Back to Retroflex initials in Mandarin

Word Guide

Tier 1 Practice Page

How to pronounce 知道 (zhī dào)

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

Pinyin

zhī dào

Tone Pattern

Tone 1 + Tone 4

Pronunciation Focus

retroflex-basics

How to say it

Keep zh curled back and crisp before the falling dào.

Most common error

Learners often flatten zh so the word starts too close to z.

HSK Level

HSK1

Related pronunciation rules

How to pronounce zh, ch, sh, and r in Chinese

A practical guide to Mandarin retroflex initials with tongue position tips, common substitutions, and sample words.

Practice similar examples

吃饭 (chī fàn)

Release ch with audible aspiration before moving into fàn.

老师 (lǎo shī)

The sh in the second syllable should stay slightly curled back and steady.

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

他是老师。 (tā shì lǎo shī.)

The key target is the final shī, which should stay retroflex and narrow.

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.

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