手机 (shǒu jī) — cell phone in Mandarin

shǒu​ jī
“cell phone”

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#430 most common word · HSK 2 · CEFR A2

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

Tone breakdown

手机 is pronounced shǒu jī. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

shǒu
third tone (low dipping, ˇ)
jī
first tone (high & flat, ˉ)

In a sentence

Wǒ de shǒu jī zài jiā lǐ.

My cell phone is at home.

Hear it, then say it right

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Frequently asked questions

What does 手机 mean?+

手机 (shǒu jī) means "cell phone" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 手机?+

手机 is pronounced shǒu jī. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 手机 in Mandarin?+

手机 is the #430 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 手机 fits

HSK 2 · CEFR A2
See the full HSK 2 vocabulary list

Every HSK 2 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.