小孩 (xiǎohái) — Child in Mandarin
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#1424 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
小孩 is pronounced xiǎohái. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Xiǎohái xǐhuān wán.
Children like to play.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 小孩 mean?+
小孩 (xiǎohái) means "Child" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 小孩?+
小孩 is pronounced xiǎohái. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 小孩 in Mandarin?+
小孩 is the #1424 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
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.
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