Chinese is a beautiful and complex language, full of nuances and sounds that can be tricky for learners. One fun way to practice pronunciation and improve speaking skills is through tongue twisters. They’re not only a great way to strengthen your articulation but also enhance your understanding of tones, rhythm, and the subtle differences between similar-sounding words.
At YEAH CHINESE, we’ve put together a selection of tongue twisters for learners at different stages. Whether you’re just starting out, working on intermediate skills, or ready to challenge yourself with advanced phrases, there’s something for everyone. Let’s dive into some fun, challenging, and useful Chinese tongue twisters for language lovers!
1. Beginner Level: Basic Sounds & Simple Words
For those just starting to get comfortable with Chinese pronunciation, these tongue twisters focus on basic sounds and simple words, helping you get used to some of the more common consonants and vowels.
⏺ 四是四，十是十，十四是十四，四十是四十。
sì shì sì, shí shì shí, shí sì shí, sì shí shì sì.
Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty.
This classic tongue twister plays with the similar sounds of sì (四) for “four” and shí (十) for “ten,” as well as their variations in different contexts. It’s a great way to practice the fourth and second tones.
⏺ 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。
chī pú táo bù tǔ pú táo pí, bù chī pú táo dào tǔ pú táo pí.
Eat grapes without spitting out the skin, don’t eat grapes but still spit out the skin.
This one’s a fun challenge with chī (吃), tǔ (吐), and pú táo (葡萄). Notice how the tones shift between words and how this changes the flow of the sentence. It’s a great way to practice differentiating between the first, second, and fourth tones.
2. Intermediate Level: Challenging Tone Changes
As your pronunciation skills improve, you’ll start working on more complex phrases with varying tones. These tongue twisters will help you differentiate between tones and practice articulation under pressure.
⏺ 桌上有个盆，盆里有个瓶，砰砰砰，是瓶碰盆，还是盆碰瓶。
zhuō shàng yǒu gè pén, pén lǐ yǒu gè píng, pēng pēng pēng, shì píng pèng pén, hái shì pén pèng píng
On the table, there’s a basin. In the basin, there’s a bottle. Pēng pēng pēng - is the bottle bumping the basin, or is the basin bumping the bottle?
This one’s a fun challenge for practising the p and b sounds along with tone shifts. It also features the tricky distinction between pén (盆) and píng (瓶).
⏺ 白石塔，白石搭，白石搭白塔，白塔白石搭搭好白石塔，白塔白又大。
bái shí tǎ, bái shí dā, bái shí dā bái tǎ, bái tǎ bái shí dā dā hǎo bái shí tǎ, bái tǎ bái yòu dà.
White stone tower, white stone bridge, white stone bridge with a white tower, the white tower and white stone form a great white stone tower, and the white tower is big again.
This tongue twister plays with the repetition of the bái (白) sound and challenges you to keep up with fast-paced pronunciation.
⏺ 粉红墙上画凤凰，凤凰画在粉红墙。红凤凰、粉凤凰，粉红凤凰、花凤凰。
fěn hóng qiáng shàng huà fèng huáng, fèng huáng huà zài fěn hóng qiáng. Hóng fèng huáng, fěn fèng huáng, fěn hóng fèng huáng, huā fèng huáng.
A pink wall paints a phoenix, and the phoenix is painted on the pink wall. Red phoenix, pink phoenix, pink phoenix, colourful phoenix.
This one challenges your fluency with fast-paced articulation and tonal shifts, while also testing your ability to manage tricky syllables like fěn (粉) and fèng (凤).
3. Advanced Level: Speed and Tone Mastery
Once you’re comfortable with basic and intermediate tongue twisters, it’s time to really push your limits. These advanced tongue twisters will test your ability to keep up with fast-paced pronunciation and correct tonal shifts.
⏺ 黑化肥发灰会挥发，灰化肥挥发会发黑
hēi huà féi fā huī huì huī fā, huī huà féi huī fā huì hēi huà.
Black fertiliser turns grey when it volatilises, grey fertiliser turns black when it reacts.
This one challenges both your ability to manage fast changes in tone and your familiarity with some of the trickier words in Chinese. Huà féi (化肥, fertiliser) and huī (灰, grey) are both tricky words that appear frequently in this tongue twister. Mastering this will give you a big boost in your pronunciation skills!
