This page is for beginner Chinese learners who want a steady, audio-led way to practise pronunciation. You will work with phrases from three supplied lessons: greetings such as the neutral hello, the polite hello, good morning, and goodbye; introductions such as giving your name, asking someone's name, saying where you are from, and the yes/no question pattern; and plan-making phrases such as asking about free time, suggesting an activity, proposing a time, accepting, and declining politely. The routine has four steps: listen, chunk, shadow, and record. You do not need to invent new sound rules or write your own phonetic transcriptions. The supplied audio cards give you the model. Your job is to notice the shape of each phrase, repeat it in small pieces, then compare your recording with the model. This is a self-check, not a clinical or official pronunciation assessment. Use it as a repeatable habit, not a one-time test.
Specific useful preparation
Before you speak, set up a quiet two-minute recording space and choose three phrases from the supplied lessons: one greeting, one introduction, and one plan-making phrase. For example, choose the neutral hello, the phrase for giving your name, and the phrase for asking if someone is free this weekend. Listen to each audio card once without speaking. On the second listen, tap the rhythm with your finger. On the third listen, break the phrase into two or three chunks and repeat each chunk slowly. Do not add tones or symbols that are not in the supplied cards. If a phrase feels long, keep it in chunks until the whole phrase feels comfortable. Write down only the English meaning and a short note about which part felt hardest, such as the opening or the ending. This preparation keeps your practice focused and prevents you from drifting into unrelated vocabulary.
A specific way to handle the harder turn
The harder turn in a pronunciation routine is usually the moment when you compare your recording with the model and hear a difference you cannot name. Instead of guessing a rule, slow the model down and isolate the exact chunk that differs. For example, if the phrase for asking someone's name feels rushed, replay only the first two chunks, then say them three times at half speed. Next, say the full phrase at your normal speed and record it again. Compare the two recordings side by side, but judge only two things: whether the chunks are in the same order and whether your ending is clear. If you still hear a gap, return to the supplied audio card and shadow it while reading the English meaning, not a new transcription. This keeps the routine honest and repeatable. Remember that your self-check is not an official assessment; it is a way to notice progress over several days.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
你好
Hello
nǐ hǎo (Mandarin); nei5 hou2 (Cantonese)
您好
Hello (polite)
nín hǎo
早上好
Good morning
zǎo shang hǎo
嗨
Hi
hāi
我叫...
My name is... / I am called...
wǒ jiào...
你叫什么名字？
What is your name?
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
我是...人。
I am ... (nationality/from ...).
wǒ shì...rén.
你是哪国人？
What country are you from?
nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好，早上好！
Hello, good morning!早上好！您好吗？
Good morning! How are you?我很好，谢谢。再见！
I'm well, thank you. Goodbye!再见，明天见！
Goodbye, see you tomorrow!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Morning greeting with a neighbour
It is 8 a.m. on a Tuesday in Vancouver. You step outside your apartment building and see your neighbour, Mrs. Chen, a woman in her seventies whom you greet politely. You have practised the supplied greetings and want to use the right one for the time of day and the person.
Your task: Say aloud one suitable greeting from the supplied lesson. If you choose the fuller morning greeting, say it clearly and slowly. If you choose the short casual form, say that instead. Do not add a second greeting. Record yourself once. Do not invent a new phrase. After recording, listen to the supplied audio card for the same greeting and note whether your version had the same number of chunks.
Introducing yourself at a language meetup
You are at a language meetup in Toronto on a Saturday afternoon. A person named Alex sits down beside you. You want to introduce yourself using the supplied introduction dialogue as your model. Use the supplied dialogue order: neutral hello, give a name, ask the other person's name, then reply with a name and the phrase for nice to meet you.
Your task: Say aloud the first two lines of the supplied introduction dialogue as if you were one speaker and then the other. Use the neutral hello, give a name, ask the other person's name, then respond with a name and the phrase for nice to meet you. Record the exchange once. Then replay the supplied dialogue audio and compare the order of the phrases. Do not change the order or add new lines.
Making a weekend plan by voice message
It is Thursday evening in Calgary. You want to invite your classmate Mei to eat together this weekend. You have the supplied plan-making phrases. You will record a short voice message that asks if she is free, suggests eating together, proposes Saturday at 3 p.m., and then responds to a possible decline.
Your task: Record a voice message in which you ask if she is free this weekend, suggest eating together, and propose Saturday at 3 p.m. Use only the supplied phrases. Then, in the same recording, imagine she declines politely and respond with the supplied phrase for suggesting another day. Listen to the supplied audio cards for each phrase and check that your chunks are in the same order.
Common questions
How long should I spend on one phrase before moving on?
Spend about three to five minutes per phrase: one listen without speaking, one listen while tapping the rhythm, two or three chunk repetitions, and one recorded comparison. Then move on. The routine works because it is short and repeatable, not because you drill one phrase for a long time.
Can I use this routine to check if my pronunciation is correct?
You can use it to compare your recording with the supplied audio and notice whether your chunks match. That is a self-check, not a clinical or official pronunciation assessment. For formal feedback, ask a teacher or a qualified assessor.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: hello and goodbyeChecked September 2026
- chinese: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
- chinese: make plansChecked September 2026
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