。
Let's check in at the front desk first.
How to pronounce 先
How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
xiān先
beforehand; first
HSK 3
Synthesized Mandarin audio · Vivian voice
xiānFirst tone
Hear it in conversation
'll eat first.
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
Hear the difference
A syllable has a shape.
Tone marks show how pitch changes. Colors help you follow each syllable in the app.
ā First toneHigh and level
á Second toneRising
ǎ Third toneLow, then rising in isolation
à Fourth toneFalling
a Neutral toneShort and light
These are dictionary tones. In natural speech, tones can change with context. A third tone often stays low before another syllable.