Explore every episode of the podcast ChinesePod - Beginner

No, Boxing Day has nothing to do with the big fight on Pay-Per-View. It's that semi-mystical holiday celebrated by the loyal subjects of the queen. Apparently it's all about shopping? If you have any idea what we're talking about, let's convert the idea into Chinese in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1832

If you intend to claim something as an expense in China, you need an "official receipt" (AKA "fapiao"). So don't just fight over the bill -- make sure you get this government-issued scrap of paper to make it official. Learn the magic words in this Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1831

You've had a long day and finally arrive at your hotel, ready for some much needed R&R. But alas, the room you desire isn't available! What is to be done? Today's unlucky traveler finds himself in such a predicament. Be sure to listen in and learn about different room types in today's lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1825

If you're going to treat men like objects, it's important to be able to compare them like objects. In this Chinese lesson, a group of ladies in the office compare two of their male co-workers. Listen in on the age-old debate of Xiao Wang vs. Xiao Li, and learn how to make comparisons in Mandarin! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1821

So you slept in until noon, and NOW it's convenient for you to have housekeeping clean your room? That's fine... you're the guest after all. Find out what both the request and the polite staff response are in this continuation of ChinesePod's hospitality series. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1889

We revisit Ms. Wu's saga in New York in today's elementary lesson as we follow on a handbag shopping excursion. Will she be able to find one that suits her? Learn how to shop for handbags (and other products) in today's ChinesePod lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1886

We're back with another useful lesson for the hotel-staffing Chinese learner. Hotel guests highly value their breakfast. Today's lesson will teach you how to direct guests to their morning vittles. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1791

Everyone forgets the essentials sometimes when they travel. What's a poor traveler to do without their toothbrush? Listen in as a forgetful hotel guest asks hotel staff for vital necessities in Mandarin Chinese and learn how to do the same yourself! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1785

Our hospitality saga continues with an encounter between a young woman and a hotel clerk. Learn how to talk about room reservations and China Union Pay bank cards in today's lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1765

Imagine that you work at the Hilton in New York City, and you're tasked with welcoming Chinese guests in Mandarin. You better know exactly what to say, and this Chinese lesson covers exactly that. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1755

In recent years, China's stunning economic progress has propelled it into the ranks of "nations that pretend to use dental floss to appease their dentists." Many Chinese people are also now aware that excessive use of toothpicks can be a bad thing. If you're ready for the big "dental floss or toothpick" question, this is the lesson for you. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1817

That Manager Li is a busy, powerful woman. You can't expect to just pull her aside next to the water cooler; you're going to need to schedule your precious face time with her. In this lesson, learn how to do just that in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1816

Learn Mandarin From Commercials Series helps you experience the culture from Chinese entertainment through commercials where you can learn everyday Chinese phrases and vocabulary. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4601

Learn Mandarin From Movies Series aims to increase awareness of fun Chinese movies that can help you improve your Mandarin Chinese level. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4599

Learn Mandarin From Commercials Series helps you experience the culture from Chinese entertainment through commercials where you can learn everyday Chinese phrases and vocabulary. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4597

Learn Mandarin From Commercials Series helps you experience the culture from Chinese entertainment through commercials where you can learn everyday Chinese phrases and vocabulary. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4595

Learning how to hand-write characters can be a daunting task for those of us just starting to learn Chinese; how often have you forgotten how to write a character? The answer is probably exceedingly often. Don't feel too bad, though. In today's lesson, you'll learn that it's not just foreigners who are prone to forgetting how to write characters! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1812

In this lesson, Joe and Lyn are teaching you an important topic that always comes up when you meet somebody for the first time - talking about your hometown. Let's check it out! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4609

Thanksgiving means "turkey day" to most Americans. While the Chinese can get behind the whole idea of a day giving thanks, they also have a few less-than-enthusiastic opinions about turkey. Find out the Chinese view on turkey and learn how to use Chinese to defend the honor of this delicious bird. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1810

Most successful professionals are excellent planners, or at least have a responsible secretary to take care of all their scheduling needs! Learn how to delegate your scheduling duties to your underlings in Mandarin Chinese in today's ChinesePod lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1797

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 12th lesson Carly will give you a final recap of the last set of characters she talked about in previous lessons. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4582

Sports are a popular topic of discussion all over the world, and China is no exception. In this podcast, learn how to discuss which sports you like to play. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1788

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 11th lesson Carly will give you details for characters used for other countries & languages. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4581

Marriage and divorce. We hope you'll be talking much more about one over the other, but just in case, tune into this lesson to learn how to talk about getting married and divorced in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1783

