Popup Chinese
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The most convenient way to learn Chinese the way it is actually spoken and used. Start with our basic lessons, and in no time you'll be listening to music, watching films and television and engaging in the actual language. With free daily podcasts, a vibrant community, online study tools and much more, PopupChinese is the most powerful and personal way to learn mandarin.
Episodes
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: How to Start a Business in China
As the fall semester faded, a strange energy seized the student body. When freed for lunch or recess, the boys would spring from their seats and rush to the far quarter of the playground, where they would cluster in small circles and barter excitedly. And somehow at the center of it all, Xiao Luo began to exude a quiet confidence far beyond his years....Our intermediate lesson for today has a longer dialogue and some of the best voice acting we've done to date. It is probably also the only Chinese lesson in the world that teaches inhalant-related vocabulary, along with language you can use when disciplining your child. Not that we recommend using these in daily conversation, but you never know when you'll end up facing down an unruly mob of Chinese youth.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: Home Sweet Apache Helicopter
Although it may not look like much from the outside, the Apache helicopter is quite spacious on the inside, especially when gutted of its navigation system and emergency munitions store. And if you rip out the hind seating you've got more than enough room for a small futon, mini-fridge and propane stove. With a little creativity, the world's military warhorse can make a cozy home. And with real estate prices what they are, maybe it's time to consider investing in one yourself?Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate listening test: Payday
The years had built up around Stewart like the shell of a mollusk. And truth be told, he had drifted into the financial industry largely for this reason: the sedate pace and lulling security of asset management work. It had never seemed terribly risky. Or at least not until the first wave of layoffs earlier in the spring. Until then he had never even considered leaving the bank, let alone making a more aggressive career move and starting afresh in an entirely new profession.Note: our lesson for today is an Intermediate comprehension test. Get started by listening to our short dialogue and then clicking through to the quiz section and seeing how much you understood. Some of the answers fly by quickly. If you need help though, we've manually annotated the entire dialogue on our regular text page. Consult the transcript after taking the test if you have any difficulty picking up on what is happening.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: A Serious Shortage of Trousers
As Christmas draws nigh we return to our Big Boss series with this lesson about the overriding concern of the Chinese mafia: maintaining an adequate supply of trousers. This is somewhat amazingly the real deal. So check out today's show and learn to speak mandarin just like the Godfather. And if you enjoy this lesson, be sure to check out our earlier mob shows on ordering a hit and ordering diner.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: A College Education
Laif could hardly breathe. Through tinted pinholes he looked out at an unearthly sea of noontime traffic. The unending flow of cars rolled past in slow motion, horns honking and tempers flaring. On the sidewalks pedestrians bustled past, hurriedly looking down or to the side to ignore his outstretched arms. And topping it all was the stultifying heat, which wrapped around them all, an invisible cage that shimmered in the distance like a snake poised to strike.He had of course heard whispers about the state of the job market. Everyone had. Rumors on campus said it had been tough for new graduates for years now. It was basic economics. The workforce exceeded the demand for labor. Salaries had been inching down for years as a result, but were especially bad this year as the economy tightened. What was anyone to do?Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: A Sudden Case of Acrophobia
Even deep in his pockets, Adam's fingers were shaking uncontrollably. His anxiety had already reached the point where others were noticing his chattering teeth, and was only increasing with each minute that brought them closer to the drop zone. Above the steady drone of the plane engines, Adam could hear the whispered remarks of his peers, and feel their sidewards glances. Would he lose control when the time came? Would he endanger the mission?As an aside, many of you have written us asking how we come up with such unique dialogues. In this lesson we finally spill the beans about our creative secret. If you've ever wondered who the creative genius is behind our approach to language learning, listen in and get the inside scoop. Enjoy!Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate listening test: The Law of the Sea
