How to pronounce “ni” in Chinese

ni = n + i,[ni].Used in 3 tones and 2 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.

泥ní

This tone exists, but no HSK 1–3 word uses it yet — practise the sound on its own.

Rise from the middle to the top, like the English question “huh?”. The rise must reach the top, not stall halfway.

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你nǐ — you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您)

你们nǐ men — you (plural)

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.

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逆nì

This tone exists, but no HSK 1–3 word uses it yet — practise the sound on its own.

Start at the top and drop fast, like a firm “No!”. Short and decisive.

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The initial: n

[n]

What the mouth does: Tongue tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth, air through the nose.
Closest English sound: The n in “no”.
Where learners slip: Not the n itself but what follows: -n vs -ng endings decide the word.
Drill that fixes it: Check the ending, not the start: an and ang are different words.

The final: -i

[i]

What the mouth does: Tongue high and front, lips spread. Long and tense.
Closest English sound: The ee in “see”, without the slight glide English adds.
Where learners slip: Shortening it to the i of “sit”.
Drill that fixes it: Smile hard and hold the vowel steady — no drift at the end.

“ni” 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
	nǐ	you (informal, as opposed to courteous 您)	1
	nǐ men	you (plural)	1

Tone change you need to know

Two third tones in a row

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.

ni → lidifferent initial: l那里 nà li — there; that place ni → midifferent initial: m迷 mí — to bewilder ni → neidifferent final: ei内 nèi — inside ni → nindifferent final: in您 nín — you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你)ni → nüdifferent final: ü女 nǚ — female

Questions people ask about this syllable

How do you pronounce “ni” in Chinese?

“ni” is the initial n plus the final i, pronounced [ni]. Tongue tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth, air through the nose. Tongue high and front, lips spread. Long and tense. It occurs in 3 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.

Which mistake do English speakers make on “ni”?

Not the n itself but what follows: -n vs -ng endings decide the word. Shortening it to the i of “sit”. Fix it like this: Check the ending, not the start: an and ang are different words.

Hearing it right is half the job

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.

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