Speak Mandarin Chinese right: Sound native in under 4 hours from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

Say it right is a chinesepod original video course with game-changing instruction on how to master chinese pronunciation. gain the confidence and skill to speak like a native.

Chinesepod provides the most extensive chinese pronunciation instruction available. you won't find any course like the say it right series... on or offline.

Say it right is a chinesepod original video course with game-changing instruction on how to master chinese pronunciation. gain the confidence and skill to speak like a native.
Chinesepod provides the most extensive chinese pronunciation instruction available. you won't find any course like the say it right series... on or offline.

Syllabus

Karl and Constance provide you with useful tips and practice for nailing the e and er finals, two special cases that learners often find quite difficult.

Karl and Constance provide you with useful tips and practice for nailing nasal endings that sound quite similar, sounds that learners often have trouble pronouncing.

Karl and Constance provide you with useful tips and practice for nailing sounds that contain a Y sound that you won't find apart of Pinyin.

Congratulations on completing the ChinesePod Say it Right series. We would love to hear your feedback about this course so we can continue to improve it.

The Say It Right Series is a video course from ChinesePod. This series of videos will guide you through Mandarin Chinese tones, pinyin, tone change rules, tone combinations, as well as useful information on how to pronounce Chinese like a native.

* If you're a complete beginner, it's an excellent resource to make sure you start speaking correctly right from the start.

* If you're an intermediate learner or above, there are lots of useful tips and tricks to help correct any problem areas you might have.

Each lecture is composed of a main lecture, a video drill, and PDF practice notes. Mark a lesson as complete when you have studied all three components and pick up achievement badges as you progress through the series.

What are you waiting for? Lets get started "Saying it Right".

The Say It Right Series (S.I.R for short)is a self-study course which we have designed to be studied at your own pace. Since it is a video, you can come back to it at any time, pause, re-watch, and learn at your own pace. It can also be a great resource to study along with a teacher or language exchange partner.

All Main lessons consist of a video lecture, a corresponding drill video (1-2mins long) and some printable PDF notes to work on once you have completed the lesson and drills.

Once you have studied all three components, mark the lesson as STUDIED and watch your progress bar increase. As you reach certain landmarks, you will unlock the Say It Right achievement badges.

In this lesson you will learn about Pinyin: what it is, where it came from, and how it is used by both native speakers and learners of Chinese. You will also learn about initials and finals, the building blocks of all Mandarin syllables.

Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language which means that by changing the tone or pitch of your voice, you alter the meaning of the word. Mandarin has 4 tones (and a neutral tone). In this lesson, Fiona will give you a brief overview of the tones before we get started learning about in more depth.

The 4 tones of Chinese are very important and perhaps the trickiest part of learning Mandarin. If you mess up the tones you may end up saying a completely different word or be misunderstood altogether.

In this lecture we are going to give you some of the best advice possible so that you get off on the right foot and have all the tools necessary to pronounce tones just like a native speaker.

CHECK OUT OUR FORUM
Vowels order in English and in Chinese
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The True Meaning of Voiced G?
2nd Tone Confusion
More Confusion about 4th Tone
None pinyin H in Cai4 菜

Mandarin tones don't just exist in isolation; they flow together in combination to form sentences. This means that Chinese can often sound quite musical.

In this video you will learn some tips on how to say a 1st tone and a 3rd tone in combination with each other. By mastering these tones as a chunk, you will immediately begin sounding like a Native speaker.

Mandarin tones don't just exist in isolation; they flow together in combination to form sentences. This means that Chinese can often sound quite musical.

In this lesson:

* learn how 2nd and 3rd tones sound in combination

* how two 3rd tones sound when chunked together

Be sure to watch the Drill video after and practice speaking them aloud

Mandarin tones don't just exist in isolation; they flow together in combination to form sentences. This means that Chinese can often sound quite musical.

In this lesson, learn how 2nd and 4th tones sound in combination.

The Neutral Tone (sometimes called the 5th tone) in Chinese is quite simple, but there are a few pronunciation techniques that will help you sounding more like a Native speaker.

The Neutral Tone is used in two different respects:

* the emphasis pattern
* "In the flow" which is how it sounds when spoken in a sentence

Learn when and how to use each pattern in this lesson.

