All pinyin syllables ›shou
Pinyin syllableHow to pronounce “shou” in Chinese
shou = sh + ou,[ʂoʊ].Used in 3 tones and 21 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.
收到shōu dào — to receive
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.
手机shǒu jī — cell phone
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.
— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.
受到shòu dào — to receive (praise, an education, punishment etc)
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.
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.
to receive
First tone — high and flat
hand
Third tone — low dip
to receive
Fourth tone — sharp fall
The initial: sh
[ʂ]
- What the mouth does
- Tongue tip curled back, air hissing over it. Lips relaxed, not pushed forward.
- Closest English sound
- The sh in “shoe” with the tongue pulled back and the lips unrounded.
- Where learners slip
- Rounding the lips as in English, which drags sh toward x territory.
- Drill that fixes it
- Curl the tip until the hiss sounds hollow and dark. Bright and thin = x, dark and hollow = sh.
The final: -ou
[oʊ]
- What the mouth does
- Starts on a rounded o and tightens into u.
- Closest English sound
- The o in “go”.
- Where learners slip
- Mixing it up with ao — the two glide in different directions.
- Drill that fixes it
- ao opens then rounds; ou is rounded the whole way. Say them back to back.
“shou” 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| shǒu | hand | 1 | |
| shǒu jī | cell phone | 1 | |
| xǐ shǒu jiān | toilet | 1 | |
| shōu | to receive | 2 | |
| shōu dào | to receive | 2 | |
| shōu rù | to take in | 2 | |
| shǒu biǎo | wristwatch | 2 | |
| jǔ shǒu | to raise a hand | 2 | |
| shòu dào | to receive (praise, an education, punishment etc) | 2 | |
| jiē shòu | to accept | 2 | |
| nán shòu | to feel unwell | 2 | |
| shōu fèi | to charge a fee | 3 | |
| shōu kàn | to watch (a TV program) | 3 | |
| shōu tīng | to listen to (a radio broadcast) | 3 | |
| shōu yīn jī | radio | 3 | |
| shǒu xiān | first (of all) | 3 | |
| shǒu zhǐ | finger | 3 | |
| shǒu dū | capital (city) | 3 | |
| shòu | to receive | 3 | |
| shòu shāng | to sustain injuries | 3 | |
| gǎn shòu | to sense | 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 “shou” in Chinese?
“shou” is the initial sh plus the final ou, pronounced [ʂoʊ]. Tongue tip curled back, air hissing over it. Lips relaxed, not pushed forward. Starts on a rounded o and tightens into u. It occurs in 3 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.
What does “shou” mean in Chinese?
It depends entirely on the tone. shōu 收 — to receive; shǒu 手 — hand; shòu 受 — to receive.
Which mistake do English speakers make on “shou”?
Rounding the lips as in English, which drags sh toward x territory. Mixing it up with ao — the two glide in different directions. Fix it like this: Curl the tip until the hiss sounds hollow and dark. Bright and thin = x, dark and hollow = sh.
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.