How to pronounce Mulan (花木兰) in Chinese
Mulan is 花木兰, Huā Mùlán: "hwah moo-lahn", high, falling, rising. Hear 花木兰 (huā mù lán) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
花木兰
huā mù lán
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Characters & meanings
(surname) flower
wood, tree
orchid
Common mistake
High, falling, rising. The full name starts with 花 (Huā), a high, level "hwah".
Mulan in Mandarin: what to get right
Mulan is the heroine of the Ballad of Mulan, a folk poem from around the 5th–6th century, who takes her father’s place in the army. The ballad gives no surname; Huā ("flower") comes from a 16th-century play, and it is the name Chinese speakers use. 木兰 means "magnolia" (literally "tree orchid").
How English speakers usually say it
English speakers say "MOO-lan" with stress on the first syllable and an "a" as in "plan". In Mandarin each syllable has its own tone, and lán has the open "ah" of "father".
How to say 花木兰 tone by tone
Huā: breathy h, "hwah", high and level. Mù: "moo", falling sharply. Lán: "lahn", rising. Falling then rising across mù lán is the tone pattern to practise.
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