LingoDrop
Chinese · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "机场" in Chinese?
jee-CHAHNG: a high level first syllable with an unaspirated j, then a low sagging second with a strong puff of air.
jīchǎng
The pitch holds and then a sag, with no conversion since jī is level. The interval is large, from the ceiling of jī to the floor of chǎng, which makes it a useful calibration word: if the descent feels small, the first syllable was not high enough to begin with.
Listen: 机场
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
我送你去机场。
Wǒ sòng nǐ qù jīchǎng.
I'll take you to the airport.
Listen: 我送你去机场。
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我送你去机场。 keeps wǒ at a full dip because sòng falls, and nǐ at a full dip because qù falls. Then jī holds level and chǎng dips at the end. Three unchanged dipping tones in one sentence — a good reminder that the presence of hooks does not by itself trigger anything.
Where English speakers slip
If air escapes on the j you get gives qī, and under-aspirating the ch gives zhǎng — the two syllables need opposite treatment and learners tend to give them the same. The back nasal on chǎng also drifts forward to chǎn. And the large pitch drop between the syllables gets compressed by English compound-noun rhythm.