ChinesePod - Beginner
674 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★ - 11 ratingsChinesePod makes learning Mandarin fun and easy. It isn't your typical language learning resource - we think you'll be entertained as well!
If you’re just trying to learn some survival Chinese or looking to start a lifelong relationship with the language, this ChinesePod - Beginner Level Podcast Channel is where to start.
Expand your Mandarin Chinese learning experience by also SUBSCRIBING to ChinesePod - Intermediate and ChinesePod - Advanced Podcast channels.
For more lessons, go to www.chinesepod.com and take us for a spin.
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Episodes
Newbie | Miss, Is This Yours?
October 27, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 29.8 MBHave you ever tried to talk to a stranger on the street? Maybe you’re trying to get someone’s attention because he dropped something on the floor or you just want to get a pretty girl’s number. No matter what the reason is, this lesson is going to be useful for you because Joe and Lyn will show you different ways to strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4313
Elementary | Furniture
October 25, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 33.3 MB“Come on over,” they say, “We’ve a furnished apartment for you!” “Great,” you think – until you get there. The bed is a foot and a half too small, and the chair doesn’t recline at all, making it hard to watch football. So what do you do, lazy boy? Learn how to sleep in the fetal position, or listen up to a lesson on furniture? In this podcast, learn by taking a trip to a furniture shop and picking out what you like, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0274
Newbie | Weekend Appointments
October 22, 2021 08:00 - 16 minutes - 38.5 MBIn this lesson, you're going to learn how to ask people's weekend plans and how to say Häagen-Dazs in Chinese. See if you can spot it in the dialogue. Let's check it out! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4299
Elementary | Pregnancy
October 20, 2021 08:00 - 16 minutes - 38.2 MBYou know all the terms, from “bun in the oven” to “pregos,” so why not add another phrase to that wicked repertoire, and learn it in Mandarin? In this podcast, learn how to ask someone how far along they are, and to congratulate them. (For premium subscribers, we’ll also teach you how to apologize profusely for asking someone who isn’t, when she’s due.) Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0269
Newbie | Taxi Conversations: Arriving at your Destination
October 18, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 31.2 MBMore “Traveler’s Audio Phrase Book” phrases in Mandarin Chinese for you. In this podcast, we tackle arrivals. When your loyal taxi man gets you where you want to go, safe and sound, what’s left to do? Think you can ignore this lesson and get by with a simple point and “okay”? Nǎo zi huài le! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0065
Elementary | Past Experience With 过 guò
October 15, 2021 08:00 - 17 minutes - 39.9 MB过/過/guò is a past experience marker in Chinese, but what does that mean, and how do we use it in conversation? Listen to this dialogue about a friend asking about a trip to Beijing, and whether of not they've had the experience of eating the famous Beijing Roast Duck. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/3016
Newbie | Taxi Conversations: Suggesting A Route
October 13, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes - 24.8 MBAnother useful lesson for your “Traveler’s Audio Phrase Book”, in this podcast we assist you in using Mandarin Chinese to suggest a route to take to your taxi driver. Unimportant, you might think? Try going from Beijing to Shanghai on the service road instead of the highway! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0062
Elementary | Encouraging Words
October 11, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 34.3 MBYes, we know you’re going to make your voice sound like the guy in the film when you say “you can do it!”--and that’s okay. What’s not okay is getting discouraged (and in a language of 4 tones & 50,000 characters, it can happen). So how ‘bout a podcast with a Mandarin Chinese lesson on helping that friend out with a few words of encouragement? Go for it! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0266
Newbie | One Egg Tart, Please
October 08, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 28.2 MBWe all know that humans can't live without snacks...uhh...no, I mean food. So knowing how to order food and knowing what the server says are really essential. Let's check out the lesson and try the sentences in the lesson in your daily life. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4296
Elementary | Make-up
October 06, 2021 08:00 - 16 minutes - 37 MBWhile you might underestimate a lesson on lipstick, eye shadow, etc, you’d be surprised how relaxing it is to put on after a long day at the office. In this podcast, Jenny (one of the lucky ones who doesn’t need it) teaches Ken (more of a “winter”) all about cosmetics, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0262
Newbie | Taxi Conversations: Destination
October 04, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 30.1 MBYou’ve used the last lesson on taxis to get into a cab (or put your headphones in the ears of an unsuspecting driver), but now what? Let him take you to where he thinks you need to go (read: every tourist spot known to man)? In this podcast, we’ll help you navigate as a Mandarin Chinese speaking back-seat driver. He won’t dare give you the run around. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0053
Elementary | Character Mind Map: 老 old
October 01, 2021 08:00 - 20 minutes - 48 MBIn Chinese, you often encounter single characters that have multiple related meanings. This has the potential to confuse learners because sometimes it is hard to make connections between component characters and their meanings within multiple-character words. That's why we created this Character Mind Map series, where we focus on characters and the words they make up. Today, we're talking about 老 and all the interesting words using this character. Let's check them out! Episode link: https://...
