All pinyin syllables ›chu
Pinyin syllableHow to pronounce “chu” in Chinese
chu = ch + u,[ʈʂʰu].Used in 3 tones and 14 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.
出来chū lái — to come out
Hold one steady high note, like a doctor’s “aaah”. English has no flat pitch, so it will feel unnaturally robotic — that is correct.
— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.
除了chú le — besides
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.
到处dào chù — everywhere
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.
清楚qīng chu — clear
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.
The initial: ch
[ʈʂʰ]
- What the mouth does
- Same curled-back tongue as zh, released with a strong puff.
- Closest English sound
- The ch in “church” with the tongue further back and the tip curled.
- Where learners slip
- Using the flat English ch, which natives read as q.
- Drill that fixes it
- Alternate ch and q slowly: tip up (ch), tip down (q). Feel the tongue flip.
The final: -u
[u]
- What the mouth does
- Lips tightly rounded and pushed forward, tongue high and back.
- Closest English sound
- The oo in “food”, with more lip tension.
- Where learners slip
- Relaxing the lips into the u of “put”.
- Drill that fixes it
- Round the lips so hard you could hold a pencil in them, then say it.
“chu” 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| chū | to go out | 1 | |
| chū lái | to come out | 1 | |
| chū qù | to go out | 1 | |
| qīng chu | clear | 2 | |
| huài chu | harm | 2 | |
| chū xiàn | to appear | 2 | |
| chū kǒu | an exit | 2 | |
| chū fā | to set off | 2 | |
| chū shēng | to be born | 2 | |
| chū mén | to go out | 2 | |
| dào chù | everywhere | 2 | |
| chú le | besides | 3 | |
| cháng chù | good aspects | 3 | |
| duǎn chù | shortcoming | 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 “chu” in Chinese?
“chu” is the initial ch plus the final u, pronounced [ʈʂʰu]. Same curled-back tongue as zh, released with a strong puff. Lips tightly rounded and pushed forward, tongue high and back. It occurs in 3 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.
Which mistake do English speakers make on “chu”?
Using the flat English ch, which natives read as q. Relaxing the lips into the u of “put”. Fix it like this: Alternate ch and q slowly: tip up (ch), tip down (q). Feel the tongue flip.
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.