Chinese, Mandarin Tongue Twisters 绕口令 (rào kǒu lìng)
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| Original: | 盆 和 瓶 ， 桌 上 有 个 盆 ， 盆 里 有 个 瓶 ， 砰 砰 砰 ， 是 瓶 碰 盆 ， 还 是 盆 碰 瓶 。 |
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| Transcription: | zhuō shàng yǒu gè pén, pén lǐ yǒu gè píng, pèng pèng pèng, shì píng pèng pén, hái shì pén pèng píng. |
| English: | A pan on the table, there's a bottle in the pan: bang, bang, bang. Is it the bottle hitting the pan or the pan hitting the bottle? |
| Original: | 牛郎念劉娘 劉娘念牛郎 牛郎年年念劉娘 劉娘年年念牛郎 |
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| Transcription: | niúláng liàn liúniáng liúniáng niàn niúláng niúláng niánnián liàn liúniáng liúniáng liánlián niàn niúláng. |
| English: | The cowboy longs for Miss Liu (surname). Miss Liu pines for the cowboy. The cowboy longs for Miss Liu year in, year out. Miss Liu pines for the cowboy forever and ever. |
| Original: | 老頭兒端湯上塔 湯燙 塔滑 湯灑 湯燙塔 |
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| Transcription: | lǎotóur duān tāng shàng tǎ tāng tàng tǎ huá tāng sǎ tāng tàng tǎ. |
| English: | An old man, holding (a bowl of) soup, climbed up a tower. The soup was hot. The tower (steps) slippery; (so) the soup got spilled (and) the soup scalded the tower (steps). |
| Original: | 墻上掛面鼔. 鼔上畫老虎. 老虎抓破了鼔. 拿塊布来補, 不知道是布補鼔, 還是布補虎. |
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| Transcription: | Qiáng-shang guà miàn gǔ. Gǔ-shang huà lǎohǔ. Lǎohǔ zhuāpòle gǔ. Ná kuài bù lái bǔ, Bùzhīdào shì bù bǔ gǔ, háishi bù bǔ hǔ. |
| English: | On the wall hangs a drum, on which a tiger is painted. The tiger clawed a hole into the drum. Taking a piece of cloth to repair it, I didn’t know whether the cloth was mending the drum or the cloth was mending the tiger. |
| Original: | 妈妈骑马, 马慢妈妈骂马 |
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| Transcription: | mā mā qí mǎ, mǎ màn, mā mā mà mǎ. |
| English: | Mother is riding a horse. The horse moves slowly. Mother chides the horse. |
| Original: | niú niú hōng niú, niú nìng, niú niú níng niú. |
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| English: | Niuniu (Kid's nickname) drives an ox, but the ox is too stubborn to move, so he pinches it. |
| Original: | hóng fènghuáng, fěn fènghuáng, fěnhóng fènghuáng. |
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| English: | Red phoenix, pink phoenix, pink-red phoenix. |
| Original: | 老师是或不是四十四的？ |
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| Transcription: | lǎoshī shì sìshísì, shì bú shì? |
| English: | The teacher is 44, isn't (s)he? |
| Original: | 青青山上一根籐 青籐地下掛銅鈴 風吹籐動銅鈴動 風停籐停銅鈴停 |
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| Transcription: | qīng qīng shān shàng yī gēn téng qīng téng dǐ xià guà tóng líng fēng chuī téng dòng tóng líng dòng fēng tíng téng tíng tóng líng tíng |
| English: | On a green mountain grows a vine. Under the vine there hangs a copper bell. When the wind blows, the vine moves, and so does the bell. When the wind stops, the vine stops, and the bell stops too. |
| Original: | biǎn dàn cháng, bǎn dèng kuān, biǎn dàn bǐ bǎn dèng cháng, bǎn dèng bǐ biǎn dàn kuān, biǎn dàn bǎng zài le bǎn dèng shàng, bǎn dèng bú ràng biǎn dàn bǎng zài bǎn dèng shàng, biǎn dàn fēi yào bǎng zài bǎn dèng shàng. |
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| English: | A bamboo pole is long, and a bench is wide. The bamboo pole was bound to the bench. The bench did not allow the pole to be bound to it, but the pole insisted on being bound to the bench. |
| Original: | 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮， 不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮 |
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| Transcription: | chī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí bù chī pútáo dào tǔ pútáo pí. |
