If you're learning to speak Chinese, mixing up the tones and saying the wrong word is part of the learning journey.
In this lesson, I cover 15 words that easily get mixed up, and help you get them right!
Remember, it's easy to make Chinese mistakes like these. Fortunately, it's also pretty easy to learn from them 🙂
Want to Master Chinese Tones?
Summary of this video lesson
hán yǔ 韩语: Korean language
hàn yǔ 汉语: Chinese language
Dialogue 1: “Can you teach me Chinese?”
Customer:
nǐ kě yǐ jiāo wǒ hán yǔ ma？
你可以教我韩语吗？
Can you teach me Korean?
Waitress:
bù hǎo yì si, wǒ bù huì hán yǔ.
不好意思，我不会韩语。
Sorry, I can't speak Korean.
Customer:
a!？
啊!？
Uh!?
nǐ shì zhōng guó rén.
你是中国人。
You're Chinese.
nǐ bù huì hán yǔ!?
你不会韩语!?
You can't speak Korean!?
Waitress:
wǒ yào xiū xi！
我要休息！
I need a break!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
nǐ kě yǐ jiāo wǒ hàn yǔ ma？
你可以教我汉语吗？
Can you teach me Chinese?
Waitress:
kě yǐ.
可以。
Yes, I can.
gǒu 狗: dog
gòu 够: engouh
Dialogue 2: “I have eaten enough” / "I ate enough"
Customer:
wǒ chī gǒu le.
我吃狗了。
I ate (the) dog.
Waitress:
shén me!? nǐ chī gǒu le!?
什么!? 你吃狗了!?
What!? You ate (the) dog!?
The Correct Tones
Customer:
wǒ chī gòu le.
我吃够了。
I ate enough.
Waitress:
hǎo de.
好的。
That's good.
wěn nǐ 吻你: kiss you
wèn nǐ 问你: ask you
Dialogue 3: “May I ask you..?”
Customer:
hēi! wǒ kě yǐ wěn nǐ ma？
嘿! 我可以吻你吗？
Hey! May I kiss you..?
Waitress:
a!？
啊!？
Huh!?
bǎo ān，zhè lǐ yǒu zhuàng kuàng！
保安，这里有状况！
Security guard, we've got a situation here!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
hēi！wǒ kě yǐ wèn nǐ ma？
嘿！我可以问你吗？
Hey! May I ask you..?
Waitress:
kě yǐ, nǐ wèn ba！
可以, 你问吧！
Yes, go ahead and ask.
mài 卖: sell
mǎi 买: buy
Dialogue 4: “I would like to buy coffee beans”
Customer:
nǐ hǎo！ wǒ mài kā fēi dòu.
你好！我卖咖啡豆。
Hello! I (would like to) sell coffee beans.
Waitress:
wǒ men bù xū yào. xiè xiè, zài jiàn！
我们不需要。谢谢，再见！
We don't need it. Thank you and goodbye!
Customer:
a!? wǒ mài kā fēi dòu.
啊!? 我卖咖啡豆。
Huh!? I (would like to) sell coffee beans.
Waitress:
yòu shì tā！
又是他！
It's that guy again!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
nǐ hǎo！wǒ mǎi kā fēi dòu.
你好！我买咖啡豆。
Hello! I (would like to) buy coffee beans.
Waitress:
hǎo de，kā fēi dòu zài zhè lǐ.
好的，咖啡豆在这里。
Ok, the coffee beans are here.
tāng 汤: soup
táng 糖: sugar
Dialogue 5: “Do you have sugar?”
Customer:
hēi！ yǒu tāng ma？
嘿！有汤吗？
Hey! Do you have soup?
Waitress:
bù hǎo yì si， wǒ men méi yǒu tāng.
不好意思，我们没有汤。
Sorry, we don't have soup.
Customer:
a!？
啊!？
Huh!?
kā fēi guǎn méi yǒu tāng!?
咖啡馆没有汤!?
A café that doesn't have soup!?
bù shì ba!？
不是吧!?
Really!?
Waitress:
shì a！ wǒ men méi yǒu tāng.
是啊！我们没有汤。
Right! We don't have soup.
Customer:
zhēn de méi yǒu tāng ma？
真的没有汤吗？
You really don't have soup?
Waitress:
wǒ men zhēn de méi yǒu tāng.
我们真的没有汤。
We really don't have soup.
wǒ yào xiū xi！
我要休息！
I need a break from this!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
hēi！yǒu táng ma？
嘿！有糖吗？
Hey! Do you have sugar?