⏺ 老龙恼怒闹老农，老农怒恼闹老龙，农怒龙恼农更怒，龙恼农怒龙怕农。
lǎo lóng nǎo nù nào lǎo nóng, lǎo nóng nù nǎo nào lǎo lóng, nóng nù lóng nǎo nóng gèng nù, lóng nǎo nóng nù lóng pà nóng.
The old dragon is angry and disturbs the old farmer; the old farmer is angry and disturbs the old dragon. The farmer’s anger makes the dragon angrier, the dragon’s anger makes the farmer afraid.
This tongue twister plays with both tonal shifts and tricky consonant sounds, challenging learners to master pronunciation under pressure.
⏺ 你会炖炖冻豆腐，你来炖我的炖冻豆腐；你不会炖炖冻豆腐，别胡炖乱炖炖坏了我的炖冻豆腐。
nǐ huì dùn dùn dòng dòufu, nǐ lái dùn wǒ de dùn dòng dòufu; nǐ bù huì dùn dùn dòng dòufu, bié hú dùn luàn dùn dùn huài le wǒ de dùn dòng dòufu.
You can stew frozen tofu, you stew my frozen tofu; you can’t stew frozen tofu, don’t stew it carelessly and ruin my frozen tofu.
This one is a real test of your ability to balance multiple tonal shifts while maintaining clarity and speed.
4. Bonus: A Fun Challenge for All Levels
⏺ 坡上立着一只鹅，坡下就是一条河。宽宽的河，肥肥的鹅，鹅要过河，河要渡鹅不知是鹅过河，还是河渡鹅?
pō shàng lì zhe yī zhī é, pō xià jiù shì yī tiáo hé. Kuān kuān de hé, féi féi de é, é yào guò hé, hé yào dù é bù zhī shì é guò hé, hái shì hé dù é?
On the slope stands a goose, at the bottom of the slope is a river. A wide river, a fat goose, the goose wants to cross the river, the river wants to carry the goose—who knows if the goose will cross the river, or if the river will carry the goose?
This tongue twister is great for improving your fluency with both dà (大, big) and xiǎo (小, small), while also practising the use of tone pairs in a more natural sentence flow. Plus, it’s a fun and accessible challenge for learners at every level!
Why Tongue Twisters Matter?
While tongue twisters are fun and challenging, they also serve a purpose beyond entertainment. Chinese pronunciation involves a lot of subtle tonal differences that can completely change the meaning of a word. For example, the word mā (妈, mother) in the first tone is very different from mǎ (马, horse) in the third tone. Tongue twisters help you hone your ability to distinguish these tones, giving you more confidence when speaking Chinese.
Additionally, mastering the rhythm of Chinese phrases will help you sound more natural when speaking and improve your ability to follow conversations.
Key Benefits of Tongue Twisters
Pronunciation: They help you practise difficult sounds, particularly those that are challenging in Mandarin, like the "p," "b," "t," "d," "s," "sh," and "z" sounds.
Tonal Awareness: Mandarin is a tonal language, meaning that the pitch of a syllable can change the meaning of a word. Tongue twisters often contain subtle tonal shifts, giving you a chance to hone your tonal precision.
Fluency: With repeated practice, tongue twisters help increase the speed and smoothness of your speech. You’ll find that your ability to speak fluently in Mandarin improves as you work through more complex combinations.
Fun!: Most importantly, tongue twisters are enjoyable! They challenge you to improve, and the satisfaction of mastering a particularly tricky one can be incredibly rewarding.
Tips for Mastering Chinese Tongue Twisters
Start Slow: Begin by saying the tongue twister slowly, focusing on accurate pronunciation and correct tones. Gradually increase your speed as you gain confidence.
Break It Down: If a particular sound or syllable is causing trouble, practise that part separately before adding it back into the full tongue twister.
Record Yourself: Listening to yourself can help you catch mistakes that you might not notice while speaking. It’s a great way to identify areas for improvement.
Practice in Front of a Mirror: This helps you monitor your mouth movements and pronunciation.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: Consistency is key in mastering these challenging sounds and tones.
Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate learner, or an advanced speaker, these Chinese tongue twisters will help you fine-tune your pronunciation, improve your fluency, and have a bit of fun along the way. So, pick one (or more) of these tongue twisters, start practising, and enjoy the process of mastering Mandarin one twist at a time!
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