Tap the center card.

点击中心卡。

Learning state

xian

Words visited0/4

Saved on this device. 收藏、完成和复习状态会保存在本机。

Tap a ball to listen

点击球体听读音

Free visual pinyin lesson

xian Pinyin Tones, Characters and Words

Learn xian pinyin visually. Compare xian through going first, instrument strings, a safe box, and yarn. Explore tones, common Chinese characters, useful words and audio in one visual lesson.

先、弦、险、线四条直观路径。 点击上方知识球,可以听发音并沿着汉字和词语继续探索。

Lesson type

tone paths

声调变化

Language

English + 中文

Beginner friendly

Inside this lesson

4 characters · 4 words

Audio included

Tone guide

The tones of xian

Read each marked syllable aloud, then connect the tone to a character and a word in the knowledge ball above.

xiān

first tone

第一声

high and level

xián

second tone

第二声

rising upward

xiǎn

third tone

第三声

down, then up

xiàn

fourth tone

第四声

quickly falling

Characters

Common Chinese characters for xian

The same pinyin spelling can point to different characters. The tone and character meaning belong together.

xiān

first or earlier

先,在前面或更早

xián

string on a musical instrument

弦,乐器上的细线

xiǎn

risk; used in words about protection

险,和风险或保护有关

线

xiàn

thread or line

线,细长的线

Useful words

Build vocabulary with xian

Open a word in the knowledge ball to hear it and see a complete example sentence.

先走

xiān zǒu

to go first or leave first

走在前面或先离开

琴弦

qín xián

a string on a musical instrument

乐器上的弦

保险箱

bǎo xiǎn xiāng

a locked safe box for protecting things

用来保护东西的小箱子

毛线

máo xiàn

soft yarn for knitting

柔软的线,可以用来织东西

Keep learning

Related pinyin lessons

Compare a nearby sound or open another tone path while this lesson is still fresh.