chinese learning

Beautiful and Mysterious

2011-05-09T22:53:00.000-10:00

Brad's heart was a wreck. The previous evening he had met a girl he could only describe as perfect. And she had seemed interested between their drinks and dancing. Yet when the party drew to a close, she simply smiled when he asked for a telephone number or email address and told him to look her up. But as best he could tell from a cursory search of the Internet, she was entirely off the grid as well. What was a man to do? Hunt through the city of Beijing door-by-door in search of a single girl?

Our Nearsighted Colleague

2011-04-25T19:08:00.005-10:00

Need to express surprise or issue forceful denials? These are two things we find ourselves doing with alarming regularity when escorting a certain nearsighted colleague of ours around Beijing. But while this lesson is inspired by real life, it's fairly easy and is crammed full of useful expressions for anyone starting to learn Chinese. So if you're just starting to use Popup Chinese, listen in and let us know what you think.

A Simple Transaction

2011-04-25T19:08:00.004-10:00

The Chinese teaching establishment had cornered us in a bar at Houhai, and was telling us it couldn't be done over shots of tequila. "Who can teach coverbs to absolute beginners," they scoffed. "You want to start with a lesson on drinking tea." The head of the Confucius Institute was nearly falling off his chair, but still chipped in something about the Great Wall. It was less a suggestion than something more forceful. "Play up the culture and make China look good, you know?"

And so we nodded and finished our drinks before heading home. "And down the hatches," Brendan said heading into the studio. "If we're going out in a blaze of glory, at least it'll be a blaze of linguistic glory that illustrates the topic-oriented nature of the Chinese language when it comes to giving instructions." The rest of us nodded. The world could drink tea on its own time. In our corner of the Internet, there was an urgent need for more podcasts about coverbs and topic-oriented sentences. The Great Wall could wait.

Handling the Cops

2011-04-25T19:08:00.003-10:00

While everyone starts with the what-a-lovely-uniform-you-have-officer, we find that cheerful nodding gets harder to stomach once you've been fined once too often for miscellaneous visa paperwork, or after friends or family have been dragged to local precincts to answer for their non-existing connections with international Zionist conspiracies that may or may not threaten the Chinese salt supply. Which is not to say that we're bitter. But there's a point where the entire security theater starts feeling old.

So while we can't honestly recommend this way of dealing with the cops, if they happen to drop by on an early Saturday morning when you're still in bed nursing a hangover, there's absolutely nothing wrong with putting that pillow over your head and going back to sleep. If they think it's important they'll come back, and probably in about 24 hours with someone louder.

Ordering Pizza

2011-04-25T19:08:00.002-10:00

If you ask most foreigners for random trivia about Tianjin, they'll probably mention the foreign concessions, or Herbert Hoover fighting in the streets during the Boxer Rebellion, or the pivotal role the city played in the student protests during the May Fourth Movement. What you won't hear is anyone rave about the pizza....

So let's note that if you've stumbled into Tianjin and are looking for a nice place to have lunch, this lesson is going to be totally useless to you unless you've "gone native" and have a thing for fruit and pak-choi smothered in a loving serving of ketchup and served up on toast. We give the city full points for trying, but you should probably hold off on practicing this vocab until you're in either Beijing or Shanghai, where it will come in really useful.

Memories of Echo's Childhood

2011-04-25T19:08:00.001-10:00

The consensus among Echo's peers was that grade one was the worst for everyone involved: the students, the teachers and the janitorial staff. So while a lot of people romanticize the Chinese education system, this lesson is our way of encouraging everyone to loosen up a bit. Because when you have to go....

Learning Chinese? Although we've been producing Chinese lessons for over two years now, it came as a shock when we realized we hadn't actually done a lesson on common classroom words and phrases. The language that you'll hear and use in the classroom starting from your first class. Which is the reason for this podcast. If you're starting to learn Chinese in a traditional classroom, take a listen and pick up some critical vocabulary you can use to make yourself understood to the teacher, not to mention demand periodic access to restroom facilities.

Are You Sick?

2011-04-25T19:08:00.000-10:00

We hate to be the bearers of bad news and all, but if you're coming to China for the long-term you are pretty much guaranteed to get seriously ill. And we mean ill in the call-the-doctor-to-defibrillate-my-lungs sense of the word. At least until your immune system starts taking this country seriously, life in China will be a lot like that time you tended bar at that sangria party in college, only without the wine and fruit juice.

