ChinesePod - Beginner

It's International Women's Day again! What are the current attitudes toward women in Chinese society? How much do we recognize women's achievements in Chinese society? In this special podcast, Chi and Michelle first look at traditional Chinese viewpoints regarding women and their related idioms—女中豪杰…? How about 贤良淑德? They then discuss one of the most popular Chinese songs,《心太软》sung by 任贤齐, that talks about a soft-hearted woman. Listen to learn more, and sing along with us!

Being sick sucks, but being sick in Chinese really sucks. If you haven't lost your voice yet, get yourself down to the corner pharmacy for some relief. The smorgasbord of remedies range from the thick, boiled and black variety to something of the pill genre that you can't decipher from the box. But that 'pharmacist' behind the counter looks kinda trustworthy, no? Listen and learn more in order to heal thyself, in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0857

The weather has got much colder and this father has caught a cold taking his two kids to the seaside. As any loving father would do, he has lent his jacket to them, and in the process caught the most dreadful of colds. Listen to his story and feel bad for him.

Anyone who has passed a damp Shanghai winter in an unheated apartment would agree with the title of this lesson. But fear of cold takes on many faces in traditional Chinese thinking. Listen to this podcast, as a grandma warns of the dark side of 'cold', in Mandarin.

How old are you? When an adult asks another adult this question, guessing games are likely to ensue. In this dialog, the question is met with just this kind of response. Learn the Chinese to ask this question, and pick up a coyly evasive (but simple!) response at the same time. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1752

Making a dinner reservation over the phone can be a daunting prospect, especially when restaurant on the other end of the line is exceptionally noisy and hard to understand. Thankfully, the exchange is actually fairly straightforward and scripted, and with the help of today's newbie lesson to break it down piece by piece, you'll be making reservations for you and your friends in no time! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1922

If you're the kind of person that even the alarm clock doesn't wake, then you'll have definitely experienced a conversation similar to this. Learn how to tell someone that you want to sleep that little bit longer. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2625

OK, so even if you haven't come to China to pursue that job as a door-to-door salesman, you may need to call on a Chinese friend. Learn the appropriate phrases for the person on each side of the door in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1712

You've had a wonderful time with your friends but you're worn out and ready to leave. It's time to go. But how do you break the news to your undoubtedly disappointed friends? Learn how to leave a social situation gracefully in Mandarin Chinese with today's newbie lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1890