Chinese characters have set tones, but certain characters are more flexible, and change their tone depending on what characters precede them.

Tone change rules are spoken rules which means that the written tone marker above the pinyin does not change, but the tone, when spoken, does change.

These three rules will help you attain the natural flow of the language because they are designed to make conversation easier.

We also suggest checking out this useful resource from Trinity University:

Tone Change Rules in Mandarin Chinese

While the tone change rules seem quite simple, it's quite easy to get confused when you actually put them to use.

In this short lesson you will learn a super-easy and useful hack for remembering them just by saying the four tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy.

This lecture continues with a more in-depth look at tone change rules, with useful explanations from our pronunciation expert, Xu Laoshi.

Feel free to take your time and watch it in chunks if you find this easier.

All Mandarin syllables consist of 3 components:

1. an initial
2. a final
3. a tone

When an initial sound (usually a consonant) combines with a final (usually a vowel sound), you have the basis for a word. For example w (initial) + en (final) = wen. Add a tone and you've got the complete package!

In the following lectures, we will be looking at initial and final sounds that learners struggle with.

Check out this article from YellowBridge for further reading on Initials, Finals, and Tones :

Pinyin Rules: Initials, Finals, and Tones

Labial sounds are sounds that are made by using one or both of your lips as the main articulator.

For example, bo, po , mo and fo are sounds in Mandarin that all require your lips to touch. This lesson will provide you with useful techniques for mastering these important initials that learners often mess up.

Check out this guide by Patrick Zein for further explanation on how to grasp Mandarin Chinese phonetics:

Mandarin Chinese Phonetics

In this lesson, we go over three groups of initials that learners frequently struggle with. The groups we will cover include:

* J, Q, X
* Zh, Ch, Sh
* Z, C, S

Be sure to follow up with the practice drills to hammer down what you have learned from this lecture!

This lesson teaches you the I, U, and Ü sounds. These sounds are considered the most difficult finals in the Mandarin language and we provide in-depth hacks to help you make these sound just like a native speaker.

Be sure to follow up on this video with the practice drills to hammer down what you have just learned.

This lesson goes over the tricky ui, iu, un, and ün finals that have letters pronounced aloud that you would not find in the Pinyin. For example, the iu sound has a hidden Y that is voiced when spoken aloud.

Watch this video and pay close attention to the missing letters for each final; this is an important thing to master in order to sound like a Native speaker.

Karl and Constance provide you with useful tips and practice for nailing the ai, ei, ao, and ou finals.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Breaks down Mandarin Chinese pronunciation into manageable components, such as pinyin, tones, and difficult sounds, which is helpful for building a strong foundation

Includes video drills and PDF practice notes alongside main lectures, which reinforces learning through repetition and multi-modal instruction

Explores tone changes and tone combinations, which are essential for achieving natural-sounding Mandarin pronunciation and fluency

Focuses on initials and finals that learners frequently struggle with, providing targeted practice in problem areas

Requires learners to study video lectures, drill videos, and printable PDF notes, which may require access to a printer

Refers to external websites and forums, which may contain information that is outdated or no longer relevant

Reviews summary

Mandarin pronunciation fundamentals

According to learners, this course is a highly effective (positive) resource for mastering Mandarin pronunciation, particularly for tones and pinyin (positive). Many students found the video lectures and practice drills (positive) very helpful for understanding and producing difficult sounds. While the course content is clear and focused (positive), learners emphasize that achieving native-like fluency (neutral) requires significant practice beyond the course's 4 hours (warning). It's considered excellent for beginners (positive) starting correctly and useful for intermediates (positive) polishing their accent.

Clear organization helps learning.

"The course is logically structured, moving from basic pinyin and tones to more complex sounds and combinations."

"The breakdown of initials, finals, and specific difficult sounds makes it easy to focus on weak areas."

"Each lesson building on the last provides a clear path to follow."

Helps fix existing pronunciation issues.

"Even after studying Chinese for a while, this course helped me identify and correct several pronunciation errors I didn't know I had."

"It's great for intermediate students who want to refine their accent and sound more natural."

"The specific lessons on tricky sounds were particularly useful for polishing my existing pronunciation."