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 10th lesson Carly will give you details for characters used for other Chinese cities such as Beijing & Shanghai. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4580

If you've ever had the fortune of being "taken care of" by a Chinese friend while in China, then you know how truly hospitable the Chinese can be. When it comes time to say farewell, though, you may have a little trouble expressing the depths of your gratitude. This Chinese lesson is just what you need. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1775

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 9th lesson Carly will give you details for characters used for common public areas. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4579

We hope you're ready for some slightly higher numbers, because these are plane tickets we're talking about; the numbers 1-100 aren't going to cut it. Learn how to ask about travel planes, and also how to discuss slightly vague price ranges in this Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1771

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 8th lesson Carly will give you details for characters used on public signs. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4578

We're sure many of our subscribers, tech-savvy or not, have experienced the joys of shopping online. In today's lesson, learn about one of China's biggest online shopping site, Taobao, in addition to learning how to discuss buying things online in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1761

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 7th lesson Carly will give you details for characters used for transportation such as cars & buses, Trains and so on. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4577

Your Chinese friends will be delighted to learn that you lived in China for a while, and that you speak Chinese. But they're going to want to know immediately: where in China? And then if it's a city they're from, they're going to want to know where in that city? This lesson will prepare you for the geographical drill-down! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1745

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 6th lesson Carly will give you some shopping advice and point out specific characters you will see while looking for the best deals in town. Be prepared knowing these while on your next visit to China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4576

You may not be up to reading novels in Chinese just yet, but you can certainly express your opinion on whether or not a book is good. In this lesson, all your bookworms can learn how to express a little love for the printed word (the kind on dead trees). Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1805

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 5th lesson Carly will give a quick RECAP on what you learned from the previous character videos. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4575

With this lesson, we did our best to distill the most cliché Chinese breakup lines into one simple dialog. This way, should you ever have the misfortune of needing to understand these words and phrases, you focus on being brokenhearted rather than puzzling over vocabulary and grammar. (You can thank us later.) Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1737

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 4th lesson Carly will give you the details on everyday popular drinks like coffee, tea and more. Be prepared knowing these characters while on your next visit to China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4574

There are times when one must depend upon the kindness of strangers. This Chinese lesson revolves around one such case: a young lady could use a hand getting her heavy luggage up onto that overhead rack. Learn the key phrases with us. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1735

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 3rd lesson Carly will give you the details of dates & times and when they are used. Be prepared knowing these characters while on your next visit to China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4573

You may know one way to ask for a phone number, but can you beg shamelessly for one? Or can you deflect the request like a true ice queen? This lesson provides some simple but useful Chinese which might just come in handy at a bar. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1729

Join Carly as she explains 88 common & simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 2nd lesson Carly will give you the details of number characters and where they can be found in. 一二三 (one, two, three), let's go! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4572

Gym rats love to be told that their efforts are noticed, and they may just want to share how often they work out. Even if working out is not your thing, this lesson has you covered. So start learning the Chinese to talk about gyms now! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1725

Join Carly as she explains 88 common and simple Chinese characters you will find all over China. In this 1st lesson Carly will give you the details of characters found on everyday streets and buildings. Be prepared knowing these characters while on your next visit to China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4571

Networking done the traditional way involves stacks of business cards. Nowadays, though, a cell phone is all you need to make that connection. Just be aware that even if you have no intention of making a real connection, your new "friend" might ask you to text her immediately to seal the deal. Learn the necessary Chinese for texting in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1658

In this Newbie lesson, Brian and Penny will teach us on how to talk about when something is wrong or asking people when something's wrong. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4562

So you're wandering in a scary dark forest, and you realize that you keep seeing this same patch of woods over and over... you're lost! In this Chinese lesson, learn how to admit you're lost (or at least the language to accomplish this difficult feat). Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1717

In this Newbie lesson, Brian and Rena will help you how to tell your friend who moves in a slow pace and always turn out late to hurry up! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4560

When a co-worker is making an ice cream run, it's time to speak up or forever dwell in ice cream-less regret. We'll talk about popsicles, cones, and a few other important details. If you're an ice cream fiend, this is an essential Chinese lesson for you. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1710

In this Newbie lesson, Brian and Abby will take you for breakfast and show you how to order your desired meal. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4554

"Aggressive" would be a kind way to describe the driving style you'll witness on the streets of mainland China. For the most part, the pedestrian population regards this driving behavior with amazing tolerance, but every now and then you'll witness a conflict. In this PG-13 Chinese lesson, listen in as a driver gets told off. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1702