It seems reminiscent of your friendly neighborhood “Oriental Palace” restaurant, but where are the General Tsao’s chicken and fluorescent pink sweet and sour pork? The smells and greasy tables are strangely familiar, but restaurants in China aren’t the take-out from back home. Check out our January 1 lesson ... Read More
Though they scare us, drive too fast and don’t wash the seat covers enough, getting a taxi is a major spoil of urban warfare in China. Our December 17 lesson, “Taxi for Tired Feet,” reminds us of all the times we wanted to kiss the taxi driver that stopped ... Read More
Some people are addicted to coke, others to crystal meth, but for the Chinese, the white powder of choice is none other than MSG. True, the MSG high leads to jacked up tasting pleasure, but if you want to avoid the crash, you might want to “just say no.” So ... Read More
Screeching scooter brakes plus on-going construction of 15 subway lines plus prolonged iPod exposure is a Shanghai dweller’s recipe for auditory undoing. Before donning one of grandpa’s hearing aids, turn up ChinesePod’s November 17 lesson on “Hard of Hearing.” Here are some words you can yell out ... Read More
While Scarlett Johansson made being lost in translation cool, Chinesepod knows there are things you want to be absolutely clear about, especially in the love department. Before your amorous confession, check out our November 7 lesson “More and More.” While you wait for the sweet sound of love to download ... Read More
One would think that with the one-child policy in full effect, conversations about kinship would be a breeze. No way! To a nation of single children, birth order is a very interesting topic. So bust out a cheesy family photo and listen to our October 22 podcast: “How Many in ... Read More
The bill-snatching prowess of the Chinese is legendary. ChinesePod's September 10 lesson “Fighting over the Bill” will mobilize you for the battle of the tab. A fake trip to the restroom is the oldest trick in the book and you'll need superior artifice to one-up these old hands ... Read More
You're in an unfamiliar land, eating things that you don't recall having seen on earth before, all the while trying to decipher a language that at times seems to have more relation to Klingon than to English. It might be easy to identify with our August 18 lesson ... Read More
Being the only one at the intersection NOT jaywalking might make you feel you're not one of the “cool” kids, but we at ChinesePod would hate for our listeners to have to endure the humiliation of the traffic warden's whistle. Our August 2 lesson on jaywalking aims to ... Read More
In a place where anything with its back to the sun qualifies as dinner, you’ll need to get meat savvy to survive. Our July 30 lesson titled “What meat is this?” will save you from unwittingly eating animals you consider cute. However, if you find yourself in a meat-identification ... Read More
With the onset of summer, every
mother everywhere is familiar
with the refrain, “I’m bored!” In
the ChinesePod lesson coming out
on July 7, we teach you how to stir
up some action by voicing your
complaints of boredom aloud. But
what can you say to a whining child ... Read More
Many of the students I encounter tell me that when they are first learning, any attempt to speak Chinese to a native speaker is met with one of two responses: the approbation, followed by a barrage of mile-a-minute newscast-worthy Chinese; or the sympathetic, yet learning-hindering, reversion to English.
Our lesson ... Read More
Extras from ChinesePod.com
I’ve been pushing for our June 7 lesson (“Going on a Diet”) for a while—ever since my comment that “a certain part of my body is outgrowing this chair” was immortalized as a ringtone, in fact! Fortunately, in China, a land of magical weight ... Read More
Not too long ago, a certain ChinesePod staff member met a cute girl in a bar, and was so elated upon getting her number, that he ended up leaving his wallet in the bar (with said phone number in it). He lost the wallet and the girl. If he had ... Read More
隐型富豪 (Yin Xing Fu Hao)
While most in this town act the part despite not having the funds to support it, a large number of millionaires have opted for the low-key lifestyle. These 隐型富豪, or invisible tycoons, might stray from the spotlight, but surely won’t be able to resist ... Read More
摇 滚 乐
yao2 gun3 yue4
The phrase “rock ‘n’ roll” first appeared in Trixie Smith’s 1922 “My Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll." Sexual innuendo aside, 摇滚乐 has spread its insidious ways to China and back again. Before you break out the MIDI pass, know how to ... Read More
环保(huan bao)
In honor of the upcoming (unofficial) Earth Day, we’re taking a look at 环保. As severe environmental damage, a byproduct of economic growth, takes its toll on our daily lives, 环保 is now a top priority in China.
How to use it:
实践环保.
Put environmental protection ... Read More
to play pranks
整 人 (zheng ren)
On April Fool's Day we all like to indulge in a bit of harmless practical joking, and China is no exception. There are even tips online that instruct people how to 整人.
How to use it:
你怎么整人?
How do you pull a ... Read More
March 8th Women's Day
三八妇女节
san ba fu nü jie
Less than a month after ladies everywhere cashed in on Valentine’s Day comes another day, one that not only gets them a half day at work, but also a large meal as well. We’re talking about 三八妇女节 ... Read More
金 猪 Jin Zhu
While many made it a New Year's resolution to stay away from fatty things, ‘tis not the case in the P.R.C. With it being the luckiest of years, it should come as no surprise that 金猪 or "golden pig,” is on the lips ... Read More
情人节负翁 (Qing Ren Jie Fu Weng)
Spending on Valentine’s Day in China is as crazy as everywhere else. Astronomical price tags of candle-lit dinners and red roses easily render one a 情人节负翁. But running into credit card debt doesn’t seem to be stopping lovebirds from indulging on this ... Read More
汽车彩铃
Qi Che Cai Ling
The Chinese are so ahead with their mobile ring tones that they’ve even branched into the automobile industry. Devices that play various 汽车彩铃 to go with a car’s particular movement have gained a ravashing popularity with novelty-oriented drivers.
How to use it:
汽车彩铃很新鲜 ... Read More
A new addition to the already crazy cyberspace, 自杀兔 are cute animated cartoon images that destroy themselves in a variety of ways. The artist behind 自杀兔 says his creations are intended for entertainment, but many are appalled by the overt display of suicide.
How to use it:
自杀兔不好玩。
Suicide bunnies ... Read More
This year’s marriage frenzy has led to a “honeymoon ayi,” or 蜜月阿姨, boom. The only-child generation is proving useless in domestic affairs, so young couples hire these 蜜月阿姨 to show them how to run a household. This has also given a rise to concerns about the life skill abilities ... Read More
From ChinesePod It’s hairy crab season meaning culinary enthusiasts are flocking to Yang Cheng Lake near Shanghai for their special variety of hairy crab. Be warned though, there are some morally challenged crab dealers out there who are raking in the big bucks by briefly dunking cheaper crabs, or洗 ... Read More
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Middle 8th: The New Sanlitun Village Location Has Creative Zest
By JPDM
I tried the new Middle 8 location last night. We tried to make a reservation... >>