How to Pronounce '绿色': Chinese Pronunciation Guide

Q: How do you pronounce 绿色 in Chinese?

绿色 is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ly˥˩.sɤ˥˩/. It means “green.” lü-SUH, with a rounded front vowel English does not have — say "lee" and then round your lips without moving your tongue. Both syllables fall.

How do you pronounce "绿色" in Chinese?

lü-SUH, with a rounded front vowel English does not have — say "lee" and then round your lips without moving your tongue. Both syllables fall.

绿色 /ly˥˩.sɤ˥˩/

lǜsè

Two fourth tones in a row and no sandhi to soften them. As always with a falling-falling pair, the first is shortened: lǜ drops fast and does not descend all the way, while sè gets the fuller plunge. Making them identical produces a stiff, hammered rhythm.

Listen: 绿色

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Sound it out

l- A bright forward l, tongue tip on the ridge, with no darkening or hollowing of the sound.

-ü The umlaut vowel, and the reason this word is on every teacher's list. Set your tongue for "ee", then push your lips forward into a tight circle and hold both positions at once. It is the vowel of French "lune" or German "über".

sè The tongue drops from that high front position to a plain alveolar s, then the unrounded back e. The lips must actively un-round between the two syllables, which is the physical work this word demands.

Hear it in a sentence

草是绿色的。

Cǎo shì lǜsè de.

The grass is green.

Listen: 草是绿色的。

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草是绿色的。 opens with cǎo, a third tone with an aspirated c — a teeth-ridge "ts" with breath — then shì falls, and then two more falls in lǜsè, and finally the toneless de. That is three consecutive falling syllables, which English rhythm badly wants to level out. Restart each one at the top rather than letting the pitch slide continuously downhill.

Where English speakers slip

The overwhelming majority of learners say "loo", replacing ü with plain u. That is a different vowel and, in other words, a different meaning altogether. The trick that works: say "lee" out loud, freeze your tongue exactly where it is, and then purse your lips. Do not let the tongue slide backward when the lips move — that backward slide is precisely what turns ü into u.