ChinesePod - Intermediate

True, she’s one of the most downloaded women on the internet, but she also has a wicked sense of humor. In today’s offbeat lesson, Miss Zhu tells an odd, but interesting riddle, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0418

What are you doing this weekend? Have you made your plans yet? Check out this video and see if you get any ideas! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4104

Due to an extra-smart poddie's recent uber-technical diagnosis of why Asians turn red whilst drinking, there is no need for further racial alcohol-tolerance profiling here at ChinesePod. As a postscript to that, listen in to this podcast to learn how to rate your own drinking prowess in Mandarin Chinese, and to find out that, yes, there are people in the world who don't think baijiu tastes like formaldehyde. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0643

A flat bike tire is like a bad hair day, in that… erm, neither are…. uh, fun. In this podcast, learn how to tell the repairman that you have a flat tire (which is inevitable!), and how to ask him to help you repair it, and your bicycle, using Mandarin Chinese. ChinesePod: the pink basket on the ride of life. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0400

In this lesson, we learn how to complain that something is too expensive. We also look at words for large numbers including hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands. We also look take a look at the measure word 条 (tiao2) which is often used for long, thin strips of things. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2985

You may be so busy studying Chinese that your exercise program has gone the way of the rickshaw. Don't wait until the situation degenerates to the point of your robust belly drawing comparisons to a piece of tofu. Listen to this podcast, and learn in Mandarin about exercise programs to suit everyone out there. Heck, you could even try the rickshaw, it's great for trimming love handles. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0630

Who knew it could all end up like this? In this podcast, could it really be possible that our friends Lili and Zhang Liang will part ways? Or can they work it out? Listen in and hear what a breakup sounds like in Mandarin Chinese. Love hurts. However, look on the bright side--you will finally be able to understand what all those Chinese ballads you sing at karaoke are saying. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0486

In this lesson, we're going to learn 4 different ways to make comparisons using the character 比 bi3. The sentence structure can be a little confusing at times, but since the adjectives don't chance so much, once you've learnt it, you can start making some really interesting and complex sentences.In this lesson we teach different ways to make comparisons, ranging from beginner, all the way to intermediate, so take your time with it, and look out for our Qing Wen lesson in a couple of weeks where we go more in to detail. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2950

Taking a lesson from the other go-on-forever saga of 'lost' people, we have decided to conclude this story without opening the hatch. Tune in to today's podcast, where all is revealed, without a single polar bear sighting. Learn in Mandarin Chinese about what really was going down in Jizhou, and put to bed for all time those disturbing flute arias. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0751

Did you ever pour your heart out to a friend, only to discover you were playing right into that friend’s insidious master plan which would leave you broken-hearted and miserable? (Yeah, we hate it when that happens too.) Fortunately in this podcast it’s our friend Lili that’s getting duped – not us! Yes, it’s time to learn about some Chinese girl-to-girl deception, and pick up some Mandarin along the way. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0462

Listen to one friend complain to another about how her boyfriend refuses to carry her handbag when they're together. Is this something you would do, or do you think it is the polite thing to do? Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2720

Perhaps the upcoming 2008 presidential race in the United States could be made into the next TV reality show. It's got it all--the drama, the coifed blow-dries, the race around the country, the back-biting, the scandals, the slick acting, the lies and deceit, the slow elimination of the charismatically-not-quite-cutting-it... and of course the fetching winner who prevails over all. In this podcast, learn more about all this hoopla, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0626

Well, well… what do we have here? A modern-day “Harold & Maude,” that’s what. Just as Zhang Liang is having doubts about Lili, he finds himself after hours with an attractive female co-worker. Sound spicy? Wait till you hear who catches them! Oohhhhhh, ChinesePod, the Sichuan food of Mandarin Chinese podcasts! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0442

Listen to two students discuss how playing online computer games is affecting their school grades. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2707

Now, pushy salesmen are an easy target, so today's introduction will not pick on them, even if they do wear tacky suits and cheesy grins. In today's podcast, learn the underappreciated skills of the pushy salesman: perseverance, faith in the face of adversity, thick-skinned oblivion and tenacious stick-to-itiveness. All qualities, come to think of it, that will help you to learn Mandarin. See, he's not so bad after all. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0615

Call it pheromones, call it female ambitions, call it what you want… but Lili’s friend finally “busts a move” on Zhang Liang one late night at work. In this podcast, listen in to some serious flirting in Mandarin Chinese. Saucy? Oh – you betcha. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0427

Today we visit SeaWorld to watch the dolphin and penguin performances. Listen in as this family discusses the show times. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2666

