25 Mandarin Chinese Tongue Twisters to Practice Pronunciation!


Yes, in Mandarin Chinese, like in English, there are tongue twisters.

But what are the pros of learning and practicing tongue twisters in Mandarin Chinese?

  • Tongue twisters are great for pronunciation. This is the case with any language you’re learning. Tongue twisters are a great resource to get your mouth used to speaking a monosyllabic, tonal language such as Mandarin.
  • Tongue twisters get your brain used to Mandarin. Lots of people who work in show business practice tongue twisters before performances. Why? Because it helps put their brain into gear. There are many different ways to get your brain thinking in Mandarin, such as reading, listening to the radio, etc. Saying tongue twisters is another tool you can add to your Mandarin tool kit.
  • Tongue twisters are cool. Mastering a difficult tongue twister is quite impressive and is a good party trick.

So, without further, ado, let’s jump right into the list of Mandarin tongue twisters!

I’ve done my best to order them by length and difficulty, starting with the shortest and easiest. Mind you, just because one is shorter than the other doesn’t mean it’s easier.

Anyone can get tongue-tied at any time!

1. Poor Xi Shi

西施死时四十四。

xīshī sǐ shí sìshísì.

“Xi Shi died when she was 44 years old.”

2. Stubborn Cow

妞妞轰牛, 牛拗妞妞拧牛。

niūniū hōng niú, niú ǎo niūniū níng niú.

“Niu Niu chases the cow away, Niu Niu pinches the cow.”

3. Patch up a leather mattress

补破皮褥子不如不补破皮褥子。

bǔpò pí rùzǐ bùrú bù bǔ pò pí rùzǐ.

“It’s better not to patch up a leaky leather mattress than it is to patch a leaky leather mattress.”

4. Mom and horse

妈妈骑马马慢妈妈骂马

māmā qímǎ mǎ màn māmā mà mǎ

“Mom rides a horse, the horse hesitates, mom scolds the horse.”

5. Pink phoenix

红凤凰黄凤凰粉红凤凰粉凤凰飞

hóng fènghuáng huáng fènghuáng fěnhóng fènghuáng fěn fènghuáng fēi

“Red phoenix, yellow phoenix, pink phoenix, pink phoenix flying.”

6. The soup burned the pagoda

老唐端蛋汤, 踏凳登宝塔, 只因凳太滑, 汤洒汤烫塔。

lǎo Táng duān dàntāng, tà dèng dēng bǎotǎ, zhī yīn dèng tài huá, tāng sǎ tāng tang tǎ。

“Old Man Tang egg soup, stepped on a stool to climb the pagoda. Just because the stool is too slippery, the soup spilled, and the soup burned the pagoda. “

7. 44 and 14

四十是四十四十不是十四十四不是四十十四是十四

sìshí shì sì shí sì shí bùshì shísì shí sì bùshì sì shí shí sì shì shí sì

“Forty is forty, forty, not fourteen, fourteen not forty, fourteen is fourteen.”

8. Pear and mud

树上有梨 , 地上有泥,风刮梨 , 粒落地 , 梨滚泥 , 泥沾梨。

Shù shàng yǒu lí, dìshàng yǒu ní, fēng guā lí, lì luòdì, lí gǔn ní, ní zhān lí.

“Pear on the tree, dirt on the ground. The wind blows away the pear, the pear is rolling in the mud, the dirt sticks to the pear. “

9. Shepherd boy and Miss Liu

牛郎念刘娘刘娘念牛郎牛郎年年念刘娘刘娘年年念牛郎

niú láng niàn liú niáng liú niáng niàn niú láng niú láng nián nián niàn liú niáng liú niáng nián nián niàn niú láng,

“Shepherd boy misses Miss Liu. Miss Liu misses the shepherdess. Shepherd boy misses Miss Liu year after year. Miss Liu misses the cowgirl year after year .”

10. A cowboy loves a girl named Liu

牛郎年年恋刘娘, 牛郎恋刘娘, 刘娘恋牛郎, 郎恋娘来娘恋郎。

niúláng niánnián liàn Liúniáng, niúláng liàn Liúniáng, Liúniáng liàn niúláng, láng liàn niáng lái niáng liàn láng。

“Girl Liu loves the cowboy year after year, the cowboy loves the girl Liu, Liu’s girl loves a cowboy, a cowboy loves a girl and a girl loves a cowboy. “

11. Vine and bell

青青山上一根藤青藤地下挂铜铃风吹藤动铜铃动风停藤停铜铃停

Qīngqīng shānshàng yī gēn téng qīng téng dìxià guà tóng líng fēngchuī téng dòng tóng líng dòng fēng tíng téng tíng tóng líng tíng.

