All pinyin syllables ›que
Pinyin syllableHow to pronounce “que” in Chinese
que = q + ue,[tɕʰy].Used in 3 tones and 9 words from HSK 1–3.
j, q, x and y can never be followed by a true u, so the umlaut is dropped in writing. The sound stays ü: rounded lips, tongue in the “ee” position. ju is “jü”, qu is “chü”, xu is “shü”, yu is “ü”.
Hear it, then say it
Tap play for each tone, then record yourself — your pitch curve is drawn on top of the model.
缺少quē shǎo — lack
Hold one steady high note, like a doctor’s “aaah”. English has no flat pitch, so it will feel unnaturally robotic — that is correct.
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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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正确zhèng què — correct; sound; right; proper
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.
The initial: q
[tɕʰ]
- What the mouth does
- Same tongue shape as j — tip down, blade at the hard palate — but released with a strong puff of air.
- Closest English sound
- Roughly the ch in “cheese” said with the tongue tip touching the lower teeth.
- Where learners slip
- Reading q as English “kw” (as in “queen”) — a spelling reflex that makes the word unrecognisable.
- Drill that fixes it
- Say j, then blow through it. If a native hears “k”, your tongue is too far back.
The final: -ue (written u, pronounced ü)
[y]
In this syllable the final is an exception. j, q, x and y can never be followed by a true u, so the umlaut is dropped in writing. The sound stays ü: rounded lips, tongue in the “ee” position. ju is “jü”, qu is “chü”, xu is “shü”, yu is “ü”.
How -ue sounds in syllables where it is not an exception
- What the mouth does
- This is üe with the dots dropped: after j, q, x, y the u is always ü. Rounded-front glide into an open-mid e.
- Closest English sound
- French “ue” in “muet”; no English equivalent.
- Where learners slip
- Reading the u as a plain u, which produces a syllable that does not exist in Mandarin.
- Drill that fixes it
- Say ü, then open into “eh” without unrounding: xuě = “xü-eh”.
“que” 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| zhèng què | correct; sound; right; proper | 2 | |
| zhǔn què | accurate; exact; precise | 2 | |
| quē | deficiency | 3 | |
| quē shǎo | lack | 3 | |
| quē diǎn | weak point | 3 | |
| què dìng | definite | 3 | |
| què shí | indeed | 3 | |
| què bǎo | to ensure; to guarantee | 3 | |
| míng què | clear-cut; definite; explicit | 3 |
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 “que” in Chinese?
“que” is the initial q plus the final ue, pronounced [tɕʰy]. Same tongue shape as j — tip down, blade at the hard palate — but released with a strong puff of air. This is üe with the dots dropped: after j, q, x, y the u is always ü. Rounded-front glide into an open-mid e. It occurs in 3 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.
Is the “ue” in que pronounced the way it is spelled?
j, q, x and y can never be followed by a true u, so the umlaut is dropped in writing. The sound stays ü: rounded lips, tongue in the “ee” position. ju is “jü”, qu is “chü”, xu is “shü”, yu is “ü”.
Which mistake do English speakers make on “que”?
Reading q as English “kw” (as in “queen”) — a spelling reflex that makes the word unrecognisable. Reading the u as a plain u, which produces a syllable that does not exist in Mandarin. Fix it like this: Say j, then blow through it. If a native hears “k”, your tongue is too far back.
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.