Chinese Pronunciation Basics (Or how to sound like you know what you're talking about)

How do you say these Chinese cities, Beijing and Xian? Or how about the Qin dynasty, or greet a Mr. Zhong?  If you’re a Chinaful reader, you likely have, at least, a growing interest in China. That interest might cause you to bring up Chinese travel or food in conversations with friends. And if business takes you to China, or interacting with Chinese clients, you’ll absolutely be exposed to Chinese words you’ll need to say. Even if you don’t speak Chinese, a basic understanding of Chinese pronunciation is not only key, I believe it’s necessary.  Necessary because it lends credibility to what you’re saying – who can believe that you know what you’re talking about for a Chinese deal or case, if you are butchering the party’s names or fumbling the name of the company you want to buy?

{Buddhist Monks in Xian}

Take a few minutes to commit these few Mandarin pronunciation notes to memory. Learning Chinese is a difficult, time-consuming task – learning how to pronounce Mandarin words is not. 

• J – The “j” in Mandarin is a hard J, rather than a soft one. Think jump, jeep, jelly, rather than Jacques.  A had J should come easily to English speakers – so say Beijing like jingle, and you’ll be set.
• X – The “x” in Mandarin words is pronounced as “sh.” This is a tricky one for English speakers – I find most people either try to say a word like Xu (promise) as “exu” or “zu.”  But once you realize it’s a “sh” saying words like Xu, or Xian, is actually quite easy. When it is a “x” by an “i”, as it is for Xian, it sounds like “shee.”  Try it: “shee-an.”
• Q – Another tough one for those new to Chinese words. “Q” in Mandarin is pronounced “ch” like chair or cheese.  Qin is pronounce “cheen.” Qing is pronounced “ching.” Qi, as in Tai Qi, is pronounced “chee.”
• Zh – To me, “zh” is fairly phonetic, but it’s another trip-up for non-Chinese speakers. “Zh” in Mandarin is just like the hard “j” – so it’s not Mr. “Zang” or “Shang” or “Jhang” – it’s Mr. “Jong.” 
• C – Now, pronouncing “c” in Mandarin is legitimately difficult, and not intuitive.  “C” is like “Ts.”  So cai (food) in Mandarin is pronounced “tsai.” Cu (vinegar) is pronounced “tsu.” It’s tough – luckily, it’s rare that a non-Chinese speaker will need to say it. But it’s good to know in those few chances you need it, because saying “kai” rather than “cai” means open, not food. 

With these basics, you should be able to avoid the most common mistakes (and most embarrassing) in Chinese pronunciation.  Practice with other words you know or have seen before until saying it feels natural. Truly, knowing how to say a few words correctly in Chinese is the worth the effort for what you gain in trust from others that you actually know what you’re talking about. 

Have a word you’re struggling with?  Write me in the comments, and I’ll tell you how to pronounce it. 

Want to learn more?  My friend and former Chinese teacher Yangyang Cheng offers two free videos on Chinese pronunciation via her website, yoyochinese.com - check them out here.