Back to Third tone sandhi in Mandarin

Sentence Guide

Tier 1 Practice Page

How to pronounce 你很好。 (nǐ hěn hǎo.)

你很好。 means "You are very good.". Use this guide to lock in the tone pattern, articulation target, and the mistake most learners still make.

Pinyin

nǐ hěn hǎo.

Tone Pattern

Tone 2 + Tone 2 + Tone 3

Pronunciation Focus

toneSandhi

How to say it

The first two syllables both surface higher because each leads into another third-tone environment.

Most common error

Learners often pronounce every syllable with a full low dip, which sounds stiff.

HSK Level

HSK1

Related pronunciation rules

Third tone sandhi: why 你好 sounds like ní hǎo

Understand the most common third-tone sandhi pattern, where the first of two third tones changes before the second.

Practice similar examples

你好。 (nǐ hǎo.)

Practice 你好。 (nǐ hǎo.) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.

你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?)

Practice 你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.

很好吃。 (hěn hǎo chī.)

Practice 很好吃。 (hěn hǎo chī.) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.

Drill the same pattern in words

雨伞 (yǔ sǎn)

Keep yǔ rounded and forward, then let the first third tone rise into the next syllable.

你好 (nǐ hǎo)

Treat the first syllable as a light rise so the phrase flows naturally into hǎo.

水果 (shuǐ guǒ)

Let shuǐ rise into guǒ instead of dipping fully on both syllables.

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