。
I have to be absent from school next week.
How to pronounce 周
How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
zhōu周
week; cycle
HSK 2
Synthesized Mandarin audio · Vivian voice
zhōuFirst tone
Hear it in conversation
，
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
。
Classes begin next week.
。
I was sore for three weeks.
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.