Newbie | Taxi Conversations: Finding A Taxi
September 29, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 28.2 MBWe assume that, as a beginner, deciphering the schedule for the airport bus might be just a little stressful, so put off breaking into that duty-free you bought for 10 minutes or so and get yourself far, far away from the mayhem that is an Asian airport. In this podcast, you will learn to ask where to catch a taxi, in Mandarin Chinese, as well as some directional words to help you find your way there. Then, sit back and enjoy the ride! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0050
Elementary | Borrowing And Returning
September 27, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 32.7 MBDespite many an inter-office email on “please don’t make the intros your own therapy” we simply cannot ignore today’s topic and the fact that Ken has yet to return our favorite Sharpie pen. Listen in to this podcast for a Mandarin Chinese lesson on borrowing and returning. We promise—no moralizing. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0259
Newbie | The Pen Is Out Of Water
September 24, 2021 08:00 - 15 minutes - 35.6 MBIn this newbie lesson, we are looking for some common office supplies, and in doing so, you have to learn how to use the sentence structure 没...了. I know what you're thinking, "The pen is out of...water? That's just bad English". I assure you that it's not a typo, but a way to help you remember how to express "The pen is out of ink" in Chinese. Let's check out today's lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4293
Elementary | I Can't Find My Glasses!
September 22, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 32.8 MBWe know how much you hate losing things (mind, especially), and we do too. We also know that if you don’t have your glasses, you can’t read these Pulitzer Prize worthy intros, so should you find yourself in a situation where you can’t see, and the only people around you speak Mandarin, in about 15 minutes, you’ll be equipped. In this podcast, learn how to say you can’t find something, using Mandarin Chinese, and you’ll be set. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0254
Newbie | Directions & Transportation
September 20, 2021 07:41 - 14 minutes - 33.8 MBIn this newbie lesson, we're going to show you how to ask for directions in Chinese, as well as how to say all the different directions, let's get started! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4286
Elementary | I Want To Play
September 17, 2021 08:00 - 15 minutes - 35 MBNot that we ever had friends calling our name from outside asking us to join the “cool kids” and play, but with our “cool listeners only” rule firmly in effect, we thought we’d teach you. In this podcast, Jenny brings back fond childhood memories while at the same time, peeling back the scab of Ken’s. In this podcast, learn a conversation between a parent and child in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0250
Newbie | Watch Out At The Light
September 15, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 28.2 MBIn this Newbie lesson, Joe and Joy will show us a catchy slogan which would come in handy when you’re crossing the streets, and we’re also going to learn some vocabulary about traffic lights and transportation! Fasten your seat belt and check out this video! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4277
Elementary | Don't Do That!
September 13, 2021 07:36 - 11 minutes - 27.2 MBA few subway tips you might not be aware of: 1. The process of letting those on the subway off before boarding has not yet caught on; 2. Mobile ring tones are downloaded so owner and train neighbors can hear – meaning you’ll be treated to 90 seconds of a Backstreet Boy weeping; and 3. The process of letting those on the subway off before boarding has (still) not yet caught on. Now – we know you’re patient, but for that friend of yours, here’s a “strong” way of telling someone to immediately ...
Newbie | I Am Not That Hungry
September 10, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 33.6 MBIn this lesson, Joe and Lyn will show you a useful sentence to politely turn down someone’s invitation to a meal, and you'll also learn how to express feeling hungry or thirsty in Chinese! Let's check it out! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4273
Elementary | Massage Therapy
September 08, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes - 25.1 MB"LaoWise” is a ChinesePod series aimed at aiding expats in China. She might be all of 5’2” and 50 – but those knuckles dig deep into the arch of your foot and you can either put on a brave face or tell her it feels like tiny hammers… In this podcast, we’ll teach you how to say “a little harder”, or the more likely to be used “a little lighter” in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0241
Newbie | I'm Not Chinese
September 06, 2021 07:41 - 11 minutes - 11.1 MBYou might look the part, you might sound the part, but you’re not actually Chinese. So how would you go about telling someone that although you might sound like a native speaker (hopefully!), you’re not from China? Ken knows – he gets it all the time. Listen to this podcast to learn how to clarify where you are from, using Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0343
Elementary | Continued Tone Change Series #6 - I Miss You
September 03, 2021 08:00 - 18 minutes - 42.6 MBIn our previous newbie tone change series, we have introduced the tone change rules for 不, 一, two third tones, and three third tones. Just like many other aspects in the Chinese language, tone changes are more nuanced than the rules you see in textbooks. That's why for the elementary tone change series, we decided that we would reinforce the rules with the help of dialogues that you hear in everyday conversations. Practice and familiarize yourselves with the sounds, and you'll be a tone mast...