It was the ocean Henry saw on waking, and the ocean he saw again at dusk. The water was nothing like his dreams. In the tourist brochures that had lured him south, the sea was a shimmering creature of tranquil calm splashed with patches of azure blue. It had been welcoming then, a far cry from the grey beast that spread out before him in all four directions. In all other respects the cruise has lived up to its promise to deliver "a life-changing adventure on the high seas."Our intermediate listening test for today uses a brief mandarin-only dialogue to tell a story of adventure on the high seas. If you think your Chinese is up to snuff, listen to our short recording just once. Then check out our quiz section to test yourself on your comprehension. Are you as good as you think? If you have any questions just leave a comment below or check our manually annotated transcript of this dialogue on the text page. Good luck!Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: Plants vs. Zombies
We don't like to play favorites when it comes to our dialogues, but there's something charming about the performance Andy turns in today as a compulsive liar with an almost desperate need to be liked. He gives his character such enthusiastic and infectious likability we think it's easy to ignore the fact that nothing he says is even remotely close to being plausible. So we find this one charming anyway, and hope you like it too.As far as our subject matter goes, this podcast is inspired by the Pop Cap game of the same name, and is intended for anyone with a fair bit of mandarin under their belt who has ever been tasked with translating a John Carpenter film into Chinese. It is tragic that more textbooks don't teach vocabulary for describing the undead. While you may not use this at the office, it will surely be high frequency vocabulary on that fateful day the dead rise from their graves and shotgun prices go vertical. Best to prepare in advance.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: The Mysteries of Taobao
With the Alibaba IPO throwing daytraders worldwide into a frenzed adulation of all things China, and the press going wild over Jack Ma and his Chinese e-commerce engine, this week's show takes a closer look at Taobao - the jewel in the Alibaba crown - with a hard-hitting quiz covering the most important things no-one seems to be able to remember about our favourite shopping site. Also on the show: questions about Beijing and the secrets of Uighur time....Quiz Night is a regular feature here at Popup Chinese that we've put together for intermediate to upper-intermediate students. And our goal is not so much teaching anything in particular so much as producing a half-mandarin, half-english show that features higher-level vocabulary you won't run into in other learning materials. Today, join us and learn everything from the name of Goldman Sachs in Chinese, to the essential catchphrases needed to outsource your thesis to somewhere south of Wuhan. Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Einstein on the Beidaihe
Did you ever thumb through a fresh copy of City Weekend and wonder why the Readers' Choice Award for Creepiest Park in Beijing has been awarded to Jingshan Park every year since the mid-1660s? In this episode, Megan squares off with returning champion Zhiqiang to answer this as well as questions on rehab and earth's diminishing dolphin population. Normally, Megan and Joakeem are trapped in a discussion on how to define their relationship but during Quiz Night this week they stay off that topic for 16 uninterrupted minutes of bliss.Learning Chinese? The Popup Chinese Quiz Night is easy-to-digest mixed-language edutainment for intermediate learners. Our goal is offering up stimulating high-level vocabulary that can help you hone your listening comprehension and vocab while havng fun, or at least enjoying the warm feeling of knowing that your Chinese is better than that of the Swedish guy who is hosting the show.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Glaston and Woad
Occasionally, we think back on our years in China and look back at our casual brushes with death with the sort of nostalgia other people feel for high school prom. For such were those heady days of SARS, when the streets of Beijing were clean, taxis were readily available, and glaston and woad were part of the everyday lexicon here. Also on this show, what happened to the inventor of the flying car who strapped Cessena wings to a Ford Pinto.Learning Chinese? Our Popup Chinese quiz show is intended for people who already have pretty good mandarin but are looking for a fun way to expand their vocabulary. This week we have nine questions split into three thematic categories, covering everything from mouthwash to our favorite ineffective Chinese herbal remedies. So if you're an upper-level student, check out the show and let us know what you think.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Return of the Quiz Show
