How to pronounce shi hou (时候) in Chinese

Hear 时候 (shí hou) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.

时候

shí hou

Characters & meanings

时
shíT2

time; hour

候
houT0

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?

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Related sounds

时间shí jiān小时xiǎo shí

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