Learning Chinese? If you're an absolute beginner to mandarin, join Echo and David for a Chinese lesson that covers some critical basics of the language. Start listening now and before ten minutes are up you'll know how to ask and answer questions in Chinese, and be an expert at shunning friends and relatives who show the slightest signs of potentially contagious infection.

Memories of Changsha

2011-04-25T19:07:00.007-10:00

This dialogue reminds us of our brief vacation in Changsha several years ago, when a few us of shared a bus with every single other inhabitant in the city. We're not sure what the occasion was, but it got so crowded the conductor basically gave up on collecting fares, while the rest of us gave up on our hopes of ever getting off the bus. The incident ended when the vehicle broke down in a traffic jam, giving us a much greater appreciation for the Beijing metro.

Learning Chinese? Our Absolute Beginner lessons are designed for people with no previous experience in the language. If you've already got some Chinese under your belt and want to move a bit faster, visit our lesson archives and explore our lessons at the elementary, intermediate and advanced levels.

A Guide to Supportive Parenting

2011-04-25T19:07:00.006-10:00

Children need to be nurtured and loved. So be sure to talk to them and ask questions. Show genuine concern and engagement for best results: how was your day; have you been having troubles at school lately; is there anything we should talk about? While this might seem strange behavior at first, in time you will grow accustomed to this sort of conversation and may even be able to engage with your children while mentally occupied elsewhere.

While we usually avoid talking about grammar at the absolute beginner level, sometimes there is a dialogue that demands it. This podcast is one of them. It may be a bit tough if you're totally new to Chinese, but it covers a key point that you'll use all the time. So take a listen. And if you have any questions, contact us anytime either via email, or by leaving a comment in our discussion section below.

The Mysterious Woman

2011-04-25T19:07:00.005-10:00

The Cold War that had been simmering between our staff for months finally came to a head as Gail put down the phone. "Our Chinese lessons aren't easy enough," she leveled an icy glare at Brendan, who slipped his copy of "Quotations from Mencius" into his knapsack in furtive response. "We need a Chinese lesson that is so dead simple," she continued, "that even someone who can't even find China on a map can learn some of the basics of the Chinese language."

And that's how all the fun ended here at Popup Chinese, at least for this lesson. This week we've followed the advice of our "student-friendly" teacher Gail, which means our popular fun-with-Tang-Dynasty-etymology and how-did-the-Manchu-say-that podcast segments are gone, replaced with a highly-repetitive beginner lesson that will teach how you to ask who people are, and learn to understand the answers. This is a very simple lesson for anyone just starting to learn mandarin and looking for an easy way to fluency. So enjoy it while you can. The etymology can wait for another few days.

Just this one....

2011-04-25T19:07:00.004-10:00

On entering the Chinese bazaar, Jake had been intent on purchasing a t-shirt, or perhaps a long-sleeved shirt. He had wanted something adorned with Chinese characters to commemorate his trip. Which raised the question of how exactly he had ended up in this state: arms stretched full of imitation Prada bags, Timberland jackets and pashmina shawls and his wallet considerably lighter than when he left the hotel.

Suffice it to say that learning how to say no is an important skill in China. There are a few ways of accomplishing this though, and in today's Chinese lesson we cover one of the less obvious. Instead of just coming right out with a refusal, we teach you to emphasize only the item you want. "It's this one," you'll say, "exactly this one." This is a polite way to control the conversation while making sure you're understood. And it can come in especially useful when you're shopping. Good luck!

What Time Is It?

2011-04-25T19:07:00.003-10:00

There are two kinds of people for whom this lesson is overkill: those of you who have watches you check regularly, and those of you who are relatively punctual by nature. For the rest of us, it's useful to be able to find out what time it is in China. And so in this lesson we focus on learning how to ask this question in Chinese. We'll leave perfecting the look of stunned amazement you'll offer on hearing you're late up to you.

Want more? In addition to learning how to ask what time it is, this Chinese podcast also covers a few simple numbers so that you can understand the answer you get. We also touch briefly on why the past tense is not always the past tense.

Relationship with a Supermodel

2011-04-25T19:07:00.002-10:00

Henry couldn't pinpoint it at all. His girlfriend was the most amazing woman he had ever known. She was beautiful and sexy and stunningly smart - much smarter than him he realized subconsciously. Yet while his feelings were clearly reciprocated by the way she looked at him, there was also something about her gaze that stirred up a feeling of deep unease. But what could be the problem?