After a lengthy hiatus, we're pleased to release another episode of our Chinese Quiz Night. Joining new hosts Joakeem and Grace in our studio are two contestants known and feared by the other residents of Beijing: Martin the Destroyer, famous around Beijing for his mastery on the pub quiz circuit, as well as Ban "the terror from Qinghai" Yan, who is admittedly less intimidating in person that we were expecting.Not sure what this show is doing in your iTunes feed? Our Chinese Quiz Show at Popup Chinese is a mixed English-Chinese concept show we're developing for upper-intermediate students: a quiz game that mixes Chinese questions with just enough English to keep things intelligible. We're still tweaking the balance, but if you're stretching past the intermediate level and looking for fun listening materials we think you'll like it -- our topics today range from general China knowledge to popular and not-so-popular singers, as well as a final category with language we hope none of us ever to have to use. Listen up and find out why.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Battle of the Antipodes
In our fourth episode of Quiz Night, Tony from New Zealand matches matches his wits against Will from Australia in a battle that covers everything from T.S. Eliot's favorite detective novel, to horrific industrial accidents in Russia. Also up for your enjoyment? David repeatedly mispronounces the word "nuclear" and we learn the best place in Beijing for volleying ammunition into the Forbidden City.Learning Chinese? Our quiz show is geared for anyone with good listening comprehension also looking for a fun way to expand their vocabulary. This show is a bit heavy on English and we're likely to push back towards a more Chinese-intensive show in future episodes, but even so there is still a decent amount of upper-level mandarin here. So join us for a fun romp through history, pop culture and modern China, and let us know what you think.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Attack of the Fascist Refreshments
Nazi refreshments, racist stereotypes from the 1980s and boy bands that refuse to die. Such are just a few of the topics you can expect this week on our Popup Quiz Night, along with our usual round of China questions designed to make you absolutely insufferable to friends and family alike.Learning Chinese? Our Popup Chinese quiz show is intended for people who already have pretty good mandarin but are looking for a fun way to expand their vocabulary. It features nine questions split into three thematic categories, with Chinese-heavy questions and a vocabulary review tucked onto the end. We've tried to make this show more difficult than our last one, so let us know what you think, and good luck!Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Communist beards we know and love
After succumbing last episode to Brendan's wide-ranging knowledge of everything save contemporary pop music, Echo has switched sides this week to serve as Chinese quizmaster in a show that pits podcaster Sylvia against voice-legend Andy in a China-vs-China battle of the wits. And with a Chinese Mobile recharge card hanging in the balance, and SMS messages just waiting to be sent, the stakes could not be higher for our contestants.Learning Chinese? Our quiz show is intended for people who already have pretty good mandarin but are looking for a fun way to expand their vocabulary. And with that in mind, our topics covered this week include famous American companies which have bought other famous American companies, people who did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, and Communist beards we know and love. This is a fun romp through history, pop culture, and German facial hair, so join us for the quiz and let us know what you think.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Quiz Night: Welcome to the Quiz Show
This is the pilot episode of a new concept show we're developing for upper-intermediate students: a quiz game featuring mostly Chinese questions with just enough bilingual discussion thrown in to keep things intelligible. We had a good time producing this, and if you're stretching past the intermediate level we think you'll like it too -- our topics range from ancient Rome to 19th century English literature and there is plenty of useful vocab here you won't find elsewhere, if only because dialogues about malaria are generally considered to be a bummer.And what exactly is at stake? This week we pitch China against the rest of the world in a climactic showdown that aims to establish definitively whether East or West is better at trivia. So if your Chinese is already pretty good and you're looking for a fun way to make it even better, join us and put your general knowledge to the test.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Film Friday: Tearing it Up
Our clip today has it all: useful language for subverting the local establishment while showcasing the amazing vocal diversity in mainland film-dubbing circles. And for fun, we're happy to offer useful advice on pronouncing Colin Firth's name at no extra charge. So take a listen: Dead Poets Society (1989)Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Movies: Let the Bullets Fly / 让子弹飞