Ideal for starting with correct habits.

"As a complete beginner, this course gave me a solid foundation in pronunciation right from the start. Highly recommend it first."

"This course is perfect if you are just starting out and want to build good pronunciation habits from day one."

"It breaks down the absolute basics of pinyin and tones in a way that's not overwhelming for someone new to Chinese."

Practice drills and video format are helpful.

"The video drills after each lesson are essential; they let you immediately put what you learned into practice."

"I loved that the lessons included drill videos. It made practicing the sounds much more engaging than just reading notes."

"The video format is great because I can pause and rewatch segments, especially for difficult sounds or tone combinations."

"The visual aspect of seeing how the sounds are formed in the videos was very useful."

Techniques for tones and pinyin work.

"The course provides extremely useful tips and techniques for mastering tones and pinyin. My pronunciation improved significantly."

"I finally understood how to differentiate and produce those tricky tonal combinations thanks to the drills."

"The explanations on pinyin initials and finals were so clear, it helped me correct years of bad habits."

"Xu Laoshi's explanations on specific sounds like the 'ü' were game-changers for me."

Requires practice beyond the course.

"While the course is fantastic, remember that 'sounding native' requires consistent practice long after watching the videos."

"The 4 hours give you the tools, but you really need to practice the drills and apply the rules constantly."

"The course explains everything clearly, but don't expect to be a native speaker after just completing it. Practice is crucial."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Speak Mandarin Chinese right: Sound native in under 4 hours with these activities:

Review Pinyin Charts

Show steps

Familiarize yourself with Pinyin to build a solid foundation for pronunciation.

Browse courses on Pinyin

Show steps

Download a Pinyin chart.
Practice pronouncing each initial and final.
Listen to audio recordings of Pinyin sounds.

Read 'Basic Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook'

Show steps

Understand the grammatical context of pronunciation to improve accuracy.

View The Chinese Lexicon on Amazon

Show steps

Obtain a copy of 'Basic Chinese: A Grammar and Workbook'.
Read the chapters on basic sentence structure and grammar.
Complete the exercises to test your understanding.

Tone Practice with Minimal Pairs

Show steps

Practice distinguishing tones using minimal pairs to improve tone recognition and production.

Show steps

Find a list of Mandarin minimal pairs that differ only in tone.
Listen to recordings of each word in the pair.
Practice pronouncing each word, focusing on the correct tone.
Record yourself and compare your pronunciation to the recordings.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Record Yourself Speaking

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Record yourself speaking Mandarin phrases and sentences to identify areas for improvement.

Show steps

Find a short Mandarin text or dialogue.
Record yourself reading the text aloud.
Listen to the recording and identify areas where your pronunciation needs improvement.
Focus on correcting specific sounds or tones.

Explore 'HSK Academy Chinese Pronunciation'

Show steps

Use a dedicated pronunciation guide to refine your speaking skills.

View Melania on Amazon

Show steps

Acquire a copy of 'HSK Academy Chinese Pronunciation'.
Work through the chapters on Pinyin and tones.
Complete the exercises and listen to the audio recordings.

Practice with a Language Partner

Show steps

Engage in regular practice sessions with a native speaker or fellow learner to improve fluency and accuracy.

Show steps

Find a language partner online or in person.
Schedule regular practice sessions.
Practice speaking Mandarin on various topics.
Provide each other with feedback on pronunciation and grammar.

Watch ChinesePod's Additional Videos

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Explore additional ChinesePod videos and lessons to reinforce your understanding of pronunciation.

Show steps

Search for ChinesePod lessons focusing on specific pronunciation challenges.
Watch the videos and take notes.
Practice the pronunciation drills and exercises.

Career center

Learners who complete Speak Mandarin Chinese right: Sound native in under 4 hours will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Foreign Language Teacher

A foreign language teacher instructs students in all aspects of a foreign language, including pronunciation. This course provides a deep foundation in Mandarin pronunciation, making it extremely valuable for a foreign language teacher. This role requires creating a supportive learning environment, developing lesson plans, and evaluating student performance. The structured approach of this course, with video lectures, drill videos, and PDF notes, is particularly useful for a foreign language teacher who wants to teach pronunciation. This course will be helpful for those who will be teaching pinyin, tones, and other aspects of spoken Mandarin. The course will enable the teacher to impart Mandarin effectively, since the course itself is designed to make the language accessible and easily understood.

