---
title: "How to Pronounce boba tea (珍珠奶茶) in Chinese, With Audio | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "boba tea (bubble tea) is 珍珠奶茶 in Chinese, written zhēnzhūnǎichá in pinyin and said jun-joo-nigh-chah. Hear it from two native speakers, slow or normal, sound by sound with its tones, then say it and see if you got it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/boba-zhenzhu-naicha"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[How to pronounce](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce)

# How to pronounce boba tea

boba tea (bubble tea) is 珍珠奶茶 in Chinese, written zhēnzhūnǎichá in pinyin and said jun-joo-nigh-chah.

珍珠奶茶 zhēnzhūnǎichá

jun-joo-nigh-chah

## Sound by sound

1. 珍zhēnjunFirst tone: high and level
2. 珠zhūjooFirst tone: high and level
3. 奶nǎinighThird tone: low, dipping down
4. 茶cháchahSecond tone: rising, as in a question

### Letters to watch

- Zh is said like the j in “jam”, with the tongue curled back. Not “z”.
- E alone is the “uh” in “duh”, not “ee” or “eh”.

## Food and drink

- [xiaolongbao 小笼包 shyow-loong-bow](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/xiaolongbao)
- [jiaozi 饺子 jyow-dzuh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/jiaozi)
- [baozi 包子 bow-dzuh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/baozi)
- [mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐 mah-paw-doh-foo](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/mapo-tofu)
- [Peking duck 北京烤鸭 bay-jeeng-kow-yah](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/peking-duck)
- [hot pot (huoguo) 火锅 hwaw-gwaw](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/hot-pot)
- [jianbing 煎饼 jyen-beeng](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/jianbing)
- [zongzi 粽子 dzoong-dzuh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/zongzi)
- [baijiu 白酒 buy-jyoh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/baijiu)
- [oolong tea (wulong) 乌龙茶 woo-loong-chah](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/oolong-tea)
- [pu-erh tea (pu’er) 普洱茶 poo-ar-chah](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/pu-erh-tea)
- [tangyuan 汤圆 tahng-ywen](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/tangyuan)
- [mooncake (yuebing) 月饼 yweh-beeng](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/mooncake)
- [tofu (doufu) 豆腐 doh-foo](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/tofu-doufu)

[Every name, or type your own](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce)

## How do you pronounce boba tea?

boba tea (bubble tea) is 珍珠奶茶 in Chinese, written zhēnzhūnǎichá in pinyin and said jun-joo-nigh-chah.

## What are the tones in boba tea?

zhēn: first tone, high and level; zhū: first tone, high and level; nǎi: third tone, low, dipping down; chá: second tone, rising, as in a question.

## What do English speakers get wrong in boba tea?

Zh is said like the j in “jam”, with the tongue curled back. Not “z”. E alone is the “uh” in “duh”, not “ee” or “eh”.

## More free tools

- [Chinese text to speech](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-text-to-speech)
- [Chinese name to pinyin](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-name-to-pinyin)
- [Tone practice](https://mandarinthewild.com/tone-practice)
- [Pronunciation checker](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-pronunciation-checker)
- [Pinyin chart](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-chart)

Voices recorded for our word cards. A spelling such as “shyow-mee” is the nearest English sound, not the sound itself: hear the voices.