In our inaugural episode of the Popup Chinese movie show, opinions split over Let the Bullets Fly, the Chinese western directed by Jiang Wen and starring train-robbing, gun-shooting and horse-riding versions of himself and Chow Yun-Fat. This is the film that broke the Chinese box-office record shortly after its release, but considering that its competition that year included possibly the worst Chinese film ever made, we thought it about time for a discussion of whether the film is actually any good.Learning Chinese? We're pitching this show at the intermediate to upper-intermediate level and aiming for a discussion that splits half-and-half between English and Chinese. The English is there to help weaker listeners follow the discussion, but there is a lot of Chinese-only material here too, especially as the show goes on. And if you're having trouble following it? We've added a vocabulary list with some of the more difficult words, along with a number of sample sentences to illustrate usage.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: The Sleeping Beauty
"The princess goes to sleep and wakes up again," Gail told us, making the fairy tale sound about as pedestrian as Echo's nightly routine. When pressed about this, our faithful podcaster paused, and then added mention of glass slippers and singing furniture, with the caveat that these were not "central to the plot" and may have been "made up by Disney".Regardless of how well you remember the classics yourself, once you're in China you're in uncharted waters. Which is why we've taken a few liberties ourselves this lesson. So join us for an enjoyable look at what happens when you mix a traditional Western fairy tale with the process-oriented crime-solving prowess of your local Beijing police bureau. We hope our love for the boys in blue shines through in this dialogue filled with danger, intrigue, and the requisite quota of social harmony.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: Ordering Pizza
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.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced listening test: The Summer Job
When the Harvard Crimson called the job market depressed, it may as well have been describing its readership. Browsing through the classifieds, Susan was shocked to see so few opportunities for summer employment. Her uncle had been urging her to take a break from academia and "get her hands dirty" at the family business, and she had avoided the thought at first, but -- and then she noticed Michael leafing through the paper a few seats away. Hadn't he been the first in her cohort to land a good position?First things first, calm down. Our advanced Chinese listening test for today is not fork-in-eye difficult. It is fast and long but not terribly punishing, so if you've been pushing yourself through our Intermediate podcasts and have the endurance for a longer challenge, take a listen and see how much you understand. It may be more than you expect.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: Golden Monkey Throat Lozenges, Part II
You may have heard the slanderous rumours about our brand circulated by that other Golden Monkey pharmaceutical company. Don't believe the lies! Golden Monkey Throat Lozenges offer soothing relief from a range of symptoms with minimal side effects and a great orange taste. If you are suffering from any number of ailments or body image problems, call our telephone hotline and get medical relief with next-day delivery!The old-timers among you may remember our first part to the world-famous Golden Monkey saga. That podcast dates back almost two years now, but is as great-tasting today as it has even been. So if you're learning Chinese and like this podcast, be sure to check it out too.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced listening test: Terror on the High Seas
The rumbling explosion in the lower hold and increasingly acrid smoke on deck sent the captain's assistant scurrying into her master's cabin. But after closing and barring the door behind her, the young woman turned to the captain and froze in astonishment. Expecting to see him prepared for a fight in defense of command, the girl was shocked to find the man bent calmly over his desk examining the nautical charts with a pocket glass, his sword lying sheathed by the nightstand.Avast mateys! Our Chinese lesson for today is an advanced listening test designed for near-native speakers. If you think your mandarin is pushing towards fluency, try listening to our dialogue a single time before clicking through to our quiz and finding out how much you really understood. And if you have any questions? Either leave us a comment below, or click through to the text page to examine our word-by-word annotated transcript and find out what you missed.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: The Overworked Kitten
This lesson is a bit different from what we normally do. Instead of a dialogue, we've got a short story to share with you. But this is not just any short story. It's actually a homework assignment written by Chris, one of our students who is studying one-on-one with Echo as part of our university program. And it is fantastic. Chris wrote this absolutely lovely tale about an overworked kitten, and when we read it we knew we had to share it with you.On a related note, if this sounds like the sort of thing you'd be interested in doing yourself, we'd be happy to give you a free trial to experience what our university program is actually like. Just send us an email at [email protected] and Echo will schedule a free trial class for you at your convenience.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced: Watercooler Gossip: Dream or Nightmare?
