ChinesePod - Beginner

Noisy, crowded restaurants and cafeterias are especially common in China; it is the largest country in the world, after all. This alone may not be too jarring for a newly-arrived foreigner, but you may be a bit more surprised when a group of strangers asks to sit at your table with you! Learn how to politely ask to sit with people (and how to respond to such requests) in today's ChinesePod lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1897

A new workplace can be intimidating at first if you don't know anyone and especially if no one is speaking English! The first step to breaking the ice and becoming more familiar with your coworkers is obtaining a coveted lunch invitation. But what do you do when you can't get an invite? Learn how to ask to tag along in today's elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1896

Today's podcast is all about massive numbers in Mandarin Chinese. We're talking the numbers used in high-occurrence discussions on the population of China, US debt to China, your expected salary, and the price of a Ferrari in Shanghai. Enhance your numerical knowledge with today's elementary lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1877

If you're a fan of traveling (and if you're in China or planning a visit, you almost undoubtedly are!) then chances are you're going to need to buy train tickets at some point. Train ticket offices in China can be very daunting: lines are more of a suggestion and dialects reign supreme. But have no fear, ChinesePod is here to help! Listen in and learn all the key vocabulary vital for purchasing high-speed train tickets to your next destination. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1875

One of the first things you're going to need to do in China is change some of your hard-earned cash into spendable RMB. Today's dialogue follows one such traveler as they venture into a local bank. Learn all the vital vocab for exchanging money using Mandarin Chinese in today's elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1872

It's been a rough week. The work piled up over the holiday last week and all your dutiful employees have been working long overtime hours. What's the best way, other than an expensive bonus, to show your immense appreciation for your subordinates who pour their blood, sweat and tears into your company? Uplifting (and cheap!) words of encouragement, of course! Learn how to spur on your workers in today's ChinesePod elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1866

As one of Asia's premier shopping cities, Hong Kong has more than a few places to spend your hard-earned cash. No matter what it is you buy, your coworkers will undoubtedly be curious as to how much money you've spent on your most recent buying binge. Learn how to discuss such a topic in today's ChinesePod lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1862

Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated every year on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, is a celebration in honour of the moon, and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival. Listen in to today's lesson to see what someone gets for a present on this holiday. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/2536

What do you do when you're thrust into an office environment with little English and a multitude of tasks to complete? ChinesePod offers a solution with today's lesson on the wild world of office duties like photocopying, printing and calling cabs for your superiors. Learn how to be a company superstar with this elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1858

You've gotten directions to the office and gotten your friend to tell the taxi driver where to go. All you need to do now is find your way out of the taxi to the correct floor in the office building itself. Learn how to make this final push in Mandarin Chinese in today's elementary lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1855

So you've just had an hour-long argument with your landlord about the electricity bill or exchanged a few hundred texts with your significant other; either way your phone is out of credit. Don't panic! Learn how to recharge your cell phone minutes in today's highly useful Elementary lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1851

Each person has his own preferences, but the Chinese way to finding a good restaurant is -- no, not Yelp or Dianping -- asking friends, face to face, the good old-fashioned way! In this lesson, follow such a conversation about where to eat lunch and learn some Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1847

Why bother to even ask for directions at all, when you can just hop in a cab, call your Chinese friend, and have her tell the driver where you want to go? In this lesson, our lazy office visitor does just that. But you may just learn some Chinese from the exchange if you listen in and pay attention! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1845

You'd normally just check online for the fastest route via public transportation to get to your destination, but you're out of data on your smartphone and can't find wireless. What do you do? Good thing you listened to this ChinesePod lesson and learned how to ask for and understand directions in Mandarin Chinese! Crisis averted! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1843

Afternoon meetings are a fact of life in many offices, but in many companies they're on a dangerous collision course with the Chinese "afternoon nap" custom. In this lesson, learn the key Mandarin phrases for reminding others about meetings. As for actually staying awake in that meeting... you're on your own! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1841

No, Boxing Day has nothing to do with the big fight on Pay-Per-View. It's that semi-mystical holiday celebrated by the loyal subjects of the queen. Apparently it's all about shopping? If you have any idea what we're talking about, let's convert the idea into Chinese in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1832

If you intend to claim something as an expense in China, you need an "official receipt" (AKA "fapiao"). So don't just fight over the bill -- make sure you get this government-issued scrap of paper to make it official. Learn the magic words in this Chinese lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1831

You've had a long day and finally arrive at your hotel, ready for some much needed R&R. But alas, the room you desire isn't available! What is to be done? Today's unlucky traveler finds himself in such a predicament. Be sure to listen in and learn about different room types in today's lesson! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1825

If you're going to treat men like objects, it's important to be able to compare them like objects. In this Chinese lesson, a group of ladies in the office compare two of their male co-workers. Listen in on the age-old debate of Xiao Wang vs. Xiao Li, and learn how to make comparisons in Mandarin! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1821

So you slept in until noon, and NOW it's convenient for you to have housekeeping clean your room? That's fine... you're the guest after all. Find out what both the request and the polite staff response are in this continuation of ChinesePod's hospitality series. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1889