How to pronounce shi hou (时候) in Chinese
Shi hou (often typed shihou) is written 时候, pinyin shí hou. Hear 时候 (shí hou) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
时候
shí hou
Hear it, then test your tones
Take the free 3–5-minute pronunciation test and get a score for every tone.
Characters & meanings
time; hour
time; to wait
Common mistake
Rising + neutral (2-0): shí needs a full climb with the retroflex, buzzy shi vowel (not English "she"), then hou falls away unstressed.
Tone change in this word
候 is neutral in 时候 even though it is hòu on its own.
Example sentence
你什么时候来?
Nǐ shénme shíhou lái?
When are you coming?
Try it yourself
Record yourself saying 时候 and get instant AI feedback.
</>Embed this on your site
Free for teachers and blogs — paste this code into your page:
Syllables in this word
Related words and sounds
Now say it — see each syllable’s tone
时候shí hou
shi hou
Keep exploring
Test your pronunciation
Free, with a score for every word.
Free · 3–5 minutes · no signup
How good is your Chinese pronunciation, really?
Reading about tones is not the same as producing them. Say a few words into your mic and the AI scores every syllable — tone, initial and final — then shows you which sounds are holding you back.
Runs in your browser. Nothing to install.
Train, don't just read
Practice your pronunciation in the app
A guide can explain the tones, but you can't fix your pronunciation by reading. The TonePerfect app lets you actually say the words and scores every syllable — initial, final, and tone — in real time, so you hear your mistakes and correct them on the spot.
- Instant AI feedback on every syllable
- Practice any word, sentence, or HSK list
- Hands-on tone training you can't get from reading
Free to start · 4.7★ · 50,000+ learners