We're taking a new approach to our Advanced series with this lesson, so let us know what you think. Instead of a Chinese-only discussion on a more general topic, we've got an in-depth bilingual discussion about what everyone in Beijing is talking about: the new television series of Dream of the Red Chamber. If you're not up on the latest gossip surrounding this production, join us as we complain about the bad casting, director scandals, atrocius haircuts and everything else your coworkers are griping about around the watercooler.In addition to the regular gossip though, we also talk a bit about the book itself. Even if you've never read Dream of the Red Chamber, by the end of this podcast you'll be able to talk knowledgeably not only about what actually happens in the book, but also what should have happened. We gave Brendan and Echo free rein to complain about who was supposed to end up with whom, who was supposed to die unhappily in chapter nine, and all of the other secrets revealed in one of the most critical passages in the book: the revelation of fates in the chapter five dream sequence. If you want the book in a nutshell, this is it.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Intermediate: International Schools in China
It was strange that the headmaster had arranged their tour for the weekend. While it hadn't struck Monica as odd previously, now that they were walking through campus, the choice of days seemed peculiar. For despite the fact it was a sunny October afternoon, the school grounds were almost deserted. Save for the occasional schoolboy slouching home in the distance, there was nothing to be seen suggesting she and her husband were touring the most renowned international school in Beijing. Or any other school for that matter. And then they entered the buttery....If you're living the expat life in China, you're doubtless familiar with the hordes of international schools scrambling over each other to educate your brood. Since you may not be intimately familiar with what a Chinese education involves, in this podcast we strip away the mystery and show you how the education system really works in China. And in the process, we illuminate a subtle difference between two very similar words that intermediate Chinese learners mix up all the time. So listen up and we hope you enjoy the show.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: It Happened Over Lunch
There are plenty of Chinese textbooks that claim to teach basic Chinese but are in fact utterly useless in everyday situations like the one we found ourselves in about a month ago, when our new colleague Nicole arrived back from lunch slightly the worse for the wear....Nicole had just crossed the threshold and was bending over to take off her shoes when Echo, having successfully maneuvered herself behind the coffee table, finally broke the ice. "Did you have a good lunch," she asked? "Oh lunch," Nicole faltered. "I almost forgot all about that in the excitement...."Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced: The Narcoleptic Hangglider
We know what you're thinking: how did I ever get to such an advanced level in Chinese without learning the words for narcolepsy or hangglider? This is admittedly an oversight on your part, but it's also one no-one need ever know about. Unlike many of our other advanced podcasts, today's lesson is built around a dialogue. And this dialogue will drill these words so deeply into your inner cortex you'll forget there was ever a day you weren't comfortable talking about neural disorders and extreme sports in Chinese.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced listening test: The Warehouse Scene
Our lesson for today is an advanced listening test. And while it's quite difficult, if you've seen Reservoir Dogs, the setup should be familiar. Minutes after a botched and bloddy robbery, the gang regroups in an abandoned warehouse outside town. But who is responsible for the carnage, and how do their tensions play out? Find out the answers in our action-packed listening test for today. Just listen to our test recording a single time and then head over to our quiz section to test your comprehension.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: Who Stole My Subtitles
This is not a lesson about the disappointment we felt on buying a copy of The Matrix Reloaded at our local DVD store back in 2003 only to end up watching a pirated copy of Johnny Mnemonic (the dolphin scene was especially excruciating the second time around). But it's pretty close. Because sometimes you'll find a good movie, only to find it completely unwatchable because the subtitles are all in Russian.So our Chinese lesson for today is about living with disappointment, but only in part. It's also about learning different ways to ask simple questions, so if you're sick of ending every question with the sound "ma", you're going to love what we do today. So go ahead and make some popcorn and hit play. You'll be an elementary student in no-time, and will have some popcorn in the meanwhile. Try doing that in a physical classroom.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: The Chinese Alphabet Song
"But the Chinese language doesn't have an alphabet," the perspicacious listener might ask, "why on earth does China need an alphabet song?" Which is a good question, and one we studiously avoided asking ourselves after forcing our voice actors to record the song behind this lesson.You see... while Chinese may not exactly have a traditional western alphabet, we wanted to give you the next best thing: a musical extravaganza guaranteed to help you remember Chinese numbers for years to come. And for your extra pleasure, we're enabling our speaking practice hotline for this lesson as well. If you're a premium subscriber, give us a call on our telephone hotline and give us your own attempt to put these numbers to music. As you'll hear, you can't do much worse than our native Chinese speakers.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: Mamma Mia
