How to pronounce Xi Jinping (习近平) in Chinese
Xi Jinping is 习近平, Xí Jìnpíng: roughly "shee jeen-ping", with a rising, a falling and a rising tone. Hear 习近平 (xí jìn píng) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
习近平
xí jìn píng
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Characters & meanings
(surname) to practise
near
flat; peaceful
Common mistake
Xí is "shee", not "zee" or "ksee". J in jìn is a "j" made with the tongue tip down. Rising, falling, rising.
Xi Jinping in Mandarin: what to get right
Xi Jinping has been General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party since 2012 and President of China since 2013. Xí is the surname; 近平 means "near" + "peaceful, level". Surname first, as in all Chinese names.
How English speakers usually say it
News readers often say "Zee" or "Shee Jin-ping" with English stress on "Jin". The x is a soft "sh" with the tongue tip behind the lower teeth, and all three syllables carry tones of equal weight.
How to say 习近平 tone by tone
Xí: "shee", rising. Jìn: tongue tip down, a "j" softer than in "jeep", then "een", falling sharply. Píng: aspirated p, "ping", rising again. Up, down, up: the fall in jìn has to start high enough to be heard as a fall.
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