Back to Palatal initials in Mandarin

Word Guide

Tier 1 Practice Page

How to pronounce 去年 (qù nián)

去年 means "last year". Use this guide to lock in the tone pattern, articulation target, and the mistake most learners still make.

Pinyin

qù nián

Tone Pattern

Tone 4 + Tone 2

Pronunciation Focus

palatal

How to say it

Keep qù narrow and forward so the rounded vowel does not fall back into a plain u.

Phonetic Breakdown

q+ü_n+ian

Most common error

Learners often say qu as if it were chu or ku.

HSK Level

HSK1

Related pronunciation rules

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Hear the same pattern in sentences

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