Chinese Words That Sound Alike but Mean Different Things

8 word pairs that sound similar but aren't 🇨🇳

Ever tried to express yourself in Mandarin only to be met with blank stares or puzzled looks? You're not alone! Many Chinese learners struggle with words that sound almost identical but carry completely different meanings.

In this article, we'll break down 8 common word pairs to sharpen your pronunciation and boost your fluency.

Words That Sound Alike

but Mean Different Things

              

01. To Buy vs. To Sell‍

At first glance, these words are almost twins: the only difference is the tone. But get it wrong, and you could accidentally try to "sell" something when you actually meant to "buy" it!

买

mǎi

to buy

卖

mài

to sell

EXAMPLES

我要买一个新包。

Wǒ yào mǎi yí gè xīn bāo.

I want to buy a new bag.

他在市场卖水果。

Tā zài shìchǎng mài shuǐguǒ.

He sells fruit at the market.

02. Dumplings vs. To Sleep‍‍‍

The pinyin looks very similar, but the meanings are worlds apart:

水饺

shuǐjiǎo

dumplings

睡觉

shuì jiào

to sleep

EXAMPLES

中国人喜欢吃水饺。

Zhōngguórén xǐhuan chī shuǐjiǎo.

Chinese people like eating dumplings.

我每天10点睡觉

Wǒ měitiān shí diǎn shuì jiào.

I go to bed at 10 every day.

03. To Ask vs. To Kiss

One of the funniest (and riskiest!) mistakes you can make. One small tone slip and instead of asking a question, you might be offering a kiss:

问

wèn

to ask

吻

wěn

to kiss

EXAMPLES

他问了我一个问题。

Tā wèn le wǒ yí gè wèntí.

He asked me a question.

他们在电影结束后吻了彼此。

Tāmen zài diànyǐng jiéshù hòu wěn le bǐcǐ.

They kissed each other after the movie.

04. Mother vs. Horse

A classic example used in every Chinese class to show how important tones are. Mix these up and you could say "I love horse" instead of "I love mom".

妈

mā

mom

马

mǎ

horse

EXAMPLES

我爱妈妈。

Wǒ ài māma.

I love my mom.

那是一匹漂亮的马。

Nà shì yì pǐ piàoliang de mǎ.

That is a beautiful horse.

05. Expensive vs. Ghost

Here's another common mix-up: imagine going shopping and accidentally calling a product a ghost instead of expensive.

贵

guì

expensive

鬼

guǐ

ghost‍

EXAMPLES

这件衣服很贵。

Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn guì.

This piece of clothing is very expensive.

他害怕鬼。

Tā hài pà guǐ.

He is afraid of ghosts.

06. Resume vs. Experience

Both of these words often appear in job-related contexts, which makes their similarity even more confusing:

简历

jiǎnlì

resume, CV

经历

jīnglì

experience

EXAMPLES

请把你的简历发给我。

Qǐng bǎ nǐ de jiǎnlì fā gěi wǒ.

Please send me your resume.

他有丰富的工作经历。

Tā yǒu fēngfù de gōngzuò jīnglì.

He has rich work experience.

07. International vs. Juice

Both sound similar but mean totally different things. Don't mix these up in meetings or restaurants!

国际

guójì

international

果汁

guǒzhī

fruit juice

EXAMPLES

这是一个国际会议。

Zhè shì yí gè guójì huìyì.

This is an international conference.

我想喝果汁。

Wǒ xiǎng hē guǒzhī.

I want to drink fruit juice.

08. Egg vs. Excited

These words are surprisingly close in sound:

鸡蛋

jīdàn

egg‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

激动

jīdòng

excited

EXAMPLES

每天早餐我都吃鸡蛋。‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Měitiān zǎocān wǒ dōu chī jīdàn

I eat eggs for breakfast every day.

这个好消息让我很激动。‍‍‍‍‍‍

Zhè gè hǎo xiāoxi ràng wǒ hěn jīdòng.

Good news made me excited.

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