"Is Echo really sleeping?" Apple had to raise her voice to overpower the sound of Pierce Brosnan's distant crooning. A moment later as the chorus to Super Trouper kicked in, she tossed down her pen and turned to face the rest of us. "Honestly," she said in her best no-nonsense voice, "I'm finding it hard to concentrate with all of this Greek music...."The constant presence in our Popup Chinese headquarters these last few weeks has been the soundtrack to Mamma Mia. After stumbling across the Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan version of the famous ABBA musical, Echo has had the music on constantly. And the musical has found its way into everything we've done, including today's lesson for Absolute Beginners. So join us as we share an effective strategy for avoiding work in China. Use this whenever you need to take the afternoon off to catch a broadway show.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: The Electrical Outlet
Trips to Hong Kong, Singapore and across the mainland are a mainstay of life for most foreign professionals in Asia. Couple that with the fact that many of the best jobs for mandarin-speaking expats are with smaller and mid-sized firms, and you've got a recipe for the need to work on the go. Say goodbye to life in a cubicle and hello to rushing to find a power outlet in rural Guangxi in order to make your conference call on Skype.If you do business in Asia but are just learning to speak Chinese, join us in this lesson as we teach you how to ask for an electrical outlet for your laptop or phone. In addition to our regular Chinese podcast, we've also enabled our Speaking Practice hotline for today's lesson. If you're a premium subscriber, grab your personal ID number on our text page along with our telephone hotline number. Give us a call and practice reading the dialogue and vocabulary to us (add your own commentary, of course) and we'll get back to you in a day with personal feedback on how you sound.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: A Clean Well-Lighted Place
As Alex struggled to finish his thesis in the only Internet cafe still open in this part of Wuhan, he quietly prayed the air would clear as the evening wore on and the local chain-smoking Counterstrike guild closed shop for the night. By one o'clock, however, the omnipresent haze of smoke had settled into more-or-less permanent stormclouds over a growing mass of players who if anything were more animated than ever before.It took another hour for the full horrific truth to hit Alex. Staggering to the service counter to stock up on caffeine, he noticed a small sign perched on the desk advertising a significant discount for overnight users. His non-stop smoking, terrorist-killing and expletive-shouting neighbors were here for the long-haul. And not only would they be playing through his morning deadline, they would be paying significantly less for the privilege too.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: The Secret Lives of Celebrities
It's been a while since we've released a lesson for absolute beginners, but we're back in the saddle today with a sequel of sorts to our earlier podcast on how not to be confused for a Scientologist during your weekend trip to Xi'an. So if you've ever fancied yourself more a Brad Pitt (or Angelina Jolie) take a listen as we teach you how to introduce yourself to the locals in style. Maybe you'll get a free lunch out of it.In addition to sharing some useful language for passing yourself off as a celebrity in China, in this lesson we also introduce a dead-easy sentence pattern you can use to indulge in unsubstantiated celebrity gossip or tell others how you feel. So if you're an absolute beginner give this lesson a listen. And if your Chinese is more advanced, swing by our lessons archive and look for something a bit more suited to your level of difficulty.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: Performance Anxiety
As she waited for the judges to render their verdict, Lee reviewed her performance in her head. Her decision to sing "Yesterday Once More" had been risky. The song was overplayed, but she felt her syncopated interpretation made it fresh once again. And objectively speaking, there was no doubt her performance was one of the strongest of the evening. Even now she could sense the stunned respect of the audience, while the judges sat in a thoughtful, almost reverent, silence.Our elementary lesson for today is faster than you may be accustomed to at the Elementary level, and also much busier: instead of a two-way dialogue we have a scene between a singer and her panel of three judges. This four-way exchange is fast and furious, but is also within your reach. So give it a listen and see how you do.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: The Chinese Courier
Hank was a legend around the office, and for good reason. In just three hours he had cleared his entire afternoon of deliveries, and this in spite of the traffic jams that clogged the downtown core. And his secret? In today's Elementary Chinese lesson, join us as we delve into the art of the delivery. You'll learn how to get around town, tell others how to find you, and learn the secret tips and tricks that keep the courier business in China running.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: Feel My Total Indifference
So, you've woken up at some ungodly hour in the morning to start hauling yourself out of bed when a minor epiphany strikes. Why get out of bed at all? Isn't there something better you can do with your day than this car trip to Tongzhou. And whose crazy idea was this anyway? How about just sleeping in past noon? Now there's a capital idea. And maybe in a few hours you could even head downstairs and get some breakfast, or maybe watch a movie. Or maybe just stay in bed all afternoon.At Popup Chinese we're keenly aware of the practical reality of life in China: which is why we're happy to bring you today's lesson on what to do on those days you feel totally and utterly apathetic. If you've ever felt that cheerfulness is not exactly your strong point, this is the lesson for you. So join us today for an Absolute Beginner lesson that will let you tell them what you really think. Because sleep calls.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: I'll have the hamburger....