Waitress:
dāng rán yǒu， gěi nǐ.
当然有，给你。
Sure. Here you are.
Customer:
xiè xiè！
谢谢！
Thank you!
Waitress:
bù kè qì！
不客气！
You're welcome!
Want to Master Chinese Tones?
xián 咸: salty
xiān 鲜: fresh
Dialogue 6: “This fruit juice is so fresh”
Customer:
guǒ zhī tài xián le！
果汁太咸了！
This fruit juice is so salty!
Waitress:
shén me!?
什么!?
What?!
Customer:
guǒ zhī tài xián le！
果汁太咸了！
This fruit juice is so salty!
Waitress:
hú shuō bā dào！
胡说八道！
Nonsense!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
guǒ zhī tài xiān le！
果汁太鲜了！
This fruit juice is so fresh!
Waitress:
xiè xiè！
谢谢！
Thank you!
duō sòng nǐ yī bēi guǒ zhī.
多送你一杯果汁。
Here is another glass juice for you.
yǎn jīng 眼睛: eyes
yǎn jìng 眼镜: glasses
Dialogue 7: “My glasses are broken”
Customer:
wǒ de yǎn jīng huài le.
我的眼睛坏了。
My eyes are broken.
Waitress:
jiù hù chē，zhè lǐ yǒu jǐn jí qíng kuàng！
救护车，这里有紧急情况！
We need an ambulance, there is an emergency here!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
wǒ de yǎn jìng huài le.
我的眼镜坏了。
My glasses are broken.
Waitress:
méi shì， wǒ huì xiū.
没事，我会修。
It's okay, I can fix it for you.
bǎo bǎo 宝宝: baby
bāo bāo 包包: bag
Dialogue 8: “Someone took my bag!”
Customer:
zāo le！ yǒu rén ná le wǒ de bǎo bǎo！
糟了！有人拿了我的宝宝！
Oh no! Someone took my baby!
Waitress:
tiān a！bǎo ān，zhè lǐ yǒu zhuàng kuàng！
天啊！保安，这里有状况！
OMG! Security guard, we got a situation here!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
zāo le！ yǒu rén ná le wǒ de bāo bāo！
糟了！有人拿了我的包包！
Oh no! Someone took my bag!
Waitress:
bù yòng dān xīn，nǐ de bāo bāo zài zhè lǐ！
不用担心，你的包包在这里！
Don't worry, your bag is here!
Customer:
tài hǎo le，xiè xiè！
太好了，谢谢！
That's great, thank you!
Waitress:
bù kè qì！
不客气！
You're welcome!
xiōng máo 胸毛: chest hair
xióng māo 熊猫: panda
Dialogue 9: “I like the panda”
Customer:
wǒ xǐ huan xiōng máo.
我喜欢胸毛。
I like the chest hair.
Waitress:
bǎo ān，zhè lǐ yǒu zhuàng kuàng！
保安，这里有状况！
Security guard, we got a situation here!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
wǒ xǐ huān xióng māo.
我喜欢熊猫。
I like the panda.
Waitress:
sòng gěi nǐ.
送给你。
It's for you.
Customer:
xiè xiè！
谢谢！
Thank you!
Waitress:
bù kè qì！
不客气！
You're welcome!
#10
kāi chuáng 开床: open the bed
kāi chuāng 开窗: open the window
Dialogue 10: “Could you open the window?”
Customer:
kě yǐ kāi chuáng ma？
可以开床吗？
Could you open the bed?
Waitress:
shén me？
什么？
What?
Customer:
kě yǐ kāi chuáng ma？
可以开床吗？
Could you open the bed?
Waitress:
bù hǎo yì sī，wǒ méi tīng míng bái.
不好意思，我没听明白。
I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch that.
Customer:
a?!
啊?!
Ah?!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
kě yǐ kāi chuāng ma？
可以开窗吗？
Could you open the window?
Waitress:
hǎo de.
好的。
Yes.
Want to Master Chinese Tones?
#11
lǎo bàn 老伴: husband or wife (of an elderly couple)
lǎo bǎn 老板: boss
Dialogue 11: “Boss, I’ll have a cup of coffee”
Customer:
lǎo bàn， lái yī bēi kā fēi！
老伴，来一杯咖啡！
Wife (of an elderly couple), I’ll have a cup of coffee.
Waitress:
a? wǒ bù shì nǐ lǎo bàn.
啊？我不是你老伴。
Huh? I'm not your wife.
