。
Fish swim in the water.
How to pronounce 中
How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
zhōng中
middle; in; among
HSK 3
Synthesized Mandarin audio · Vivian voice
zhōngFirst tone
Hear it in conversation
，
The oil is hot, and turn the heat on medium high.
Select a word for its meaning.
zhòng中
to hit; be struck
HSK 6
Synthesized Mandarin audio · Vivian voice
zhòngFourth tone
Hear it in conversation
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
。
It's an ongoing investigation.
。
The bridge is being repaired.
Hear the difference
A syllable has a shape.
Tone marks show how pitch changes. Colors help you follow each syllable in the app.
ā First toneHigh and level
á Second toneRising
ǎ Third toneLow, then rising in isolation
à Fourth toneFalling
a Neutral toneShort and light
These are dictionary tones. In natural speech, tones can change with context. A third tone often stays low before another syllable.