Back to Third tone sandhi in Mandarin

Sentence Guide

Tier 1 Practice Page

How to pronounce 你好。 (nǐ hǎo.)

你好。 means "Hello.". Use this guide to lock in the tone pattern, articulation target, and the mistake most learners still make.

Short answer

你好。 is pronounced nǐ hǎo. and means "Hello.". The key target is tone sandhi, with the tone pattern Tone 2 + Tone 3.

Why learners miss it

Learners often miss 你好。 because many learners pronounce both third tones in full citation form instead of letting the first one rise.

Self-test

Record 你好。, then check whether your pitch contour and articulation match nǐ hǎo..

Pinyin

nǐ hǎo.

Tone Pattern

Tone 2 + Tone 3

Pronunciation Focus

toneSandhi

How to say it

Guided fix

How to shape this pronunciation

What to do

Say nǐ slowly first, then keep the target sound steady as you move through the rest of 你好。.

What to avoid

Do not let the whole word flatten into one rushed shape. Keep the target consonant or tone contrast clear.

What to listen for

The key sound should stay distinct instead of collapsing toward the nearest easy English habit.

Quick self-check

Say nǐ hǎo. once slowly and once at normal speed. If the target sound disappears when you speed up, it is not stable yet.

Most common error

Error summary

Many learners pronounce both third tones in full citation form instead of letting the first one rise.

Focus area

ToneSandhi

Difficulty

Moderate

HSK Level

HSK1

Related pronunciation rules

Practice similar examples

Drill the same pattern in words

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