挑战 (tiǎo zhàn) — to challenge in Mandarin

tiǎo zhàn
to challenge

🔊 Tap to hear it

#1125 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR C1

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

Tone breakdown

挑战 is pronounced tiǎo zhàn. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

tiǎo
third tone (low dipping, ˇ)
zhàn
fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)

In a sentence

Wǒ xiǎng tiǎozhàn zìjǐ.

I want to challenge myself.

Hear it, then say it right

Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 挑战 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.

Start free

Frequently asked questions

What does 挑战 mean?+

挑战 (tiǎo zhàn) means "to challenge" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 挑战?+

挑战 is pronounced tiǎo zhàn. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 挑战 in Mandarin?+

挑战 is the #1125 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 挑战 fits

HSK 5 · CEFR C1
See the full HSK 5 vocabulary list

Every HSK 5 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.

Words at a similar frequency

Master the tones first

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 training

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