不同 (bùtóng) — Different in Mandarin
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#201 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
不同 is pronounced bùtóng. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tāmen de xiǎngfǎ bùtóng.
Their ideas are different.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 不同 mean?+
不同 (bùtóng) means "Different" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 不同?+
不同 is pronounced bùtóng. It uses the tone 4 (falling), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 不同 in Mandarin?+
不同 is the #201 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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