Are you just starting to learn Chinese? In this lesson for absolute beginners to the Chinese language, join us as we share some tips for complimenting the guy or girl of your dreams. In addition to being useful for telling someone else how great you think they are, you can also use these tricks to tell them how great you are in return. Because if you're going to be dating a male or female supermodel, there's nothing wrong with a little self-promotion every now and then.

Inside the Actors' Studio

2011-04-25T19:07:00.001-10:00

To be fair, Zhang Yimou's script for the sequel to House of Flying Daggers was simple enough: following Xiao Mei's near fatal stabbing at the climax of the first film, the beautiful dancer is nursed back to health by a handsome Chinese doctor with whom she then falls in love. Their story of romance and traditional Chinese medicine is told in flashback form by their son, who calls home at the end of the film in a touching family reunion.

That said, it went without saying that the entire emotional payoff of the film rested on the delivery of that final telephone call. And while most directors might have sloughed it off given the grueling production schedule, Zhang Yimou wasn't considered the best director in China for nothing! Which was why the fearsome perfectionist had forced his cast to practice their delivery over and over again until even he was satisfied it marked the perfect conclusion to an otherwise perfect film.

Want money?

2011-04-25T19:07:00.000-10:00

Everyone may be hustling for a little extra cash these days, but our lesson today goes out especially to all you poor souls in Shanghai who have to run a gauntlet of professional beggars every time you step outside. Having lived it ourselves, we know this isn't a pleasant experience, and it's especially disheartening since it can desensitize you to helping people who are really down and out with nowhere to turn. With that in mind, and since this dialogue is also a bit mean-spirited, let's offset it with a practical tip on how to act charitably in China.

There are a lot of stores that will give you small change, but very few places you can really spend it. So if you're in the mood to be charitable, why not take advantage of this. Keep your small change in a separate pocket from your wallet and use this as a reserve for casual giving. You'll be surprised at how much accumulates over time, and having a separate stash for those who really need help will put you in more of a mood to give when the circumstances call for it.

Who is Bradley Cooper

2011-04-25T19:06:00.005-10:00

Bradley Cooper's legs stretched out happily in his limousine. His lower limbs knew now that the actor's face had monopolized his public image for too long: back home it was impossible for them to even drop by Dolce or Ortolan without his smile drawing in at least one admiring fan. But in China things were different. Where else could a pair of legs get this sort of attention without even speaking the local language?

Losing Touch with Reality

2011-04-25T19:06:00.004-10:00

Another lesson on Inception? As Gail reported the conversation later, the user's voice had been painfully brusque. But after a week of shielding the rest of Popup Chinese from its increasingly estranged userbase, even she was getting weary of the role of go-between. So when the call ended she turned to the rest of the office with a groan. "We just had another user calling to complain about all these Inception lessons!"

Her concerns drifted into the aether. "Don't worry about those damn philistines," David replied from deep within our new office theater, where he was testing the surround sound with a freshly-burned copy of you-know-what. Echo and Brendan, who were putting the final touches on an independent translation of the script, murmured in agreement. "Those bastards would probably prefer a week-long Adam Sandler retrospective," Brendan added. "Screw 'em."

Deflecting Questions in Chinese

2011-04-25T19:06:00.003-10:00

Ever been asked a question you didn't feel like answering because of indifference to the plight of your fellow man? In this Chinese lesson for Absolute Beginners, we focus on the art of deflecting questions. As anyone who has lived or worked in China knows, this is a critical skill for maintaining your sanity here. We're sure you'll be able to use this right away.

Since we've been getting a lot of new people to the site lately, it is probably worth mentioning that our goal with the Absolute Beginner level is making each lesson accessible to people without any background in mandarin, Chinese. This lesson is a bit more difficult than most at this level though, so if you're a total beginner, we recommend clicking through to our text page to read our annotated transcript while listening to our dialogue and podcast.

Death by Skittles

2011-04-25T19:06:00.002-10:00

If those of us at Popup Chinese had to amend the lyrics to My Favorite Things -- say as part of a secretive musical project underway here in Bejiing -- you can bet that the first thing to go would be that couplet about "crisp apple streudels" and "schnitzel with noodles". And what would we include in their stead? Only the most lethal Western confectionary ever marketed to small children without a second thought.

New to learning mandarin? This is a podcast lesson designed for Absolute Beginners to the Chinese language. In it, we'll teach you how to ask for various sorts of Diabetes-inducing treats by name. And if you're a more advanced learner? We have a host of more difficult materials set for release later this week. In the meantime, look through our lesson archive and find something at your level.

