Learn Chinese - All Lessons

Advanced Lesson - China News - 02/06/2009

Another short news podcast with the China news for Tuesday, 2nd of June 2009.
We created this short news podcast for those who would like to hear the latest news in mandarin chinese to practice your listening skills. If you think that the Amy speaks a bit too fast don't worry, we include a pdf transcript with everything that is being said both in chinese characters and pinyin.

今日头条是：
1. 法航客机失踪, 228人凶多吉少, 乘客国籍名单公布
2. 通用汽车宣布申请破产保护，在华业务不受影响
3. 时代华纳美国在线签署“离婚协议”分道扬镳

Advanced Lesson - China News - 01/06/2009

We created this short news podcast for those who would like to hear the latest news in mandarin chinese to practice your listening skills. If you think that the Amy speaks a bit too fast don't worry, we include a pdf transcript with everything that is being said both in chinese characters and pinyin.

今日头条是：
1. 我国3家企业列全球市值排行前5位
2. 近日，中国消费者协会呼吁减少影视剧吸烟镜头
3. 最新消息称，《南京！南京！》有望在日本公映

Intermediate Lesson - Chinese Podcast - Coming back from China

Consolidate your knowledge of today's Chinese podcast by trying Chinese Test – Coming back from China

When Daniel returned to the United States with a Master Degree from Zhong Shan University in Guangzhou, China, his parents were very proud. They told everyone that their son could speak very perfect Chinese and even completed his Master in chinese. That was true. Daniel had studied Chinese for 5 years and was even able to read ancient chinese and had no difficulty in communicating with people. His chinese also had no foreign accent.

In this lesson, we look at the use of the verb 看. The meaning of this word varies according to the context, for example:

1. 来看朋友
2. 看来你还很有方法
3. 我站在这里看不到那里

Furthermore, we talk about the verbs tense and we also look at why some chinese characters are repeated, such as, 常常,看看,瞧瞧,读读,走走 and so on. To learn how to use them, please listen to this podcast to find out.

Intermediate Lesson - Chinese Podcast - My life is simple

Last week Brad attended a student reunion; here he met a lot of old friends who he had not heard from for ages. They seemed to talk a lot about one guy. He used to be an all-can-bully type but now he already became a president of a large company. When he appeared, they were all amazed. He looked just like a plain man on the street. They couldn’t wait to ask where his luxurious car was, and why his beautiful lady was not around. He laughed and said, “Well, I admit that I earn a lot of money out of my business, but it doesn’t mean that I need to change my old way of living. I have a very simple life still. Look, I get up as early as 6, then go to work. I concentrate on my business and try to make it run very well. I hardly go to parties and I don’t want to spend so much time on other things apart from work. My life is very simple - I spend most of it in the office and the gym.
Brad invited his friends to visit his apartment and he acted so friendly to them that all of them hoped that they could ‘下次再来’. How do Chinese people show their warm welcome to their guests when they visit? We are going to listen to a dialogue that showcases a typical way of dealing with such a circumstance.

In this lesson, we covered topics like: the use of the word 一般, the different responses to "thank you" and the word 简单. Seeing 简单 this word doesn’t necessarily mean that you already understand what it is, since 简单 can mean two things. You can say someone is simple, like 她很简单 - she is simple. Or you can put something before it: 家很简单 - home is simple. However, 简单 can mean’ easy’ too, like :考试很简单 - the exam is easy. Listen to this lesson to learn more.

Consolidate your knowledge of today's Chinese podcast by trying Chinese Test – My life is simple

Intermediate Lesson - Chinese Podcast - Introducing the special one

She looked distinct tonight, or you can say, she was gorgeous. When she stepped down along the stairs in that white, gauzy dress, everyone stopped drinking, their conversations or whatever they were doing and turned around to the glamorous lady that came forward. No one knew exactly who she was walking to and who was going to be selected as the lucky gentleman. The lady didn’t glance around. She was so calm and so indifferent to everyone else. She only forged ahead straight to one corner, where a neatly dressed man was pouring a cup of Whiskey into a glass and handed it directly to her. As she approached closer, he took out another hand from behind and wrapped her attractive waist and scooped her into his arms. That was a ball hosted by a rich family and the man was just about to introduce his girlfriend to his family members. Please listen to this dialogue to find out how to introduce that special one into your family.

In this lesson we discuss the use of the Retroflex tone - 儿. For example: 跟我来这边一下儿. Before 一下儿, the words may look familiar - follow me here. Actually, 一下儿 is a slang for ‘a little bit’. It always comes after the verbs. In a word, it usually sits at the end of a sentence.

我们一起过去行吗? Here we have another grammar point. In most cases, we separate 行吗 with a common, and the closest translation to English is: ”right?, ok?”. For example: 我们到时候见面，行吗? we will meet then, ok? So, to find out more about this grammar, please listen to the lesson, 行吗?
Consolidate your knowledge of today's Chinese podcast by trying Chinese Test – Introducing the special one

Beginner Lesson - Chinese Podcast - Survival Chinese - What would you like to buy?

