---
title: "How to Pronounce hanzi (汉字) in Chinese, With Audio | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "hanzi (Chinese characters) is 汉字 in Chinese, written hànzì in pinyin and said hahn-dzuh. 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/hanzi"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

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

# How to pronounce hanzi

hanzi (Chinese characters) is 汉字 in Chinese, written hànzì in pinyin and said hahn-dzuh.

汉字 hànzì

hahn-dzuh

## Sound by sound

1. 汉hànhahnFourth tone: falling sharply
2. 字zìdzuhFourth tone: falling sharply

### Letters to watch

- Z is said like the ds in “kids”, softer than an English z.
- After z, c, s, zh, ch, sh and r, the i is no “ee”: the first sound is held on, like a buzz.

## Everyday words

- [ni hao (hello) 你好 nee-how](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/ni-hao)
- [xie xie (thank you) 谢谢 shyeh-shyeh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/xie-xie)
- [zai jian (goodbye) 再见 dzye-jyen](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/zai-jian)
- [qi (chi) 气 chee](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/qi)
- [tai chi (taiji) 太极 tie-jee](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/tai-chi)
- [kung fu (gongfu) 功夫 goong-foo](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/kung-fu)
- [feng shui 风水 fung-shway](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/feng-shui)
- [yin and yang 阴阳 yeen-yahng](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/yin-yang)
- [Putonghua (Mandarin) 普通话 poo-toong-hwah](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/putonghua)
- [pinyin 拼音 peen-yeen](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/pinyin)
- [xin nian kuai le (Happy New Year) 新年快乐 sheen-nyen-kwye-luh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/xin-nian-kuai-le)
- [jia you 加油 jyah-yoh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/jia-you)
- [guanxi 关系 gwahn-shee](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/guanxi)
- [mianzi (face) 面子 myen-dzuh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/mianzi)
- [shifu 师父 shr-foo](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/shifu)
- [laoshi (teacher) 老师 low-shr](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/laoshi)
- [meimei (little sister) 妹妹 may-may](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/meimei)
- [gege (big brother) 哥哥 guh-guh](https://mandarinthewild.com/how-to-pronounce/gege)

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

## How do you pronounce hanzi?

hanzi (Chinese characters) is 汉字 in Chinese, written hànzì in pinyin and said hahn-dzuh.

## What are the tones in hanzi?

hàn: fourth tone, falling sharply; zì: fourth tone, falling sharply.

## What do English speakers get wrong in hanzi?

Z is said like the ds in “kids”, softer than an English z. After z, c, s, zh, ch, sh and r, the i is no “ee”: the first sound is held on, like a buzz.

## 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.