Despite it being the last stop before the highway started its thirty mile winding climb out of the desert canyon, the small family diner that had once been a trade favorite on the long-haul circuit was surprisingly devoid of his fellow truckers. And the atmosphere in the joint had changed for the worse too, but John was hungry and in a hurry to meet his schedule, so simply raised his hand to summon the waitress. He would eat quickly and be back on the road in twenty minutes.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: Where are you from?
If you've ever been in a Chinese taxi, you've been asked this question, even if you didn't understand it at the time. In fact, being asked where one is from is such a common question we've decided to devote an entire lesson just to it. So join us in this beginner lesson and before long you'll be inventing new and exciting background stories each time you take a trip across town. Yes sir, I am a nuclear scientist from Kazakhstan.Note: it's been a while since we've had a dedicated speaking practice lesson, so we've enabled our voice recording service for this lesson. If you're a premium subscriber click through to our text page and grab our telephone hotline and your personal PIN number. Call us up and leave us a message in Chinese when prompted: record yourself either practicing the dialogue or speaking extemporaneously using this vocabulary or telling us a story. Our teachers will get back to you in a day or two with personal feedback on how you're doing.Navigate re-incarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup CantoneseReincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Chinese shows — Popup Chinese shows — Popup Chinese shows
Popup Chinese — Elementary: Digital Volleyball
Brent's palm stretched back and - in a flashing rush - the TiVo was airborn. Once the proud centerpiece of some family's home entertainment center, the digital video recorder was now living a less sedentary life, flying over the net in a graceful serve before a clumsy return brought it back, brushing across the top of the net as it came. And then the return and the counter-return and the game was on in earnest.Hunched forward peering at the court below, the spectators gasped as yet another piece of home electronics took flight before settling into a hushed tension as the game found its stride. Digital volleyball had become popular for much the same reason as Greek tragedy. Who would win and who would lose was in many ways irrelevant to the main attraction: watching tragedy unfold in an uncertain but inevitable way. There could be only one ending to this game.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: On Avoiding the Plague
"Don't worry about me," the voice on the phone hoarsely whispered after its wave of violent coughing finally subsided. "I'll be down in an hour so we can keep working on that report."Join us in our Absolute Beginner lesson for today as we learn a polite way of telling others to keep themselves and their infections out of your working space. There is a lot of simple but useful mandarin in this podcast. In addition to introducing a number of common adjectives you can use to express your fatigue and frustration, we also give you a simple sentence pattern you can use whenever you're feeling under the weather yourself.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: What sign are you?
Ever wonder what a Chinese chicken sounds like, or what to do when someone tells you they are one? In today's lesson Brendan, David and Echo take to the studio and talk about Chinese horoscopes. You may not believe in the Chinese zodiac, but you'll need to know how it works if you're ever going to navigate the animal barnyard that is the dating scene in China. If only because when you meet someone special here you can be sure they're going to be thinking about it.This podcast is part language lesson and part simple proof of an impressive disconnect between urban China and the natural world. If you don't know your own sign, we've posted more information on the Chinese zodiac in the comments section below. Feel free to write us at [email protected] with any questions about your own star sign. We admit to being suckers for romantic gossip.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced: Besides and Let Alone....
