Popup Chinese

Popup Chinese — Intermediate: The Family Secret 01.11.2026 10m

It had taken months of therapy for the patient to share her innermost secret. "You were right to come here," the psychiatrist said as they shared the breakthrough, "and I long suspected that your problem was related to your father." The doctor then paused, pen frozen in mid-air above a black leather notebook. "Of course," she added at last, "at least your case isn't as bad as that of my last patient...."Are you an intermediate mandarin student? Join us in this podcast for a Chinese lesson all about the shameful secrets that can break family relationships. In addition to a fast-moving and entertaining dialogue, this lesson also teaches the difference between two conjunctions with almost identical meanings, but slightly different emotional weights. Learn to use them correctly and you'll impress the hell out of your psychiatrist, we promise.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: Have another cup of coffee? 31.10.2026 9m

Symptoms of excessive caffeine intake include restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal discomfort, cardiac arrhythmia and random muscle twitching. Yet insufficient caffeine intake leads directly to mental and physical sluggishness, and is strongly correlated with a tendency among staff to miss project deadlines and blow sales leads.Employers in the United States typically walk this fine line by promoting self-medication through free soda kitchens. As staff in China are rarely accustomed to this sort of perk, once you've begun hiring you will need to be more proactive about medicating your employees. But how aggressive should you be? Is the drip really necessary? Join us in this podcast as we share some more subtle techniques we use at Popup Chinese to keep staff working far longer than is reasonable without the need for constant injections.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: You know why I like Popup Chinese? 30.10.2026 8m

We love our staff and they love us too (especially the children, bless their souls). Which is why we were mystified when the Labor Relations Board approached us with outrageous allegations of unpaid overtime and that old story about us locking staff in the studio while we retreated to our executive yacht. It was lunch people... everyone is supposed to go out for lunch!In any event, seeing that the government has formally launched an investigation into human rights abuses in the construction of our new office space, we've decided to go on a public relations offensive. And we're starting with this podcast, in which we showcase some of the best and brightest actors in the Beijing arts scene going on the record about why they love working for us. And we didn't even have to script this! Hot damn this is good stuff.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 24.09.2014 21m

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 21.07.2014 15m

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 04.05.2014 17m

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 16.04.2014 14m

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 25.06.2013 19m

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 03.06.2013 19m

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 06.05.2013 18m

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 09.04.2013 16m

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 04.05.2012 9m

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 22.02.2012 13m

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 22.03.2011 13m

"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 07.03.2011 10m

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 23.08.2010 1m

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 03.08.2010 13m

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 15.07.2010

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 30.06.2010 9m

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 echo@popupchinese.com 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? 28.06.2010 15m

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

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