How to learn Mandarin pronunciation for children? From listening to native speakers to singing popular Chinese songs, there are many ways you can try to help your children become more fluent and natural in speaking Chinese. If you’re currently looking for another fun way to help your children get better at Mandarin pronunciation, another method you can try is introducing them to Chinese tongue twisters. 

Known better as 绕口令 (ràokǒulìng), Chinese tongue twisters combine similar sounding words to test pronunciation. The challenge from this learning method comes from the need to differentiate each syllable clearly to pronounce the actual word. If you’re looking for how to help your children learn from Chinese tongue twisters, here’s a guide on how to get started!

Before jumping into the actual tips and Chinese tongue twisters examples, one thing you need to understand is why learning Mandarin pronunciation with Chinese tongue twisters actually works. If you’re familiar with the Chinese language, you may know that Chinese has different tones that separate the same written words into different meanings. This means, Chinese focuses a lot on clear pronunciation in communication. In order to reach fluent speaking skills with others, children are required to get used to similar sounding words and learn to properly pronounce each word to avoid misunderstandings.

Although there are many other ways for your children to learn Mandarin pronunciation, testing them with Chinese tongue twisters can still be highly beneficial. With a challenge of harder sentences to pronounce, children can be motivated to improve their overall skills in Mandarin tones. This way, learning Mandarin can be a fun and challenging experience for them. 

There are a lot of Chinese tongue twisters that you can choose for your children to help them improve their Mandarin pronunciation. However, it is usually recommended for parents to start introducing their children to simple and popular Chinese tongue twisters. Starting with something common can avoid children from giving up easily and provide better examples for them to keep their motivation high. As reference, here are some easy and common Chinese tongue twisters you can use to help children master Mandarin pronunciation. 

• 四是四， 十是十， 十四是十四， 四十是四十
  sì shì sì, shí shì shí, shí sì shì shí sì, sì shí shì sì shí

(Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty)

• 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮, 不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮

chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí

(Eat grapes but don’t spit out the skin, don’t eat grapes but spit out the skin) 

• 妈妈骑马, 马慢妈妈骂马

mā mā qí mǎ, mǎ màn, mā mā mà mǎ
(Mother rides the horse. The horse moves slowly. Mother chides the horse)

• 刘奶奶找牛奶奶买牛奶, 牛奶奶给刘奶奶拿牛奶, 刘奶奶说牛奶奶的牛奶不如柳奶奶的牛奶

liú nǎi nai zhǎo niú nǎi nai mǎi niú nǎi, niú nǎi nai gěi liú nǎi nai ná niú nǎi, liú nǎi nai shuō niú nǎi nai de niú nǎi bù rú liǔ nǎi nai de niú nǎi.

(Grandma Liu is looking for Grandma Niu to buy milk. Grandma Niu gives Grandma Liu some milk. Grandma Liu says that Grandma Niu’s milk isn’t as good as Grandma Liu’s milk.) 

• 有个小孩叫巧巧，巧巧哥哥叫乔乔，乔乔划船带巧巧，巧巧乔乔看姥姥

yǒu gè xiǎo hái jiào qiǎo qiao, qiǎo qiao gē ge jiào qiáo qiao, qiáo qiao huá chuán dài qiǎo qiao, qiǎo qiao qiáo qiao kàn lǎo lao.

(There is a child named Qiaoqiao, and Qiaoqiao’s brother named Qiaoqiao. Qiao qiao takes Qiaoqiao boating, Qiaoqiao and Qiaoqiao visit their grandma)

Listen and Repeat

Before having your children try doing Chinese tongue twisters, the first thing you need to do is provide them with the right example. By providing correct examples, you can prevent your children from using the wrong tone or pronunciation when practicing. If possible, you can try finding a sample audio or example from a native speaker or reliable sources. 

Consider Children’s Age

Admittedly, there are many Chinese tongue twisters you can choose from. Some of them may be easier to pronounce, while others can be longer and more difficult if your children haven’t fully mastered Mandarin pronunciation. Therefore, you need to adjust the Chinese tongue twisters sentences that you give based on children’s age and abilities. If your children have just started learning Mandarin, you may want to go for a shorter sentence with limited vocabulary. This way, they will not feel too pressured and can take their time learning Mandarin pronunciation at their own pace. 

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Provide Additional Context

Chinese tongue twisters are not only beneficial since they can help children improve their Mandarin pronunciation. Aside from helping children speak more confidently, Chinese tongue twisters can also introduce children to new vocabulary that they may use in the future. Therefore, another learning method you can combine while using Chinese tongue twister is introducing your children to new Chinese vocabulary. By providing them with this information, children will become more connected to the language they are learning and can remember vocabulary better from the additional context and practice they’re getting from their Chinese tongue twister practice. 

Learning Mandarin pronunciation is the key to having a solid foundation of Chinese skills before your children move on to other materials such as vocabulary and interactive communication. Therefore, a good understanding of Mandarin pronunciation is needed if you want your children to master Chinese language better. 

Although learning from Chinese tongue twisters can provide fun challenges for children, relying solely on this method may not be beneficial, especially if your children have just started learning Mandarin. Instead, it is highly advised to introduce them to several learning methods and find the perfect balance for children to learn while having fun. 

Looking for the right balance between providing a professional learning environment while allowing children to have fun can be difficult. To many parents, enrolling their children into Mandarin courses can be a better option to help their children achieve significant progress. In Elitekid, we provide Mandarin courses tailored for children’s specific Chinese skill needs. Learn more about our available courses by visiting our site!