Friend Matt was born in Germany and grew up in France, moved to England at the age of 20 and spent seven years there before moving in China a couple of months ago. He can speak four languages but still is quite dull in Chinese. He once asked one of his friends how one should master this language that is full of complicated characters. The friend suggested him “买些中文杂志吧”. He accepted the advice and set off for the small stands in search of all kinds of Chinese magazines. It is necessary for foreigners to know how to get what they want, especially when the owners of the small stands don’t speak English. The lesson this time will talk about how to buy the magazines, books, newspapers you want on the small stands. After this lesson, you will be able to distinguish 汉语and 中文；the reason why we use 没有 not 不有 and…why don't you find out yourself？

If you want to consolidate what you have learned, why not try the exercises for this lesson? Please Chinese test to try the exercises now.

Beginner Lesson - Chinese Podcast - Survival Chinese - Going to the restaurant

Ali can’t remember when he began to go to restaurants so often. Before a certain moment he was really obsessed with home-made food and liked, all the time, to cook each meal by himself. It seems that now, he was getting lazier. He only wants to sit in a comfortable chair, waits for the cooked food to be brought just in front of him. In fact, Ali is not alone.

With more and more restaurants opened everywhere in the city, people prefer to take a pause from the busy work and enjoy the food in restaurants. That makes everything easier. Of course, when we have the served food, why bother to ponder over about cooking? We can simply choose a restaurant, ask for the menu and order whatever that fascinates you to satisfy your grumbling stomach. Ali just returned from work, lay himself down on the bed, then called his girlfriend. He spoke in his lame Chinese, “想上饭店吗?” Then they started their short dialogue about where to go for the dinner.

If you want to consolidate what you have learned, why not try the exercises for this lesson? Please Chinese test to try the exercises now.

Beginner Lesson - Chinese Podcast - Survival Chinese - Getting married

It was April 20th, 2009; Jane Jackson was going to get married in a couple of days. She was so excited that she couldn’t sleep. Jane lived in China currently and loved this country. So she decided to hold her wedding in a local church. Jane had a best friend who was a Chinese lady. Jane was thinking perhaps she could also invite the girl’s parents since whenever she visited the girl, her parents would always cook great food for her and treated her as if she were their own. Jane rang the girl and asked if her parents could tag along on the wedding day.

"Certainly, they would be really much willing to do that.” Replied the girl at this proposal. “But it would be better if I can write an invitation to them. That may sound more formal.” Said Jane, “The problem is ….I don’t think your parents read English?” The Chinese girl smiled and nodded, “No, They can’t understand a single word…so sending them an invitation won’t make any sense” .Jane was silent, kept her head lower, eyes staring down on the feet. Then she looked up, with delight swimming in her eyes. “I can try writing the invitation in Chinese instead, and then they will possibly understand.” Her friend beamed, and replied, “That’s really a fantastic idea. Do you need any help from me?” Jane rejected the offer. She claimed that a dictionary will work.”

If you want to consolidate what you have learned, why not try the exercises for this lesson? Please Chinese test to try the exercises now.

Beginner Lesson - Chinese Podcast - Survival Chinese - Telling the time in Chinese

Learn how to tell and ask the time in Chinese. If you already know how to say the chinese numbers from 1-24 then telling the time in chinese is really easy! Of course there are a few complications to it. You can't just merely say the current time as numbers. There are a few rules and sentence patterns that you need to use. But they are not complicated and after you listen to this podcast you will understand how to tell the time in different ways.

What you need to know:
1) If you want to ask what time is it in chinese you can say 现在几点? You could answer for example - 现在11点.
2）If you want to ask the time for a certain event, for example going to the class room you can just say - 你几点上课？And to reply：我9点上课

If you want to consolidate what you have learned, why not try the exercises for this lesson? Please Chinese test to try the exercises now.

Advanced Lesson - Learn how to cook Chinese Food - Rice Dumpling

Another video in our series - How to cook chinese food. In this lesson, the chef of the best restaurant in Xi'an - Chang An No.1, teaches how to cook rice dumpling - zongzi.
In the month of May, there is a very special Chinese festival – Dragon Boat Festival. It is intended to honour one of the greatest poets in Chinese history – Qu Yuan. It is a custom to eat Rice Dumpling in this festival.

农历五月初五是中国传统的“端午节”，中国人非常重视这个节日，无论从穿戴、饮食、娱乐上都非常讲究。在这一天人们会有很多活动安排，例如：吃粽子，赛龙舟，挂艾叶，喝雄黄酒。据说，吃粽子和赛龙舟，是为了纪念战国楚人屈原，因此端午节又有“诗人节”之说，唐宋很多名人作诗词来赞颂屈原的爱国精神。至今许多南方人依然每年这天都要举行祭奠屈原仪式，寄托人们的哀思。

粽子是端午节特有的美味食品。关于粽子还有很一个生动感人的故事，相传战国时期楚国大夫屈原因受小人陷害，带着满腔爱国之情和哀怨之气在农历五月初五那天投汨罗江而死。当地人民非常爱戴屈原，为了不让江里的鱼类把屈原的身体吃掉，于是就包了很多粽子吸引它们，以保全躯体完整，于是，粽子成为中国人非常喜爱的节日食品。那么这节课就让我们学习一下如何制作香甜的美味粽子吧