Mandarin Chinese speech sounds and tones. Learn how to pronounce Chinese vowels, consonants and the four tones.

Beginners Chinese: Pronunciation and tone

Do you want to learn some basics in Mandarin Chinese? The tracks presented here are designed to give you a taste of Mandarin Chinese language and culture. You’ll hear short conversations where people greet each other, introduce themselves and their families, describe where they come from and what they do for a living. You’ll hear them talk about sports, ask for directions, buy things, order food in a restaurant, invite someone to dinner – or simply share their experience of learning Chinese. You’ll also find a track to help you with pronunciation and the use of tones. Finally, there’s the chance to listen to interviews in English about Chinese-speaking cultures. Our guide to the language and culture of mainland China is Dr Kan Qian, who is chair of The Open University course: L197: Beginners’ Chinese
You can also download transcripts for all the tracks.

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Beginners' Chinese

Transcript -- Beginners' Chinese

Transcript -- Beginners Chinese: Pronunciation and tone

Learn to count from zero to ten in Chinese.

Beginners Chinese: Numbers from zero to ten

Beginners’ Chinese - Audio

Beginners Chinese: Pronunciation and tone

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