Encounter with an Old Flame

2011-04-25T19:06:00.001-10:00

Let no-one to the marriage of true minds admit impediments, the saying went. And to this the conventional wisdom of her class added Steven Glass, serial paramour and destroyer of every relationship he had ever touched. Ten years later, touring campus with her new husband, Maria shuddered to think she was the only one of his former flames to actually move on and marry someone else!

New to Popup Chinese? This podcast is designed for total beginners to the Chinese language. Even if you don't know any mandarin, by the end of this Chinese lesson you'll be comfortable asking strangers who they are, chit-chatting about your monolingual friends, and maybe even sharing a few intimate moments. Enjoy!

The Lost Generation

2011-04-25T19:06:00.000-10:00

We may be producing Chinese lessons, but we like to think of ourselves as inspired in our mission by great literature. So hats off to you Hemingway. As in your masterpiece The Sun Also Rises, our dialogue for today leaves it deliberately unclear whether an important character is simply having a bad day, or is in fact a member of the walking undead.

We encourage you to think this question through as you listen to our Chinese podcast. And let us know what you decide. We've enabled our speaking practice hotline for this lesson, so if you're a premium subscriber, give us a call at the number listed on this lesson's text page and introduce yourself. Our teachers will get back to you in a day or so with mostly encouraging and constructive feedback, unless you happen to get Xiao Zhang, who is unrepentantly surly before noon.

The Insincere Apology

2011-04-25T19:05:00.006-10:00

"I don't know if this is the most horrific lesson we've produced," Brendan said coming out of the studio, "but it has to be close." And so we feel torn. On the one hand, this lesson is pretty much ideal for anyone new to mandarin. Our dialogue and vocabulary are practical without being boring, and they teach one of the most useful things anyone new to China needs to know: the art of the insincere apology.

That said, this lesson may be a bit too intense for a getting-to-know-you session. Or perhaps the word is traumatic. It's a bit like taking a first date to Apocalypse Now, then going home to watch the ending again on DVD. In slow motion. So we're torn, but that still won't stop us from publishing it. If you're a newcomer to the Chinese language, check out this lesson and let us know what you think. And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to write Echo anytime at echo@popupchinese.com.

The Industrial Accident

2011-04-25T19:05:00.005-10:00

You wouldn't believe the number of times we've heard these complaints from newcomers. "I was just passing through Yangshuo," the victim usually starts, staring forlornly at the massive cast encasing their lower torso. "Who'd have thought there would be a freak industrial accident within minutes of my arrival?" And to be fair, for travellers with limited experience in southern China, the scenario does sound seductively implausible.

Statistics do not lie though, and they tell us that you'll need this podcast sooner rather than later. Which is why we're happy to offer this safety-first lesson in Chinese that will teach you how to identify wounded limbs to would-be rescuers. Leaving aside any discussion of China's industrial safety record, we think you'll find this useful language even if you're never caught in a collapsing steel mill or exploding chemical plant. Because at the very least, learning to say what hurts and where it hurts will save you from embarrassing pantomime the next time you need to see a doctor in China.

The Passive-Aggressive Masseuse

2011-04-25T19:05:00.004-10:00

The Chinese massage had started innocently enough, with the standard allotment of questions on age, nationality and marital status. But then almost imperceptibly it began to go downhill. First came the bruising kidney rub, and then what could only be called hyper-aggressive cupping. The masseuse was never overtly offensive, being almost professional to a fault, but she also never missed a pressure point.

On a separate note, our apologies if the last few days have been a bit light on podcasts. We've just moved into our new headquarters at Popup Towers and things have been a bit chaotic shuffling furniture back and forth. We're back on a regular production schedule now and will have some more advanced materials coming out later this week. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this one.

The Internet, never heard of it....

2011-04-25T19:05:00.003-10:00

We were surprised when 9527 came out with this, especially since she's studying to be a programmer. But given the maze of Chinese Internet businesses with strange three-character names, it's not all surprising that - sooner or later - someone had to make this mistake. Just be glad this foot-in-mouth moment happened to a native speaker and not you....

If you're a total beginner to Chinese, you'll find this lesson a bit on the hard side compared to most of our Absolute Beginner materials. So if you're new to Popup Chinese and easily intimidated, try starting with an easier lesson like this one. If you feel courageous though, remember that we have line-by-line recordings of all of the lines in this dialogue on our lesson text page, so you can listen to them one-by-one and practice until you get perfect. And for feedback on your spoken Chinese? We've enabled our Speaking Practice hotline for this lesson. Grab your PIN from the text page and give us a call for some individual Chinese learning love. We're looking forward to hearing from you.