原则 (yuán zé) — principle in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#845 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR B2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
原则 is pronounced yuán zé. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒmen zuòshì yào zūnshǒu yuánzé.
We must follow principles when doing things.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 原则 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 原则 mean?+
原则 (yuán zé) means "principle" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 原则?+
原则 is pronounced yuán zé. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 原则 in Mandarin?+
原则 is the #845 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 原则 fits
Every HSK 5 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.
Coming to iOS & Android
The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.
ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.
Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.