If you're listening to our advanced podcasts our site statistics tell us you're already fluent or close to getting there. And the bad news for most of you is that at this level you've likely passed the point where native speakers will correct your mistakes or help you master the subtleties of their language. Which is why we have podcasts like this. Join us as we help you push through the last mile with a lesson that focuses on a word so advanced even Chinese speakers often get it wrong.This word is 何况, an advanced conjunction with two different meanings. In the first case 何况 can be translated as "and also" and gets used interchangeably with 再说. Its second usage is closer to 更别说 and is better translated as "let alone" or "not to mention". Our podcast sorts out these two meanings with plenty of examples and a lot of fun, so give it a listen. We think you'll come out more fluent on the other side.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: The Road Trip, Part II
You may have been on a vacation like this. The radiator is overheating, the air conditioner is broken, and what began as a nice weekend jaunt into the countryside has morphed into something much, much uglier. Join us in this Elementary Chinese lesson as we explore the heart of darkness you'll only see in your family after spending eight hours in a car with them totally and utterly lost.In addition to a nice dialogue with plenty of useful vocabulary and phrases (especially for drivers), our lesson today covers the 再不... 就 construction and goes over how to use it to make vaguely threatening demands on those you love. So listen up and let us know what you think. And if you find the Chinese a bit above your level relax. Click through to the text page to consult our annotated popup version of the text for instant illumination. You'll be at the Intermediate level in no time.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Pinyin Practice: Adventures with Umlaut
Curious why the pinyin for some characters is written with an umlaut which vanishes in similar-sounding words? Is there really a difference in the way we should pronounce these sounds? The answer to these questions and more is revealed in our pinyin practice lesson for today, which will take you on a whirlwind tour through a maze of similar sounding words.For extra feedback, we've enabled our recording hotline for this lesson to give you an opportunity to get personal feedback on your pronunciation. If you're a premium subscriber call us using the custom PIN number that you'll find on this lesson's text page. Practice reading our sample sentences for this lesson and one of our teachers will get back to you shortly with one-on-one feedback on your pronunciation. And doubtless compliments too.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: The Road Trip
Remember the epic road trips of your youth? Our lesson today goes out to every eight year old who has ever had to sit still in the backseat for eight hours trapped between two quarreling siblings while the family enjoyed a nice drive into the countryside.If you're a premium subscriber, please note that we've enabled our Speaking Practice recording service for this lesson. Click through to our text page to find our toll-free telephone number. Call us and enter your dedicated PIN number when prompted. Then tell us all about the worst vacation you've ever had. Or just practice reading us the dialogue and vocabulary for this lesson. Our teachers will review your recording and give you personal feedback on your pronunciation by email in a day or two.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Elementary: Living Together
By the time Betty arrived home, her normally sedate neighborhood was abuzz with excitement. The police cruisers camped on the street were only the most visible sign of the investigative unit that had arrived hours earlier to cordon off the block and interview the neighbors. As she headed inside, Betty caught a far-off glimpse of two junior detectives taking soil samples from her back garden.Bursting into her home, she caught sight of the lead detective in the living room and charged over to demand an explanation. "Rumors have it you're not the only one who lives here," he replied. A casual glance around the room was enough to confirm this as fact. Jonathan had once again left his clothes strewn all over the sofa. As she simply nodded, the detective reached for his handcuffs. "I think it's time you spoke to a lawyer."Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Advanced listening test: The Northeasterner, Part II
With apologies to our friends in Jilin, the northeastern accent is totally ridiculous at times. Ever heard it? If you haven't you're in for a treat in this special listening test for advanced speakers. Take a listen to our situational dialogue and see how much you can pick up. If you're fluent in mandarin we think you'll be able to understand more than you think, and learn some northeastern slang in the process. And if you're not fluent yet, just check out our word by word annotated transcript. It'll bring you up to speed.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese
Popup Chinese — Absolute Beginners: Yes, I'm a Student
We haven't come out with a lesson for absolute beginners in a while, partially because whenever we start teaching something simple Brendan segues into a rambling discourse on character etymology and before we know it we've produced another graduate seminar about regional dialects in the Song dynasty. So today we slowed him down with an intentionally simple and very straightforward dialogue. This one teaches how to ask basic questions and tell others a bit about yourself.In fact, those of you without a graduate degree in linguistics will be pleased to hear that we even managed to restrain Brendan from using the word "copula" in this podcast. This was accomplished somewhat by the dialogue itself, but mostly by Echo, who threatened the use of physical force unless Brendan used "actual English real people understand." So if you're totally new to mandarin and afraid of our other lessons, fire up your iPod and check out this one, which makes the basics about as easy as they can get.Navigate the reincarnated Popup Chinese archives, including the original customized word-to-word transcripts for this and every other lesson as PDF files:Reincarnated Popup Chinese — Popup Chinese — Popup ChineseReincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese