Mandarin Chinese tongue twisters
Chinese tongue twisters are notoriously difficult because they often play with Chinese Hanzi characters that almost sound the same, but are profoundly different in meaning. Here we list some Mandarin Chinese tongue twisters for you, but first…
Why tongue twisters are good
While we’re having a laugh, we’re also serious about tongue-twisters. The book 现代汉语Xiàndài hànyǔ (Modern Chinese) — which is regarded as a Bible for Mandarin teachers — lists four good reasons to practice them:
- The most important thing is to practice the coordination of the lips, teeth, and tongue
- Helps you pronounce clearly and accurately
- Tongue twisters are often stories, so you need to pace yourself when you speak
- Improves your thinking & speaking speed
With that in mind, can you speak out the following Mandarin Chinese tongue twisters?
Beginner level
Mama rides a horse
妈妈骑马
马慢
妈妈骂马
Mā ma qí mǎ
Mǎ màn
Mā ma mà mǎ
Mother rides a horse
The horse is slow
Mother scolds the horse
If you know say ‘I know’
知道就说知道
不知道就说不知道
不要知道说不知道
也不要不知道说知道
你知道不知道
Zhī dào jiù shuō zhī dào
Bù zhī dào jiù shuō bù zhī dào
Bú yào zhī dào shuō bù zhī dào
Yě bú yào bù zhī dào shuō zhī dào
Nǐ zhīdào bù zhīdào
If you know say ‘I know’
If you don’t know, say ‘I don’t know’
Don’t say ‘I know’ if you don’t know
And don’t say ‘I don’t know if you know
Do you know or don’t know?
Elementary Mandarin tongue twisters
Four is four
四 是 四
十 是 十
十 四 是 十 四
四 十 是 四 十
sì shì sì
shí shì shí
shí sì shì shí sì
sì shí shì sì shí
Four is four
Ten is ten
Fourteen is fourteen
Forty is forty
Eating grapes
吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，
不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮
Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí
Bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí
Eat grapes (but) don’t spit out grape skin,
don’t eat grapes (and) spit out grape skins
Intermediate level tongue twisters
Phoenix
红凤凰
黄凤凰
粉红凤凰
花凤凰
Hóng fènghuáng
Huáng fènghuáng
Fěnhóng fènghuáng
Huā fènghuáng
Red phoenix,
yellow phoenix,
pink phoenix,
flower phoenix
Coco and Koko
可可和柯柯去做客
可可要柯柯坐
柯柯要可可坐
两人一起都口渴
喝杯可乐解了渴
Kěkě hé kē kē qù zuòkè
Kěkě yào kē kē zuò
Kē kē yào kěkě zuò
Liǎng rén yìqǐ dōu kǒu kě
Hē bēi kělè jiěle kě
Coco and Koko,
Coco wants Koko to sit,
Ke Ke wants Coco to sit,
Both are thirsty together.
A cup of cola quenches thirst
Advanced Chinese tongue twisters
Wide bench
扁担长，板凳宽
板凳没有扁担长
扁担没有板凳宽
扁担要绑在板凳上
板凳不让扁担绑在板凳上
扁担偏要扁担绑在板凳上
biǎndan cháng, bǎndèng kuān
bǎndèng méiyǒu biǎndan cháng
biǎndan méiyǒu bǎndèng kuān
biǎndan yào bǎng zài bǎndèng shàng
bǎndèng bú ràng biǎndan bǎng zài bǎndèng shàng
biǎndan piān yào biǎndan bǎng zài bǎndèng shàng
Flat long, wide bench,
Bench has no shoulder
The shoulder is not as wide as the bench,
Shoulder to be tied to the bench
The bench does not allow the shoulder to be tied to the bench,
Shoulder be tied to the bench
Eight hundred soldiers
八百标兵奔北坡
北坡八百炮兵炮
标兵怕碰炮兵炮
炮兵怕把标兵碰
Bābǎi biāobīng bèn běi pō
Běi pō bābǎi pàobīng pào
Biāobīng pà pèng pàobīng pào
Pàobīng pà bǎ biāobīng pèng
Eight hundred pacesetters ran to the north slope
Eight hundred artillery guns on the north slope
The pacesetters are afraid of hitting artillery guns
The artillery was afraid to hit the pacesetter
Grandma Liu
刘奶奶找牛奶奶买牛奶，
牛奶奶给刘奶奶拿牛奶，
刘奶奶说牛奶奶的牛奶不如柳奶奶的牛奶
Liú nǎinai zhǎo niúnǎinai mǎi niúnǎi
Niúnǎinai gěi liú nǎinai ná niúnǎi
Liú nǎinai shuō niú nǎinai de niú nǎi bùrú liǔ nǎinai de niú nǎi
Grandma Liu finds milk for milk,
Grandma takes milk for Grandma Liu,
Grandma Liu said Grandma’s milk is not as good as Grandma Liu’s milk
Ox herder boy
牛郎恋刘娘，刘娘念牛郎
牛郎牛年恋刘娘，刘娘年年念牛郎
郎恋娘来娘恋郎，念娘恋郎念郎恋娘
念恋娘郎，绕不晕你算我白忙
Niú láng liàn liú niáng；Liú niáng niàn niú láng
Niú láng niú nián liàn liú niáng
Liú niáng nián nián niàn niú láng
Láng liàn niáng lái niáng liàn láng
Niàn niáng liàn láng niàn láng liàn nián
Niàn liàn niáng láng；Rào bù yūn nǐ suàn wǒ bái máng
Ox herder boy loves Lady Liu, Lady Liu misses ox herder boy,
Ox herder boy loves Lady Liu in the year of the ox, Lady Liu misses ox herder boy in the year of the ox,
boy loves lady and lady misses boy,
obsessing lady loves boy and obsessing boy loves lady,
obsessing, loving, lady, boy.
If you aren’t dizzy by now, I’ve wasted my effort.
Chinese tongue twisters video
Try to say this: 妈妈骑马Mā ma qí mǎ (Mother rides a horse) and 牛郎恋刘娘niú láng liàn liú niáng (Ox herder boy loves Lady Liu). Our Mandarin teachers Lynn, Maria, Eva and Kathy are having a go at these Chinese tongue-twisters (scroll down for video).