See salaries and explore the career path for Foreign Language Teacher

Language Tutor

A language tutor helps students improve their language skills, and this course will significantly enhance one's ability to teach Mandarin pronunciation. This role involves creating lesson plans, providing feedback on student performance, and tailoring instruction to individual needs. The course, with its focus on pinyin, tones, and difficult sounds, helps build a strong foundation for a language tutor. The detailed instruction on mastering Mandarin pronunciation, including drills and practice notes, will be invaluable in this career path. This course is especially helpful for someone who wants to work as a tutor who teaches Mandarin, since the course is a deep dive into pronunciation. A tutor with this background will be better equipped to explain and demonstrate proper pronunciation techniques to their students.

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Interpreter

Interpreters facilitate communication between individuals speaking different languages, requiring a strong grasp of pronunciation. This course can help an interpreter who wants to work with Mandarin. This role which involves listening to speech in one language and restating it accurately in another, will benefit from a deep understanding of Mandarin pronunciation. This detailed course on Mandarin pronunciation, covering pinyin, tones, and difficult sounds, may be helpful for improving clarity and delivery as an interpreter. This course’s structured approach, with video instruction, practice drills, and PDF notes, will be useful for someone working as an interpreter. Accuracy in pronunciation is crucial for ensuring clear communication between diverse parties.

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Curriculum Developer

Curriculum developers design educational materials and courses, and this course can be particularly useful for those focusing Mandarin curriculum. This role involves outlining learning objectives, creating instructional content, and aligning materials to educational standards. The course provides a thorough understanding of Mandarin pronunciation, which may be useful for someone who needs to create content on this topic. The detailed instruction on pinyin, tones, and difficult sounds can help a curriculum developer create lessons that are effective and easy to follow. The course will help a curriculum designer better understand the nuances of spoken Mandarin. This course's focus on a step-by-step process is likely to be useful in designing Mandarin language courses.

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Language Consultant

Language consultants provide expertise and advice on language-related issues. For those who focus on Mandarin, this course provides targeted knowledge of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. This role can involve advising on communication strategies, cross cultural understanding, and language learning techniques. The course provides in-depth coverage of pinyin, tones, and difficult sounds which may be helpful for consultants who work in Mandarin. This course may be useful for those who need to use detailed Mandarin pronunciation in their consulting practice. This course's focus on practical skills and real-world application will help the language consultant understand the nuances of Mandarin pronunciation.

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Voiceover Artist

Voiceover artists record voice tracks for various media, requiring clear and accurate pronunciation. This course, with its detailed focus on Mandarin pronunciation, may be useful for a voiceover artist seeking to work in Mandarin. This role involves interpreting scripts and using a range of vocal techniques to convey the right message. This course can help a voiceover artist who wants to work in Mandarin, because the video instruction is comprehensive. This course may be particularly helpful by providing practical exercises and examples that are useful for those working in Mandarin. A voiceover artist with knowledge of nuanced pronunciation will work faster and create better output.

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Training Specialist

Training specialists develop and deliver training programs, and this course will be particularly relevant for those specializing in Mandarin language training. This role requires creating training materials, conducting workshops, and assessing the effectiveness of training programs. The course provides detailed insights into Mandarin pronunciation, including pinyin and tones, which is crucial for a training specialist who wants to work in Mandarin. The course's structured format, with video lectures, drills, and notes, can help the training specialist who needs to teach Mandarin. This course can improve the quality and content of Mandarin language training and can provide a training specialist with additional techniques.

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Editor

Editors review and prepare content for publication and may need to carefully prepare Mandarin language materials. This course may be useful for an editor who works in Mandarin, since the course focuses on pronunciation. This role requires attention to detail, strong language skills, and the ability to maintain consistency. The targeted instruction in Mandarin pronunciation, including pinyin, tones, and difficult sounds, is relevant to the work of an editor. This course may be helpful for someone who needs to ensure the accuracy of Mandarin pronunciation in written documents. The focus on proper pronunciation ensures the creation of error-free material.

