然而 (rán ér) — however; yet; but in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#618 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
然而 is pronounced rán ér. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
tā hěn cōng míng, rán ér tā bù nǔ lì
He is smart, however he doesn't work hard
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 然而 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 然而 mean?+
然而 (rán ér) means "however; yet; but" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 然而?+
然而 is pronounced rán ér. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 然而 in Mandarin?+
然而 is the #618 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 然而 fits
Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
On iPhone, Android and the web
ToneDeck is on the App Store. The trainer works right now.
Download ToneDeck for iPhone or Android today. One account unlocks Pro on both the app and the web. Prefer the browser? The full tone trainer runs at tonedeck.app right now, no install, free to start.
Sign up free and start trainingBrowse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.