Newbie | Please Speak Slowly
September 01, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes - 9.6 MBAs mentioned previously, uttering “xiexie” and “nihao” seem to automatically put you in the bracket of “fluent”, meaning they’re going to speak to you in a normal (read: fast) speed. So learning how to tell someone in Mandarin Chinese to “slow it down a bit” in this podcast just might save you from having to admit that you’re actually not quite that fluent yet. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0338
Elementary | Having Food Delivered
August 31, 2021 03:29 - 13 minutes - 32.2 MBWith the, ahem, “affordability” of DVD’s here, you might find yourself three seasons into a show you’ve never even heard of (see: “The Pretender”) and not wanting to go all the way downstairs and 50 feet to the right. So, you either snack on those cold chicken feet your neighbor gave you, or you order in. In this podcast, learn how to order take-out in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0236
Newbie | Master, I'll Be Late
August 27, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 32.6 MBI know what you're thinking, "Is this a lesson about Chinese Kung Fu?" Well, not really, sorry for the misleading thumbnail. Instead in this lesson, we're going to show you how to rush your driver in a taxi, and a very common word for expressing "Oh I'm finished!" in Chinese. "But...What about the master?" That's another mystery we're going to solve. Check out the video and find out yourself! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4234
Elementary | Pronunciation Correction
August 25, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 27.8 MBOh, it will happen – right after the cab driver who you just told “I don’t speak Chinese” starts drawing Chinese characters on the window with his hand. It’s the “tone correction” sit-down. Get used to it now, with this podcast giving you a Mandarin Chinese lesson in a tone correction. Forget those “ma/ma/ma/ma” classes. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0232
Newbie | Happy Birthday
August 23, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBQuick – name things that you love! 1. ChinesePod 2. Cake That’s right! So what’s the only thing we could include to make this a very special day? How about taking advantage of the coincidence of one of your hosts being born on this day? In this podcast, learn how to wish someone a Happy Birthday! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0333
Elementary | Chengyu Series: Nine Buffaloes And One Hair
August 20, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 32.3 MBChengyu are Chinese idioms that consist of four characters. Although they originate from classical Chinese, Chengyu remain as an important aspect in both spoken and written language. They may seem erratic and confusing to you at first since they don’t follow the usual sentence order and their meanings depend heavily on context. But don’t worry, in this Chengyu series, we will introduce simple Chengyu made up with all the characters that you already knew, and you can infer the actual meaning ...
Newbie | This Is Mine!
August 18, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBIf you were that kid in school who hated sharing, then we strongly suggest hypnotherapy before attending a meal here. Food, laughs and sometimes even a bottle of the ole’ baijiu are passed out among the present…which is fine, until Mr. Food-in-his-teeth mistakes your glass for his. Perhaps this podcast with a Mandarin Chinese lesson on getting straight whose glass is whose would be appreciated. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0329
Elementary | The Doggy Bag
August 16, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 29.8 MBOh sure – you come over with a good 6 inches on the average Chinese person, thinking that half-a-foot will make you the leader in FAT (Food Acquisition Tolerance), but that egg you’re eyeing is about to be on your face. They can put it away; you can’t. So either concede culinary conquest, or hide behind that doggy bag. You don’t know how to ask for one in Mandarin? We do. Listen to this podcast to learn how. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0217
Newbie | I Am Very Good At Cooking
August 13, 2021 08:00 - 17 minutes - 39.3 MBIn today's lesson, we're going to show you how to ask others about their ability, and how to express (or show off) that you're really good at something, let's check out the lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4227
Elementary | How Embarrassing!
