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What Is Pinyin?
Pinyin writes Mandarin pronunciation with Roman letters, helping you connect new sounds with Chinese characters.
Quick answer
Pinyin is a pronunciation guide. Read the letters as Mandarin sounds, not automatically as English sounds.
你好
hello
Hear the phrase, then repeat it aloud.
When to use it
Use pinyin while learning how a new word sounds. Keep looking at the Chinese characters too, so sound and meaning stay connected.
Common mistake
English spelling habits can mislead you. A pinyin letter may not sound exactly like the same letter in English.
Practise aloud
你好 hello
谢谢 thank you
再见 goodbye
You’ve got this!
Pinyin is most useful when you listen, repeat, and compare your sound with a clear model. Tone marks are part of the pronunciation, so read nǐ as a complete sound rather than reading only ni.