Customer:
lǎo bàn， lái yī bēi kā fēi！
老伴，来一杯咖啡！
Wife, I’ll have a cup of coffee.
Waitress:
āi... tā yǒu bìng!
唉...他有病!
Sign... He's mental!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
lǎo bǎn， lái yī bēi kā fēi！
老板，来一杯咖啡！
Boss, I’ll have a cup of coffee.
Waitress:
hǎo de.
好的。
Ok.
nǐ de kā fēi.
你的咖啡。
Here's your coffee.
Customer:
xiè xie！
谢谢！
Thank you!
Waitress:
bù kè qi！
不客气！
You're welcome!
#12
bèi zi 被子: quilt
bēi zi 杯子: cup
Dialogue 12: “Please give me a cup"
Customer:
qǐng gěi wǒ bèi zi.
请给我被子。
Please give me a quilt.
Waitress:
bù hǎo yì si，wǒ men méi yǒu bèi zi.
不好意思，我们没有被子。
Sorry, we don't have quilts.
xià yī gè！
下一个！
Next!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
qǐng gěi wǒ bēi zi.
请给我杯子。
Please give me a cup.
Waitress:
hǎo de， méi wèn tí.
好的，没问题。
Ok, no problem.
#13
shào zi 哨子: whistle
sháo zi 勺子: spoon
Dialogue 13: “Please give me a spoon”
Customer:
qǐng gěi wǒ yī gè shào zi.
请给我一个哨子。
Please give me a whistle.
Waitress:
duì bu qǐ， wǒ men méi yǒu shào zi.
对不起，我们没有哨子。
Sorry, we don't have whistles.
Customer:
a？ nǐ men yǒu shào zi.
啊？ 你们有哨子。
Uh? You do have whistles.
Waitress:
wǒ yào jiā xīn.
要加薪。
I need a raise!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
qǐng gěi wǒ yī gè sháo zi.
请给我一个勺子。
Please give me a spoon.
Waitress:
hǎo de， nǐ de sháo zi.
好的，你的勺子。
Ok, here's your spoon.
Customer:
xiè xie！
谢谢！
Thank you!
#14
tāng 汤: soup
táng 糖: sugar
Dialogue 14: “Do you have sugar?”
Customer:
hēi！ yǒu tāng ma？
嘿！有汤吗？
Hey! Do you have soup?
Waitress:
bù hǎo yì si， wǒ men méi yǒu tāng.
不好意思，我们没有汤。
Sorry, we don't have soup.
Customer:
a!？
啊!？
Huh!?
kā fēi guǎn méi yǒu tāng!?
咖啡馆没有汤!?
A café that doesn't have soup!?
bù shì ba!？
不是吧!?
Really!?
Waitress:
shì a！ wǒ men méi yǒu tāng.
是啊！我们没有汤。
Right! We don't have soup.
Customer:
zhēn de méi yǒu tāng ma？
真的没有汤吗？
You really don't have soup?
Waitress:
wǒ men zhēn de méi yǒu tāng.
我们真的没有汤。
We really don't have soup.
wǒ yào xiū xi！
我要休息！
I need a break from this!
The Correct Tones
Customer:
hēi！yǒu táng ma？
嘿！有糖吗？
Hey! Do you have sugar?
Waitress:
dāng rán yǒu， gěi nǐ.
当然有，给你。
Sure. Here you are.
Customer:
xiè xie！
谢谢！
Thank you!
Waitress:
bù kè qi！
不客气！
You're welcome!
#15
nǎ ge shā lā 哪个沙拉 : which salad
nà ge shā lā 那个沙拉: that salad
Dialogue 14: “I want that salad”
Customer:
wǒ yào nǎ ge shā lā (?)
我要哪个沙拉 (?)
Which salad do I want? (lit. "I want which salad (?)")
Waitress:
nǎ ge shā lā?
哪个沙拉?
Which salad?
Customer:
nǎ ge shā lā?
哪个沙拉?
Which salad?
Waitress:
nǎ ge shā lā?
哪个沙拉?
Which salad?
Customer:
nǎ ge shā lā?
哪个沙拉?
Which salad?
Waitress:
āi... wǒ de tóu dōu dà le.
唉... 我的头都大了。
Sigh...My head hurts.
The Correct Tones
Customer:
wǒ yào nà ge shā lā.
我要那个沙拉。
I want that salad.
Waitress:
hǎo de.
好的。
Sure.
qǐng màn yòng.
请慢用。
Enjoy your meal.
Want to Master Chinese Tones?