there are three people involved each of which have a different agenda. In this Absolute Beginner lesson, pulled right out of a soap opera, we teach about the fundamental difference between liking and loving things, so that you don't do anything embarassing the next time you're called on to make an impromptu speech, or ask you a simple question like "do you love me?" Listen in any you'll be ready to answer them either way.
Advanced - Job Interview
Sep 25, 2008
Show notes
Today we bring you a short listening exercise on a topic near and dear to us all: the job interview. But why is the recruiter so eager to find a candidate? And why the reference to extreme sports?If you're at the Advanced level we believe you should recognize most of the words in this dialogue. The challenge will be keeping up as we charge ahead at a breakneck page. For best results, we recommend listening to the clip once, and then heading over to the quiz section to test your comprehension. You can always replay the recording later, or visit the text section to check the actual transcript.
Absolute Beginners - Fun with Tones
Sep 23, 2008
Show notes
You've heard the horror stories. All it takes is a sullen first tone, a half-hearted fourth, or a kowtowing third that isn't quite obsequious enough for the locals to turn on you. And then your innocent little trip to the Pearl Market has morphed into a journey through the Heart of Darkness.We still think any reasonable language shouldn't make the difference between "buy" and "sell" hinge on pitch alone, especially since everyone gets a bit worked up haggling (honest question: how do the stock markets work?). But since China is unlikely to take our advice on this anytime soon, this podcast will help you slow it down, review the basics and get them right.
Elementary - Playing with Fire
Sep 22, 2008
Show notes
If the restaurant didn't want you to build that bonfire in the ashtray, they wouldn't have put it on the table, right? What else are you supposed to do with matches in the non-smoking section?In today's lesson, Brendan and Echo waltz us through useful words and phrases for smokers and non-smokers alike. You'll learn how to ask for a light, how to get seated in the non-smoking section, and get the lowdown on how Chinese parents terrorize their children into skipping acts of arson.
Intermediate - Dude looks like a Lady
Sep 22, 2008
Show notes
Traditional textbooks don't usually deal with gender stereotypes. In this - the dawning of the age of the metrosexual - new language is emerging to describe male beauty in all of its MTV and beauty-parlor driven forms.While China has already come a long way, as this week's dialogue shows it still has a way to come. Join us as we introduce some of the common language used to describe masculine beauty. This lesson also covers a core grammar pattern used for comparison purposes. We are deep into duoyinci territory here, so listen up and we'll see you to safety.
Elementary - Customer Service
Sep 16, 2008
Show notes
If you've ever worked in it, you know the hospitality industry is a tough game. You've got to have the patience of Job, nerves of steel, and - most importantly - the inventory that people want. In today's listening test we eavesdrop on a sales encounter that starts off normally, and ends up somewhere else.For best results, we recommend listening to today's dialogue first, and then taking the quiz to gauge your comprehension. If you have questions about the materials after that, you can visit the text section for our line-by-line translation and mouseover popups, or ask questions in the discussion section. If you find yourself missing some of the vocabulary, we've highlighted the most critical words in our vocab section.Good luck!
Intermediate - Network Down!
Sep 15, 2008
Show notes
Despite its international reputation for stability, speed and open access, the Chinese Internet is not as infallible as often portrayed in the Western media: it too suffers from the occasional dropped packet, misconfigured router, and hoe-through-the-fiber-optic-backbone.Now that we're running our own servers though, the hand is very much on the other foot when it comes to network quality. Listen in today as we play a short joke on our Chinese voice actors, slowly dismantling their network while they're busy checking email. There were laughs all around. Or were until Xiao Liu passed his fist through our monitor.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
