All pinyin syllables ›mei
Pinyin syllableHow to pronounce “mei” in Chinese
mei = m + ei,[meɪ].Used in 3 tones and 17 words from HSK 1–3.
Hear it, then say it
Tap play for each tone, then record yourself — your pitch curve is drawn on top of the model.
没有méi yǒu — haven't
Rise from the middle to the top, like the English question “huh?”. The rise must reach the top, not stall halfway.
— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.
美元Měi yuán — American dollar
In real speech this tone is mostly LOW, not a full dip-and-rise. Drop to the bottom of your range and stay there; the rise only appears when the syllable is said alone or at the end of a phrase.
— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.
妹妹mèi mei — younger sister
Start at the top and drop fast, like a firm “No!”. Short and decisive.
— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.
妹妹mèi mei — younger sister
No pitch shape of its own: short, light, and pitched by whatever came before it.
— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.
Same sounds, different word
These words are built from the exact same consonant and vowel. Only the tone tells them apart — which is why tones are not decoration.
(negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
Second tone — rising
each
Third tone — low dip
younger sister
Fourth tone — sharp fall
The initial: m
[m]
- What the mouth does
- Lips closed, air through the nose, voice on from the start.
- Closest English sound
- The m in “moon” — this one transfers straight across.
- Where learners slip
- Almost nothing goes wrong here; the risk is the final that follows, not the m.
- Drill that fixes it
- Use m-syllables as your calibration point: if the tone is wrong on ma, the problem is the tone, not the consonant.
The final: -ei
[eɪ]
- What the mouth does
- Starts on a mid-front e and glides to i.
- Closest English sound
- The ay in “say”.
- Where learners slip
- Confusing it with the standalone e final, which is a totally different vowel.
- Drill that fixes it
- Remember: e alone = “uhh”, ei = “ay”. The i changes everything.
“mei” in real words
Every word below comes from the HSK 1–3 vocabulary, so you can practise on words you will actually meet.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| mèi mei | younger sister | 1 | |
| méi | (negative prefix for verbs) have not; not | 1 | |
| méi yǒu | haven't | 1 | |
| méi shén me | nothing | 1 | |
| méi guān xi | it doesn't matter | 1 | |
| méi shì r | to have spare time | 1 | |
| mèi | younger sister | 1 | |
| méi tǐ | media, esp. news media | 3 | |
| méi yòng | useless | 3 | |
| měi | each | 3 | |
| měi | beautiful | 3 | |
| Měi yuán | American dollar | 3 | |
| měi lì | beautiful | 3 | |
| měi hǎo | beautiful | 3 | |
| měi shí | culinary delicacy | 3 | |
| měi shù | art | 3 | |
| wán měi | perfect | 3 |
Tone change you need to know
When a third tone is followed by another third tone, the first one is pronounced as a second tone. 你好 is written nǐ hǎo but said “ní hǎo”. The writing never changes — only the mouth does.
Third tone before any other tone. Before a first, second or fourth tone, the third tone loses its rise entirely and stays low. This “half third” is what you hear in almost all real sentences.
Syllables you might confuse with this one
One sound apart from this syllable — the pairs that make natives mishear you.
Questions people ask about this syllable
How do you pronounce “mei” in Chinese?
“mei” is the initial m plus the final ei, pronounced [meɪ]. Lips closed, air through the nose, voice on from the start. Starts on a mid-front e and glides to i. It occurs in 3 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.
What does “mei” mean in Chinese?
It depends entirely on the tone. méi 没 — (negative prefix for verbs) have not; not; měi 每 — each; mèi 妹 — younger sister.
Which mistake do English speakers make on “mei”?
Almost nothing goes wrong here; the risk is the final that follows, not the m. Confusing it with the standalone e final, which is a totally different vowel. Fix it like this: Use m-syllables as your calibration point: if the tone is wrong on ma, the problem is the tone, not the consonant.
The other half is producing it so a native hears the right tone. The free 2-minute check tells you which syllables are actually your weak ones.