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Popup Chinese

Xenia Hell and her stupid useless...

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.

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  • Yesterday · 9 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • Friday · 10 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: The Nobel Peace Prize

    Each year, the Nobel Prize committee surveys the world and selects the best-of-the-best for prestige and public honor. And while there's always been controversy over some of the selections, there has never been quite as much controversy as this year, when the awards were surprised by "an unprecedentedly strong show by those Chinese upstarts," as one anonymous critic so ingloriously put it. From our vantage point in Beijing, we feel the criticisms are totally unfounded. Jealous bastards. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • Thursday · 8 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • Wednesday · 1 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate listening test: The Airlock

    There was a deep silence after the sirens stopped blaring, and then chaos broke out. As the crew scuttled to the cargo bay, each couldn't help but wonder what had brought them to this point. Stranded light years from human settlement with nothing but their wits and a thin hull separating them from the vacuum outside. And then a comforting thought. At least they had the captain: he would know what to do. Think your Chinese is good? Join us in this Intermediate listening test as we push it to the limits. Listen to our short dialogue and then click through to our quiz page to test your comprehension. Who are the people in this scene? What exact problem do they have and how are they planning to solve it? If you can catch the answers by listening congratulations! If you have trouble, click through to our text section to consult our manually annotated transcript. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • Tuesday · 9 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • Monday · 9 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: McDonalds Delivery Hotline

    At Popup Chinese we don't shy away from teaching the sort of mandarin you'll need to properly express feelings of lethargy and gluttony at four in the morning. So join us in this lesson as we review four intermediate constructions you can use to create sentences like, "I would rather order in McDonalds than move off this couch." On a related note, since we're sure some of you will think we're joking, we should stress that everything you'll hear in this podcast is completely true. Even down to the telephone number. Yes folks, as Yeats put it, "surely the Second Coming is at hand." We can't speak for the outer fringes of the Empire, but in Beijing it's not only possible to have a Big Mac delivered to you at four in the morning, it's considered a sign of social progress. We may never see daylight again. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 26 · 11 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: The Gay Vampire

    As recovering narcoleptics, we know a thing or two about shunning daylight, sleeping in coffins and going straight for the jugular. Sadly, in many parts of the world people continue to harbor prejudices against the undead. And yet blood donations are at an all-time high. It's a crazy world, we know. Join us today as we strike out against this pervasive and insidious form of social discrimination. Bloody Mary has a more literal meaning here than you may be used to, but regardless of your taste in drinks we're sure you'll enjoy learning all the Chinese you'll ever need to know should you find yourself invited to an underground party in the French Concession, and have the opportunity to chat up that cute, pulseless waitress from the local cafe who's always sleeping on the job. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 25 · 8 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 24 · 7 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: Your Dog Looks a Little....

    Growing weary of Lassie bounding into your bedroom at the very break of dawn, his innocent eyes beaming with the delight of another day? Join us in this podcast as we reveal an age-old Chinese technique for breaking your pets of their infectious enthusiasm for life. In addition to covering some unexpected vocabulary, in this addictive podcast we also highlight three common sentence patterns you'll hear all the 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 23 · 10 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 22 · 9 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: The Music Teacher

    We believe our voice actors for this lesson must have had horrible memories of music lessons as a child. Nonetheless, the more musically inclined among you may wish to join us as we cover some useful vocabulary for impressing friends and intimidating rivals at KTV showdowns. In addition to the sexy new lingo, we also pay a brief visit to our old friend 了, whose occasional lack of clarity should be par for the course at this point. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 21 · 7 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 20 · 39 sec

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate listening test: Lifehacker in China

    Did you know the average person spends two to three years of their life sitting on the toilet? It goes without saying that most of this time is not spent productively, which is why we're pleased to share this listening test with you today. In it we offer up a life-saving secret that will help free up some of your time for more important things like studying Chinese. Office visitors please note: in response to the growing popularity of this technique among staff, we have implemented draconian controls on office washroom usage. You are encouraged to bring your own toiletries. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 19 · 7 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: Global Warming

    As you step out your front door in the morning to go to work, the same as you would on any other day, something seems off. Could it be the fruit vendor floating down the alley? Or the cat drifting past the front gate of your apartment? Listen in to this Intermediate podcast for a short briefer on what mother nature has in store for Shanghai. Suffice it to say that things will continue to be hot and wet. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 18 · 56 sec

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate listening test: The Police Hotline

    One of our ulterior motives with this entire podcasting business is getting famous and good-looking Chinese celebrities into our recording studios (yes, we take requests). Which is how we're able to bring you this recording starring one of the more recognizable celebrities you're likely to encounter in China. Although she may not be Cecilia Cheung, if you've been in China for a while we're pretty sure you'll recognize her.... In this listening test your challenge is to listen to our recording once and then click through to our quiz section to gauge your comprehension of the story you've heard and the language it uses. If you run into any problems, we've prepared our regular annotated version of the text with mouseover popups. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 17 · 9 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 16 · 8 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 15 · 8 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 14 · 9 min

    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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

  • September 13 · 9 min

    Popup Chinese — Intermediate: The Orphanage

    You'd have thought we'd have stopped with the child labor jokes after that kerfuffle at the UNESCO conference in Hangzhou. Remember the one? It was the time our ragtag band of Artful Dodgers picked the crowd clean while providing an occasionally accurate interpretation service to the assembled delegates. We've since gone generally legit with our use of underaged staffers, but as our pack of 8 year old programmers can attest, there remain many benefits to hiring young. In addition to asking fewer questions about labor rights, children eat less, learn faster and are more easily indoctrinated into online personality cults. Nothing is ever perfect though. Which is why this podcast offers practical advice on what you'll need to say in Chinese when things just don't work out. 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 Chinese Reincarnated Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese — Popup Cantonese

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