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Linguist

Linguists study language, and this course will be helpful for someone working on Mandarin phonetics or Mandarin as a second language. A linguist's work often includes researching language structure, analyzing sounds, and developing theories about language. This course, with its in-depth instruction on Mandarin pronunciation, may be useful for a linguist. The course will provide a good reference point for deeper study of phonetic patterns in Mandarin. The course may help a linguist gain a more practical understanding of how Mandarin is actually spoken, with real-world examples and exercises. A linguist with a strong grounding in spoken Mandarin can use that knowledge to create better theories.

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Instructional Designer

An instructional designer creates engaging learning experiences, and this course will be helpful for those designing Mandarin language courses. This role requires understanding learning theories, developing interactive content, and assessing learning outcomes. This course provides detailed insights into Mandarin pronunciation, which is essential for designing effective Mandarin language instruction. The structured approach of this course will be useful for an instructional designer, as it exemplifies a step-by-step learning process. This course may be helpful for those who want to design digital learning materials for Mandarin language learners. The focus on practical application is very useful in the instructional design space.

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Content Creator

Content creators produce material for various platforms, and this course may be helpful to those creating Mandarin-related content. This role involves developing engaging content, such as videos, articles, or social media posts. This course, with its video and PDF materials, may be useful for those who will create Mandarin language content. The course focuses on Mandarin pronunciation, which will be helpful for creating accurate and understandable content. The detailed instruction can guide content creators in presenting Mandarin pronunciation correctly. The focus on practical application will be useful for those who need to create content that resonates with learners of Mandarin.

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Public Speaker

Public speakers deliver presentations to audiences on various topics, and this course will be helpful for public speakers who deliver talks in Mandarin. This role requires strong communication skills, confidence, and a clear speaking style. This course’s focus on Mandarin pronunciation may be useful for public speakers who need to engage with audiences in Mandarin. The course will help speakers perfect their pronunciation, making their delivery more fluent and confident. Public speakers must be able to deliver their material with precision, and this course can enhance their abilities. A speaker with clear pronunciation will be more effective when addressing audiences.

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Language Program Coordinator

Language program coordinators oversee language programs and may benefit from a strong understanding of Mandarin pronunciation. This role includes planning curriculum, managing instructors, and evaluating program effectiveness. The course, with its detailed approach to Mandarin pronunciation, may be useful for someone coordinating a Mandarin program. Coordinators with deep knowledge of Mandarin phonetics can make better decisions about instructor training, curriculum design, and program administration. This course will help those who need to ensure that programs deliver high-quality language instruction. A coordinator with practical experience will be able to do a better job managing a Mandarin language program.

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Communication Coach

Communication coaches help individuals improve their communication skills, and this course may be particularly helpful for coaches working with Mandarin speakers. This role involves assessing communication needs, providing feedback, and developing improvement strategies. This course, with its detailed instruction on Mandarin pronunciation, may be useful for a Mandarin coach. The course will be helpful for a communication coach who needs to address pronunciation challenges. The video-based format of the course, together with practice drills, will provide practical tools that coaches can use with their clients. A coach who understands the nuances of Mandarin will be better equipped to bring out their clients' best performance.

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Podcaster

Podcasters produce audio content on various topics, and those who produce content in Mandarin may find this course helpful. This role requires clear and engaging speaking skills to create appealing audio experiences. The course, with its focus on Mandarin pronunciation, may be useful for a podcaster working in Mandarin. The course helps those who want to make sure their pronunciation is clear and accurate. This course can help make a podcaster's output sound more professional by focusing on correct pronunciation. A podcaster with clear pronunciation and understanding of tone is likely to be more successful.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Speak Mandarin Chinese right: Sound native in under 4 hours.

The Chinese Lexicon

Save

Provides a comprehensive overview of Mandarin Chinese grammar, which is essential for understanding how pronunciation affects meaning. It offers clear explanations and exercises to reinforce your understanding of sentence structure and word usage. While not solely focused on pronunciation, it provides the grammatical context necessary for accurate and meaningful speech. This book is often used as a textbook in introductory Chinese courses.

The Chinese Lexicon

Paperback

$$$

The Chinese Lexicon: A Comprehensive Survey

Kindle Edition

$$$