How to say “speak slowly please” in Chinese

qǐng shuō màndiǎn
speak slowly please

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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Word by word

qǐng
please
shuō
to speak
màn
slow
yìdiǎn
a little

Tone tip

一 becomes yì (fourth tone) before the third-tone 点. 慢一点 ('a bit slower') sounds far more natural than a bare 慢. You can also front it: 请慢一点说 (qǐng màn yìdiǎn shuō). Both are fine.

In a sentence

Qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn, wǒ shì chūxuézhě.

Please speak a little more slowly, I'm a beginner.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say "speak slowly please" in Chinese?+

"speak slowly please" in Mandarin Chinese is 请说慢一点, pronounced qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn. 一 becomes yì (fourth tone) before the third-tone 点. 慢一点 ('a bit slower') sounds far more natural than a bare 慢. You can also front it: 请慢一点说 (qǐng màn yìdiǎn shuō). Both are fine.

What does 请说慢一点 mean literally?+

请说慢一点 breaks down as 请 (qǐng) = please, 说 (shuō) = to speak, 慢 (màn) = slow, 一点 (yìdiǎn) = a little. Together it means "speak slowly please".

How do I get the tones right in qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn?+

一 becomes yì (fourth tone) before the third-tone 点. 慢一点 ('a bit slower') sounds far more natural than a bare 慢. You can also front it: 请慢一点说 (qǐng màn yìdiǎn shuō). Both are fine.

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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.