？
How do you write this character?
How to pronounce 怎么
How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
zěn怎me么
how?; what?
HSK 1
Synthesized Mandarin audio · Vivian voice
zěnThird tonemeNeutral tone
Hear it in conversation
Why didn't he come to work today?
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
？
How do you read this character?
？
How do I use chopsticks?
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.