August 11, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 31.3 MBYes – we’ve prepared you for the language side of things, but there are some situations that just can’t be prepared for (see: using an “Eastern toilet” in a cocktail dress). So perhaps being able to react appropriately would at least slow down that rush of red to your cheeks? In this podcast, we’ll aid you in admitting embarrassment in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0214
Newbie | Stand Up
August 09, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBEven if you’re going to get by for the first while learning a new language using the universal language, charades, you’ll love to learn these initial basic actions in Mandarin Chinese, just in case they can’t guess. In this podcast, follow along with some basic action words in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0323
Elementary | Nationalities
August 06, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 31.4 MBWith your “I Climbered The Grate Well” t-shirt and dual-fisted approach to chopsticks, it should come as no shock that you’re not blending in as much as you’d like…so perhaps you could tell them which faraway land you come from that uses forks. In this podcast, learn how to tell someone in Mandarin Chinese which country you come from. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0223
Newbie | Thirsty For Water
August 04, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBSo, you’re thirsty… for water. Now, believe it or not, some shopkeepers will give you tea when you ask for water. In fact, others will even offer up OJ! But you need some H20 and you need it now! Parch no more – it’s a ChinesePod podcast to quench that burning throat…and desire to…(ahem)…learn Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0316
Elementary | Skincare: Sunscreen
August 02, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 33.3 MBFact: Should you ever get away to the gorgeous town of Qingdao, you might be amazed at how many people aren’t on the beach during the day. Tan is most certainly *not* the new black here (read: umbrellas held while cycling). So, in this podcast, learn how to ask for sunscreen, using Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0203
Newbie | Playing Cards
July 30, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBIt’s hard to keep that poker face when you face your Mandarin speaking opponents, tongue-tied. So, before you sit down to a card game, listen to this podcast on playing cards. Learn to invite some pals to put their money where their mouths are…in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0304
Elementary | Getting A Date
July 28, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 33.4 MBWe don’t allow ugly (on the inside) people to listen (work here, yes, but not listen), so of course, when you come here to visit us, you will end up being asked out (not the other way around, of course). So, despite us never having done this on the first date before, in this podcast we’ll forgo all usual standards and give you a Mandarin Chinese lesson on the romantic meet-up. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0197
Newbie | The Door
July 26, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes - 9.97 MBIf it’s not obvious already -- we’re nerds. Nerdy enough to spend far too much money on a sound effects CD. So simply bear with us in this podcast as we listen to a door and teach you the exciting actions relating to the comings and goings through a door, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0301
Elementary | Going To Church
July 24, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 30.4 MBIn a land of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam – and now Christianity – a quick sermon on how to identify your own religion might help. In this podcast you will learn how to ask about someone’s religion, and also to talk about going to church, using Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0192
Newbie | Stopping The Taxi
July 23, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBYou might find yourself chuckling so loud at the “No Drunkards or Psychos” rule in the back of Shanghai taxis that you forget to tell the driver where to stop. So how can you? It has something do with listening to (another) brilliant lesson by ChinesePod. That’s us. In this podcast take your taxi driver Mandarin Chinese banter to the next level. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0290
Elementary | Adding Credit To A Cellphone
July 22, 2021 08:00 - 11 minutes - 27.6 MBA few things you can’t live without upon arriving: 1. Toilet paper (oh – you laugh now, but trust us) 2. ChinesePod 3. A mobile phone …now, we hope the first two are self-explanatory, and about the 3rd – it’s all pay-as-you-go, so in this podcast we tender a lesson in Mandarin Chinese on “topping up” that phone. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0189
Newbie | I'm Cold!
July 16, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBWhen it’s snowing out and finally realize that the reason there is no thermostat in your apartment is because there is actually no central heating, you’re gonna want to be able to find the words to whine about it. In this podcast, learn how to talk about being cold, in Mandarin Chinese—a subject that will come up often (that is when you’re not whining about being too hot). Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0286
Elementary | Musical Instruments
July 14, 2021 08:00 - 16 minutes - 37.6 MBGranted, even we can’t say “pipa” without giggling, and still feel the need to grab the “erhu” and do a scissor kick, but it won’t stop us from sitting Jenny down in this podcast and finding out why she doesn’t play the “gangqin”…all in the name of a Mandarin Chinese lesson on instruments. ChinesePod: the CBGB of podcasts. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0183
Newbie | Feminine Products
July 12, 2021 08:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBA man writes these intros. He doesn’t have a “special time” each month. He also realizes that being funny about needing feminine products isn’t funny. So he’ll simply say, “Here’s a Mandarin Chinese lesson on buying tampons.” He now feels uncomfortable. But hopes you find this podcast useful. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0281
Elementary | A Walk In The Park
July 09, 2021 08:00 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBYes, using ChinesePod makes learning Mandarin a walk in the park – thank you. But this lesson is actually about walking in the park--not the in the metaphorical sense… ugh. Let’s make this easy for both of us: Here is a lesson on “Walking in the Park.” In this podcast you’ll learn to talk in Mandarin Chinese about things that people like you like to do in parks. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0178
Newbie | Black Or Green Tea
July 07, 2021 08:00 - 12 minutes - 12 MBYou know (from watching Tom Hanks save the world again) that lemon or milk depends on the brew, but would you be able to order a proper cup of PG Tips in Mandarin? Let’s hope so…no, wait, instead of hoping, in this podcast let’s give you a Mandarin Chinese lesson on black and green tea, for your drinking pleasure. Whhhhooooooooeeeeeeeeee!!! (That was supposed to be a kettle sound effect). Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0277
Elementary | Here Is Your Change
July 05, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 33.9 MBSurely you never thought that having change could be so important. However, when you pull out one of the “hundred dollar bills” (not as much as it sounds), you just may be leaving without anything. In this podcast, you’ll learn how make sure you’ll be able to use your Mandarin Chinese to get all of your coin back… plus, we finally find out *why* Jenny loves chocolate so! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0177