Chinese Pronunciation and Tones: Free PDF and Flashcards

Mastering Chinese tones can feel like learning to sing a language before you speak it. This list of around 160 pronunciation essentials breaks down the four tones, the neutral tone, and common tone-change rules so you stop guessing and start sounding clear.

Each entry pairs a straightforward meaning with a practical example sentence, showing you exactly how the tone or sound pattern works in a real Chinese sentence. No dusty theory – just the patterns that show up when you order food, ask directions, or chat with friends.

Ready to make those tones less mysterious and a lot more friendly? Scroll to the bottom of this article for the free printable Chinese Pronunciation and Tones vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Chinese Pronunciation and Tones flashcards.

Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Chinese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.

Quick Quiz

Think you can tell your má (hemp) from your mǎ (horse)? Take the quick quiz below to see how many tone patterns you’ve really locked in.

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Browse the Full List

Word	Pinyin	Type	Meaning	Example
看	kàn	verb	to look, watch, read	我看电视。 (Wǒ kàn diànshì. I watch TV.)
睡觉	shuìjiào	verb-object	to sleep	我晚上十点睡觉。 (I sleep at 10pm.)
窗户	chuānghu	noun	window	窗户很大。 (The window is big.)
站	zhàn	verb	to stand	他站在门口。
米饭	mǐfàn	noun	cooked rice	我要米饭。
美丽	měilì	adjective	beautiful	她是一个美丽的女孩。
美国	Měiguó	proper noun	America	美国有很多城市。 (America has many cities.)
老师	lǎoshī	noun	teacher	我们的老师很好。 (Our teacher is very good.)
能	néng	modal verb	can; to be able to	他能说中文。 (Tā néng shuō Zhōngwén.) – He can speak Chinese.
脚	jiǎo	noun	foot	他的脚很大。
花	huā	noun	flower	这朵花很漂亮。
苹果	píngguǒ	noun	apple	我喜欢吃苹果。 (Wǒ xǐhuān chī píngguǒ.) — I like to eat apples.
茶	chá	noun	tea	喝茶吗？
草	cǎo	noun	grass	草地上有一只猫。
认识	rèn shi	verb	to know (a person)	我认识他。,认识你很高兴。
说	shuō	verb	to speak, say	他会说中文。 (Tā huì shuō Zhōngwén. He can speak Chinese.)
谁	shéi / shuí	question word	who	他是谁？ (Tā shì shéi?)
谢谢	xiè xie	expression	thank you	谢谢！,谢谢你。
购物	gòuwù	verb	shopping	她喜欢购物。
跑步	pǎobù	verb	run, jog	我每天跑步。
跳舞	tiàowǔ	verb	dance	我们跳舞吧。
车	chē	noun	car; vehicle	我开车去上班。 (I drive to work.)
钱	qián	noun	money	我没有钱。
门	mén	noun	door; gate	请开门。 (Please open the door.)
问题	wèntí	noun	question; problem	我有一个问题。 (I have a question.)

Free Chinese Pronunciation and Tones Vocabulary List PDF and Flashcards

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