How to pronounce “qu” in Chinese
qu = q + u,[tɕʰy].Used in 3 tones and 18 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.
区别qū bié — difference
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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取得qǔ dé — to acquire; to get; to obtain
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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去年qù nián — last year
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.
回去huí qu — to return
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.
area
First tone — high and flat
to take
Third tone — low dip
to go
Fourth tone — sharp fall
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: -u (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 -u sounds in syllables where it is not an exception
- 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.
“qu” 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| huí qu | to return | 1 | |
| qù | to go | 1 | |
| qù nián | last year | 1 | |
| chū qù | to go out | 1 | |
| jìn qù | to go in | 1 | |
| qǔ | to take | 2 | |
| qǔ dé | to acquire; to get; to obtain | 2 | |
| guò qù | (in the) past | 2 | |
| kàn shang qu | it would appear | 3 | |
| qū | area | 3 | |
| qū bié | difference | 3 | |
| dì qū | local | 3 | |
| qǔ xiāo | to cancel | 3 | |
| cǎi qǔ | to adopt or carry out (measures, policies, course of action) | 3 | |
| zhēng qǔ | to fight for | 3 | |
| qù shì | to pass away | 3 | |
| xià qù | to go down | 3 | |
| shī qù | to lose | 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 “qu” in Chinese?
“qu” is the initial q plus the final u, pronounced [tɕʰy]. Same tongue shape as j — tip down, blade at the hard palate — but released with a strong puff of air. Lips tightly rounded and pushed forward, tongue high and back. It occurs in 3 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.
Is the “u” in qu 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”.
What does “qu” mean in Chinese?
It depends entirely on the tone. qū 区 — area; qǔ 取 — to take; qù 去 — to go.
Which mistake do English speakers make on “qu”?
Reading q as English “kw” (as in “queen”) — a spelling reflex that makes the word unrecognisable. Relaxing the lips into the u of “put”. 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.