“Grapes grow on a green mountain, a copper bell hangs under the vine, when the wind blows the vine moves and the bell moves when the wind dies down, the vine stops, and the bell stops.”

12. Chemical fertilizer

黑化肥发灰, 灰化肥发黑。 黑化肥发灰会挥发, 灰化肥挥发会发黑。

hēi huàféi fā huī, huī huàféi fā hēi. hēi huàféi fā huī huì huīfā, huī huàféi huīfā huì fā hēi.

“Black chemical fertilizer turns gray. Gray chemical fertilizer turns black. Black chemical fertilizer sulfur can evaporate. When evaporating, gray chemical fertilizer may turn black. “

13. Destroy a special thief

调到敌岛打特盗, 特盗太刁投短刀, 挡推顶打短刀掉, 踏盗得刀盗打倒。

diào dào dí dǎo dǎ tè dào, tè dào tài diāo tóu duǎn dāo, dǎng tuī dǐng dǎ duǎn dāo diào, tà dào dé dāo dào dǎdǎo.

“Transfer to an enemy island to fight a special thief, the special thief is too cunning, he threw a short knife, defending himself, he parried the blow, the short knife fell. He stepped on the thief, took the knife, the thief was destroyed. “

14. Basin and bottle

盆和瓶 , 桌上有个盆盆里有个瓶 , 砰砰砰是瓶碰盆 , 还是盆碰瓶?

pén hé píng, zhuō shàng yǒu gè pén pén lǐ yǒu gè píng, pèng pèng pèng shì píng pèng pén, hái shì pén pèng píng?

“Basin and bottle, there is a basin on the table, a bottle in the basin, clap clap clap, did the bottle hit the basin or the basin hit the bottle?”

15. 800 soldiers flee to the north

八百标兵奔北坡, 炮兵并排北边跑, 炮兵怕把标兵砰, 标兵怕砰炮兵炮。

Bābǎi biāobīng bēn běi pō, pàobīng bìng pái běibiān pǎo, pàobīng pà bǎ biāobīng pēng, biāobīng pà pēng pàobīng pào。

“Eight hundred leaders race to the north slope; the gunners lined up in a row and flee to the north; gunners are afraid to face leaders; leaders are afraid to run into artillery bombs. “

16. Who has rounder eyes?

村前有个颜圆眼村后有个颜眼圆不知颜圆眼的眼圆还是颜眼圆的眼圆?

cūn qián yǒu gè yán yuán yǎn cūn hòu yǒu gè yán yǎn yuán bùzhī yán yuán yǎn de yǎn yuán háishì yán yǎn yuán de yǎn yuán?

“In front of the village of Yan Yuan Yan, behind the village of Yan Yan Yuan, does Yan Yuan Yan have rounder eyes or Yan Yan Yuan? “

17. Patching leather trousers

一出门 , 走七步,拾了块麂皮补皮裤。是麂皮补皮裤, 不是麂皮不必不皮裤。

yī chūmén, zǒu qī bù, shí le kuài jǐpí bǔ píkù, shì jǐpí bǔ píkù, bú shì jǐpí bú bì bǔ píkù。

“Just left the house and only walked seven steps. I picked up a piece of suede and patched up the leather pants. If it weren’t for suede, there would be no need to patch up leather trousers.”

18. An elder brother, a moat, a melon, and a dog.

哥挎瓜筐过宽沟, 哥挎瓜筐过宽沟,赶快过沟看怪狗。光看怪狗瓜筐扣, 瓜滚筐扣哥怪狗。

Gē kuà guā kuāng guò kuān gōu, gē kuà guā kuāng guò kuān gōu, gǎnkuài guò gōu kàn guài gǒu, guāng kàn guài gǒu guā kuāng kòu,guā gǔn kuāng kòu gē guài gǒu。

“An elder brother, holding a basket for melon, crosses the moat. The elder brother, holding a basket for melon, crosses the moat, and hurries across the moat to look at the strange dog. I just looked at the strange dog, and the melon basket overturned, the melon rolled, the basket overturned, and the older brother blames the dog. “

19. Grapes

吃葡萄吐葡萄皮儿 , 不吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮儿。 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮儿 ,不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮儿。

Chī pútáo tǔ pútáo pí ér, bù chī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí ér. chī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí ér, bù chī pútáo dào tǔ pútáo pí ér.

“Eat grapes, spit out the skin, do not eat grapes, do not spit out the skin. Eat grapes, do not spit out the skin, do not eat grapes, spit out the skin.”

