How to say “I don't speak Chinese” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
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不 flips to a rising bú because the next syllable 会 is a fourth tone. Once you know a little, switch to 我会说一点中文 (wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn zhōngwén), 'I speak a little Chinese', which usually gets a much warmer response.
In a sentence
Wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén, nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?
I don't speak Chinese, do you speak English?
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "I don't speak Chinese" in Chinese?+
"I don't speak Chinese" in Mandarin Chinese is 我不会说中文, pronounced wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén. 不 flips to a rising bú because the next syllable 会 is a fourth tone. Once you know a little, switch to 我会说一点中文 (wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn zhōngwén), 'I speak a little Chinese', which usually gets a much warmer response.
What does 我不会说中文 mean literally?+
我不会说中文 breaks down as 我 (wǒ) = I, 不 (bú) = not, 会 (huì) = can / know how to, 说 (shuō) = to speak, 中文 (zhōngwén) = Chinese (language). Together it means "I don't speak Chinese".
How do I get the tones right in wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén?+
不 flips to a rising bú because the next syllable 会 is a fourth tone. Once you know a little, switch to 我会说一点中文 (wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn zhōngwén), 'I speak a little Chinese', which usually gets a much warmer response.
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