| English: | When eating grapes don't spit out the skin, when not eating grapes spit out the skin. |
| Original: | 四 是 四 ， 十 是 十 ， 十 四 是 十 四 ， 四 十 是 四 十 ， 四 十 四 只 石 狮 子 是 死 的 。 |
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| Transcription: | sì shì sì shí shì shí shí sì shì shí sì sì shí shì sì shí sì shí sì zhī shí shī zǐ shì sǐ de. |
| English: | 4 is 4, 10 is 10, 14 is 14, 40 is 40, 44 stone lions are dead. |
| Original: | 梨 和 泥 ， 树 上 有 梨 ， 地 上 有 泥 ， 风 刮 梨 ， 梨 落 地 ， 梨 滚 泥 ， 泥 沾 梨 。 |
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| Transcription: | Lí hé ní Shù shàng yǒu lí, dì shàng yǒu ní. Fēng guā lí, lì luò dì. Lǐ gǔn ní, ní zhān lí. |
| English: | There's a pear on the tree; mud on the ground. The wind blows the pears; the pears fall to the ground. The pears roll in the mud; the mud sticks to the pears |
| Original: | 西施死時四十四 |
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| Transcription: | Xī Shī sǐshí sìshísì. |
| English: | The Useful Lady of the West was 44 years old at the time of her death. |
| Original: | 老师是或不是四十四的？ |
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| Transcription: | Lǎoshī shìbúshi sìshísìsuìde? |
| English: | Is the teacher a 44-year-old? |
| Original: | zhīdào jiù shuō zhīdào bù zhīdào jiù shuō bù zhīdào bū yào zhīdào shuō bù zhīdào yě bū yào bù zhīdào shuō zhīdào nǐ zhīdào bù zhīdào |
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| English: | If you know, just say you know. If you don't know, just say you don't know. You shouldn't know and say you don't know. And you shouldn't NOT know and say you DO know. You know? |
| Original: | yǎ bā yǒu ge lǎ bā lǎ mā gē yǒu tǎ mǎ yǎ bā yào lǎ mā dè tǎ mā lǎ mǎ yào yǎ bā dè lǎ bā yǎ bā gěi lǎ mā tā de lǎ bā lǎ mā gěi yǎ bā tā de tǎ mā yǎ bā yǒu le tǎ mǎ lǎ mā lē yǒu lǎ bā |
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| English: | The mute has a trumpet. The lama has a (Tibetan) fish. The mute wants the lama's fish. The lama wants the mute's trumpet. The mute gave the lama his trumpet. The lama gave the mute his fish. The mute has a fish. The lama has a trumpet. |
| Original: | 红凤， 凤粉红色， 粉红色凤。 |
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| Transcription: | Hóng fènghuáng huáng fènghuáng fěnhóng fènghuáng fěn fènghuáng fēi |
| English: | Red phoenix, yellow phoenix, pink phoenix, pink phoenix fly |
| Original: | 四十是四十 四十不是十四 十四不是四十 十四是十四 |
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| Transcription: | sìshí shì sìshí sìshí bǔ shì shísì shísì bǔ shì sìshí shísì shì shísì |
| English: | 40 IS 40, 40 IS NOT 14, 14 IS NOT 40, 14 IS 14. |
| Original: | 扁担宽板凳长 扁担想绑在板凳上 板凳不让扁担绑在板凳上 扁担偏要绑在板凳上 板凳偏偏不让扁担绑在那板凳上 到底扁担宽还是板凳长 |
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| Transcription: | biǎn dàn kuān bǎn dèng cháng biǎn dàn xiǎng bǎng zài bǎn dèng shàng bǎn dèng bǔ ràng biǎn dàn bǎn zài bǎn dèng shàng biǎn dàn piān yào bǎng zài bǎn dèng shàng bǎn dèng piān piān bú ràng biǎn dàn bǎng zài nà báng dèng shàng dào dǐ biǎn dàn kuān hái shì bán dèng cháng |
| English: | The tongue twister is about shoulder pole and a wooden stool … |
| Original: | 嘴说腿腿说嘴 嘴说腿爱跑腿 腿说嘴爱卖嘴 光动嘴不动腿 光动腿不动嘴 不如不长腿和嘴 |
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| Transcription: | zuǐ shuō tuí tuí shuō zuí zuǐ shuō tuí ài páo tuí tuí shuō zuí ài mài zuí guáng dòng zuí bǔ dòng tuí guáng dòng tuí bǔ dòng zuí bù rú bú zhǎng tuí hé zuí |
| English: | It is about mouth and feet |
| Original: | 村前有个颜圆眼 村后有个颜眼圆 不知颜圆眼的眼圆 还是颜眼圆的眼圆？ |
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| Transcription: | cūn qián yǒu gè yán yuán yǎn cūn hòu yǒu g4 yán yǎn yuán bù zhī yán yuán yǎn dē yǎn yuán hái shì yán yǎn yuán dē yǎn yuán? |
| English: | In front of the village there is a Yan Yuanyan. Behind the village, there is a Yan Yanyuan. Don't know if Yan Yuanyan's eyes are rounder or Yan Yanyuan's eyes are rounder. |
