How to pronounce Huawei (华为) in Chinese
Huawei is 华为, huá wéi in pinyin: "hwah-way", with both syllables rising. Hear 华为 (huá wéi) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
华为
huá wéi
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Characters & meanings
splendid; China
to act; to do
Common mistake
Keep the h: Mandarin h is a rough, breathy sound from the back of the throat. Both syllables rise.
Huawei in Mandarin: what to get right
华 means "splendid" and is also a word for China (as in 中华, Zhōnghuá); 为 means "to act" or "to achieve". The name is usually glossed as "Chinese achievement" or "splendid act". The company was founded in Shenzhen in 1987.
How English speakers usually say it
The common English versions are "HOO-ah-way" (three syllables) and "WAH-way", the version most often heard in English-language tech coverage. In Mandarin the h is clearly there, and hua is one syllable: h, then a quick w-glide into "ah".
How to say 华为 tone by tone
Huá: start with a breathy h made further back than English h, almost like the "ch" in Scottish "loch" but softer, glide through w and land on "ah", rising. Wéi: "way", also rising. Two second tones in a row each need their own rise; don’t make one long slide across both.
The recorder below scores the Mandarin, 华为 (huá wéi): every syllable’s tone, initial and final. Check your tones on more words.
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