Mental breakdowns are never pretty, in any language. But would a Chinese language learning journey be complete without knowing how to have a mental breakdown in Mandarin... just in case? In today's podcast, the drama intensifies. Listen on the edge of your seat as the mystery unravels in Jizhou. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0738

Meddle, meddle, meddle… It wouldn’t be an office place if it didn’t have girls playing “love doctor.” In the latest installment of our on-going story, Lili’s jealous friend finds out one of her friends is Zhang Liang’s co-worker and finds him attractive. Does Cupid carry a Chinese passport? In this podcast, listen in and learn some scheming in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0414

You've been on a bike trip and come back nice and tanned. Your friends are likely going to comment on your new looks as well as ask to see some of the pics. Listen in as two friends discuss the trip, and the nice people she met along the way. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2611

You don't know how you got here, everyone seems shorter than you, and they're communicating in ways you just don't understand. No, you're not in some remote Chinese village; you may be aboard a UFO! So whether you've been having missing time experiences, close encounters, or are just plain obsessed with anal-probes, in this lesson ChinesePod unlocks classified Mandarin podcasts on the otherworldly claims you might encounter on "Planet China". Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0611

Will the drama never end? (We secretly hope not, as it makes for great lessons). Catching up with Zhang Liang and Chen Li, this time Zhang’s worried that Lili is becoming a bit too interested in her successful ex and decides to go to his “bro” for advice. In this podcast, here a man’s take on women, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0390

Running out of battery on your phone can be a pain when you're waiting for an important call or you're just really eager to see what Kim Kardashian's going to post on Twitter next. If you don't want to carry your charger with you and fight it out for outlet space in a cafe, maybe an external battery pack is for you, but do you know how to deal with a dying battery in Chinese? This lesson will teach you some very useful vocabulary in this regard. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2568

Though transformers are the flavor of the month, some of us puritans yearn for the simpler days of 'Mother May I' and 'Red Rover.' In this podcast, take a step back in time in China and find out what the kids were up to over here while you were busy playing with your cabbage patch kids and hot wheels. Learn in Mandarin Chinese about what toys the kids from the other side of the block fancied back in the day. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0604

We know our ChinesePod listeners are all good-looking and successful people. This means that at some point you’ll be chairing a meeting. So can we help? You bet we can! All we ask is that you wear your “ChinesePod RULZ” power tie. Listen to this podcast to learn how to conduct a meeting in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0388

A VPN in Western countries can be useful for hiding your less-than-savory browsing history at work, but in China it's an absolute necessity if you have any intention of using international networking sites or Youtube. Learn a bit about this useful cloaking device in today's elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1949

If you thought incense was for creating a mood and that orange robes were a fashion statement... that vegetarianism was just a California fad and nuns were only for Catholics... it's time to listen to this enlightening podcast on the intricacies of Buddhism and Taoism. Learn in Mandarin Chinese about the history, culture, and tenets of two of the most dominant religions in China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0598

You wanted more drama so more drama it is. In this podcast, you’ll learn what a parent-child argument sounds like in Mandarin Chinese. We’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with “homework and good grades”. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0378

It's safe to say that everyone has been on an awful date before. Whether it was that it was horribly awkward, a terrible clash of personalities, or that the other person was just a bedraggled mess, we've all had at least one dating experience that we'd rather forget. Today's lesson is the story of one such unlucky young woman recounting her own nightmare of a date. Tune in to hear more! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1893

We like to think of learning Mandarin as "extreme language learning." It's no wonder, then, that "extreme tourism" would go hand-in-hand. What about an "extreme tourism Chinese language learning travel excursion?" Now, that would be cool. Listen in to this podcast and go on just that. (Helmet and shin pads recommended.) Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0587

An overview of the “Fuwa,” the 5 official mascots for the Beijing Olympics. They’re everywhere…as in: can’t-get-away-wake-up-in-cold-sweats-cause-they’re-chasing-you everywhere. We’re talking about “Fuwa”, the 5 official mascots of that small gathering happening next year in the capital. Listen in to this podcast to understand the significance of these cute little guys, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0360

Everyone loves the aquarium: brightly-colored tropical fish, massive sharks, cute otters, and even beluga whales (if you're lucky enough to be in Shanghai, at least). ChinesePod is following a lucky child and their parents to the aquarium today. Learn all the vocabulary for your favorite marine life in today's intermediate lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1873

The web that social networks weave is intricate. To some, an essential socializing tool. To others, perhaps, a time waster. And yet others... a stalker's haven. No matter how one rails against them, there is no doubt that that self-same person is a member of at least two of their own social networking sites. This podcast will teach you the ropes of social networking from Jiangnan to Urumuqi, in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0583

