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Word Guide

Tier 1 Practice Page

How to pronounce 找到 (zhǎo dào)

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

Pinyin

zhǎo dào

Tone Pattern

Tone 3 + Tone 4

Pronunciation Focus

flat-sharps

How to say it

The zhǎo syllable should start farther back than a plain z sound.

Phonetic Breakdown

zh+ao_d+ao

Most common error

The initial often becomes zǎo, which changes the contrast you need in Mandarin.

HSK Level

HSK1

Related pronunciation rules

z, c, s vs zh, ch, sh: how to hear and pronounce the difference

Learn the contrast between flat alveolar sounds and retroflex sounds so Chinese words stop collapsing into one pattern.

Practice similar examples

周末 (zhōu mò)

Start 周 with a retroflex zh so the word does not collapse into a flat z-sound.

聪明 (cōng míng)

Keep c forward and aspirated, then preserve the -ng ending in both syllables.

出去 (chū qù)

Keep the retroflex initials in 出去 (chū qù) slightly curled back instead of letting them flatten forward.

Hear the same pattern in sentences

他吃了。 (tā chī le.)

Keep the retroflex initials in 他吃了。 (tā chī le.) slightly curled back instead of letting them flatten forward.

他出去。 (tā chū qù.)

Keep the retroflex initials in 他出去。 (tā chū qù.) slightly curled back instead of letting them flatten forward.

他说话。 (tā shuō huà.)

Keep the retroflex initials in 他说话。 (tā shuō huà.) slightly curled back instead of letting them flatten forward.

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