Tongue twisterWarm-up
Mandarin
Mandarin四是四，十是十，十四是十四，四十是四十。(Sì shì sì, shí shì shí, shísì shì shísì, sìshí shì sìshí.)
Meaning: A pure sì/shí tone drill — the two numbers are near-identical and the tones swap each time.
Literally: Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty.
Origin: The most-used Mandarin beginner twister; distinguishing sì (4) from shí (10) is fundamental.
More Mandarin tongue twisters
- 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。(Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí.) A 'pú/tǔ/pí' drill with reversing logic — the negations flip the meaning as the tongue tr…
- 黑化肥发黑会挥发；灰化肥发灰会挥发。(Hēihuàféi fā hēi huì huīfā; huīhuàféi fā huī huì huīfā.) A 'hēi/huī/huì/fā' four-tone minefield — the tones alone change every meaning.
- 红鲤鱼与绿鲤鱼与驴 (Hóng lǐyú yǔ lǜ lǐyú yǔ lǘ) lǐ, lǜ and lǘ differ only by vowel rounding and tone — nine syllables that all collapse t…
- 八百标兵奔北坡，炮兵并排北边跑。(Bābǎi biāobīng bēn běipō, pàobīng bìngpái běibian pǎo.) A pure b-versus-p drill, separating Mandarin's unaspirated b from its aspirated p.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Você é um amor You're a sweetheart — warm, caring, and impossible not to like.
- Você tem muita garra You have fierce, relentless determination — you claw your way through any obstacle.
- Ты умница (ty umnitsa) You're bright, clever, and admirable — said warmly of someone who handles things well.
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