You’re dealing with four tones, thousands upon thousands of words, and you’re going to try and shop for your own office supplies? Listen in to this podcast to learn how to order some very essential office supplies in Mandarin Chinese. Or better yet, a lesson on making someone else go to pick up those ballpoint pens, printer paper and markers for you! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0349

We love getting visitors at the ChinesePod office here in Shanghai. Thankfully, no matter if you speak Chinese or not, our bilingual staff can offer you a wonderfully fulfilling tour. Unfortunately, not all offices in China are as well-equipped as ours. Today's lesson offers a simple office tour in Mandarin Chinese with some essential workplace vocabulary. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1868

There is a rage sweeping the number geeks of the nation, and it's called Sudoku. ChinesePod, confident that all Chinese-learners are mental gymnasts by nature, brings you enlightenment on this popular mind-puzzle. Now, for those amongst us who are not number-crunchers, think of this podcast as your one chance to learn how to talk about columns, grids, and rows with fluency in Mandarin. And for those amongst us that are number-crunchers, please come and do my taxes next year. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0575

Some do it because nowhere else in the world could you get a tailor-made suit for under $100. Some do it because everywhere else in the world laughs at a request for “tight in the bum, boot fit corduroys”. Regardless, you come here, and you leave with twice the amount of luggage. In this podcast, learn how to tell your tailor exactly what you want, in Mandarin Chinese. Study hard, because we’d like to think our listeners aren’t “off the rack” types. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0340

Shopping is an integral part of many a tourist's experience travelling. But what do you do when you don't know where to go to get your shopping fix, be it Gucci bags or local handicrafts? Check out today's ChinesePod lesson to learn how to ask your friendly concierge for directions to the local mall in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1795

The clammy handshake... the subsequent perspiring flush of sweat, the blank mind run through the wringer as the suit across the desk shoots out a machine-gun-like barrage of blank-drawing interrogations. All that's missing are the torture devices and spotlight in your face. Do job interviews terrify you at the best of times? No longer! Because job interviews in Chinese are going to be a whiz, after this lesson. Listen to this podcast, and learn how to charm the pants off of that potential employer, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0570

E-commerce is big in China. Not a day goes by at offices throughout the Middle Kingdom without someone receiving a package of something that they've bought online. And while toting your goodies home with you is okay, ordering stuff directly to your house by far the most convenient. But will you be home to receive it? In this lesson, someone tries to get their friend to receive their package for them, a task that might prove infinitely more difficult than it sounds... Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2047

In this lesson, we discuss going to see a SCARY movie and what other alternatives there may be. Join Jenny and Grace as they discuss going to see the new Jurassic Park 2. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4092

Today people across America will be going to the polls to decide on a new president for the next four years. Will it be Obama or Romney? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, people across the world will be watching to see who will be leading this powerful nation in the future, and China is no exception. In this lesson, follow a news reporter as people on the street are interviewed about what they think about the US presidential election. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2058

Lending money to friends can be a risky business. They might be a good friend, but are they good with money? What's worse, how can you put pressure on a friend to pay you back? In this lesson, two friends discus how to get another friend to pay one of them back. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2045

What do you do when your phone is dying and you don't have a charger? You have to ask to borrow one. Listen to Grace and Jenny as they search for a charger. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4085

Marriage in China is a serious business that involves more than just the complexities of love and interpersonal relationships. In a culture where family is highly revered, marrying someone means becoming part of the family. And this requires making commitments that are both spiritual and financial. For men marrying into the family, this means buying a house, which in a country undergoing a massive real estate boom is anything but a small commitment. In this lesson, two friends discuss the thinking behind this practice. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2055

There's nothing like a little bait and switch to get those customers coming. This tactic works the world over, and China is no exception. Make sure you don't get taken for a ride, and make sure you let them no you're no fool...in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0322

Writing Chinese Characters shouldn't be overwhelming! In this video, we break down the key characters found in the intermediate lesson The New Co-Worker. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4078

A special podcast today. We listen in on an interview about a very interesting aspect of coming of age in China--going on the school field trip to the countryside to study agricultural life. Listen in to this Mandarin Chinese interview with our very own Ziheng, (you may recognize him from his previous acting roles here at ChinesePod) as he shares his very unique, and often humorous, thoughts on this interesting and rare glimpse into real life in China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0561

Likely many a laowai has dreamed about how much dosh one could make taking chicken feet from the States and importing them to China--but just how does the whole import/export biz work? We know, and you could as well, in a matter of about 14 minutes. In this podcast, learn to talk business in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0319

While chatting with your friends in Chinese, job discussion will surely be a popular topic, especially if someone has just changed jobs. Learn how to give a (diplomatic) answer to some of the more common questions about your new occupation. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1852