20. The bearded man from Suzhou

苏州有个苏胡子, 湖州有个胡胡子, 苏州苏胡子家里有个胡梳子, 湖州的胡胡子向苏州的苏胡子借梳子梳胡子。

Sūzhōu yǒu gè Sū húzi, Húzhōu yǒu gè Hú húzi, Sūzhōu Sū húzi jiā lǐ yǒu gè hú shūzi, Húzhōu de Hú húzi xiàng Sūzhōu de Sū húzi jiè shūzi shū húzi。

“In the city of Suzhou there is a bearded man with the surname Su, and in the city of Huzhou there is a bearded man with the surname Hu. Bearded Su from Suzhou has a beard comb in his house. The bearded man Hu from Huzhou asks for a beard comb from the bearded man Su from Suzhou. “

21. White stone pagoda

白石塔, 白石白又滑, 搬来白石搭白塔。白石塔, 白石塔。白石搭石塔, 白塔白石搭。搭好白石塔, 白塔白又滑。

bái shí tǎ, bái shí bái yòu huá, bānlái bái shí dā bái tǎ, bái shí tǎ, bái shí dā shí tǎ, bái tǎ bái shí dā。dāhǎo bái shí tǎ, bái tǎ bái yòu huá。

The white stone tower, the white stone is white and slippery, I moved to the white stone to build the white tower. White Rock Tower, White Rock Tower. White stone builds the stone tower, and the white tower builds the white stone. Build the white stone pagoda, the white pagoda is white and slippery.

22. Rocker and 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 , 板凳偏不让扁担绑在板凳上。

Biǎndan cháng, bǎndèng kuān, bǎndèng méiyǒu biǎndan cháng, biǎndan méiyǒu bǎndèng kuān. biǎndan yào bǎng zài bǎndèng shàng, bǎndèng piān bù ràng biǎndan bǎng zài bǎndèng shàng.

“The pole is long and the bench is wide. The bench is not as long as the pole, and the pole is not as wide as the bench. The pole should be tied to the bench, and the bench will not allow the pole to be tied to the bench.”

23. Hit forty times

四是四 ,十是十 , 十四是十四 , 四十是四十 ; 谁把十四说 “十适” , 就打他十四 ; 谁把四十说 “适十” , 就打他四十 。

sì shì sì, shí shì shí, shísì shì shísì, sìshí shì sìshí; shéi bǎ shísì shuō “shíshì”, jiù dǎ tā shísì; shéi bǎ sìshí shuō “shìshí”, jiù dǎ tā sìshí.

“Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty. If someone pronounces ‘shísì’ like ‘shíshì,’ hit him fourteen times. If someone pronounces ‘sìshí’ like ‘shìshí’ hit them forty times. “

24. Glass and boiled water

玻璃杯倒进白开水 , 白开水倒进玻璃杯。玻璃杯倒进白开水, 就成了装白开水的玻璃杯。装白开水的玻璃杯倒进白开水, 白开水倒进装白开水的玻璃杯。

bōlibēi dào jìn báikāishuǐ,báikāishuǐ dào jìn bōlibēi。bōlibēi dào jìn báikāishuǐ, jiù chéng le zhuāng báikāishuǐ de bōlibēi。zhuāng báikāishuǐ de bōlibēi dào jìn báikāishuǐ ,báikāishuǐdàojìn zhuāng báikāishuǐ de bōlibēi。

“Boiled water is poured into a glass, boiled water is poured into a glass beaker. Pour boiled water into a glass beaker, and it becomes a glass with boiled water. Boiled water is poured into a glass beaker for boiled water, it turns out boiled water is poured into a glass for boiled water. “

25. Build a house

捡颗小石子, 在地上画个方格子, 画好了格子造房子, 画个大方格子造个大房子, 画个小方格子造个小房子, 楼上房子的分给鸽子, 楼下的房子分 给小兔子。

jiǎn kē xiǎo shízǐ, zài dìshàng huà gè fānggézǐ, huàhǎole gézi zào fángzi, huà gè dàfāng gézǐ zào gè dà fángzǐ, huà gè xiǎo fānggézǐ zào gè xiǎo fángzǐ, lóushàng de fángzi fēngěi gēzi, lóu xià de fángzi fēngěi xiǎo tùzǐ。

I picked up a small stone, I drew a square on the ground, drew a square, built a house, drew a big square, built a big house, drew a small house, built a small house. The house on the top floor was allocated to pigeons, the house on the ground floor was allocated to the rabbits.

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