Pinyin chart · nian
How to say nian
nian in all four tones, said in a female or a male voice. Tap a tone to hear it.
nian
Tap a tone to hear it; tap it again to hear it slower.
Voice
How to say it
n: As in English “n”.
ian: In ian the a sounds close to the e of “yen”, not the a of “father”.
Its tones
niān 蔫 wilted · nián 年 year · niǎn 碾 to crush · niàn 念 to read aloud. The pinyin trainer practices telling them apart in real words.
Sounds near it
Learners often mix nian up with these. Listen to them one after the other.
Words with nian
The voices are generated speech (ElevenLabs), the same two the app’s word cards use, each tone said as one real word. The words are from the official HSK list (the exam’s 2025 syllabus), easiest first. Every syllable is on the pinyin chart.