| Original: | 黑化肥发灰, 灰化肥发黑。 黑化肥发灰会挥发, 灰化肥挥发会发黑。 |
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| Transcription: | hēi huà féi fā huī, huī huà féi fā hēi. hēi huà féi fā huī huì huī fā, huī huà féi huī fā huì fā hēi. |
| English: | Black chemical fertilizer can turn gray, Gray chemical fertilizer can turn black; Black chemical fertilizer may evaporate when it turns gray, Gray chemical fertilizer may turn black when it evaporates. |
| Original: | 施氏食獅史 石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。 氏時時適市視獅。 十時，適十獅適市。 是時，適施氏適市。 氏視是十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。 氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。 石室濕，氏使侍拭石室。 石室拭，氏始試食是十獅。 食時，始識是十獅，實十石獅屍。 試釋是事。 |
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| Transcription: | Shī Shì shí shī shǐ Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī. Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī. Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì. Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì. Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì. Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì. Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī. Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī, shí shí shí shī shī. Shì shì shì shì. |
| English: | Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Room. Mr. Shi, the poet from a stone room, likes to eat lions. He promises solemnly, that he will eat ten lions. Regularly he goes to the market to look at the lions. … |
| Original: | 吃葡萄吐葡萄皮儿， 不吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮儿。 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮儿， 不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮儿。 |
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| Transcription: | chī pútáo tǔ pútáo pí ér, bù chī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí ér. chī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí ér, bù chī pútáo dào tǔ pútáo pí ér. |
| English: | Eat grapes throw out their skins, don't eat grapes don't throw out their skins. Eat grapes don't throw out their skins, don't eat grapes throw out their skins. |
| Original: | 黑蝴蝶飛， 灰蝴蝶飛， 黑蝴蝶飛完， 會蝴蝶飛。 |
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| Transcription: | hēi húdǐe fēi, hūi húdǐe fēi, hēi húdǐe fēiwán, hūi húdǐe fēi. |
| English: | The black butterfly flies, the gray butterfly flies, after the black butterfly flies, the gray butterfly flies. |
| Original: | 绿毛绿毛蛙，毛发毛发蓬松 |
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| English: | Green haired, green haired frog, fluffy haired, fluffy haired |
| Original: | 九个老鼠偷吃鸡蛋 |
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| English: | Nine mice stealing and eating chicken eggs |
| Original: | 老鹰抓小鸡 |
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| English: | Old eagle catching a small chicken |
| Original: | 风儿吹，雨儿下 |
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| English: | The wind blows, the rain falls |
| Original: | 长颈鹿的长颈 |
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| English: | The long-necked deer's long neck |
| Original: | 黑猫喜欢吃黑老鼠 |
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| English: | Black cats like to eat black mice |
| Original: | 老师教我们唱歌，我们唱得很好听 |
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| English: | The teacher teaches us to sing, we sing very well |
| Original: | 买了一只猫，卖了一只猫 |
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| English: | Buy a cat, sell a cat |
| Original: | 猫儿爬树，狗儿看着 |
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| English: | The cat climbs the tree, the dog watches |
| Original: | 小猫咪，猫咪咪 |
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| English: | Little cat meow, cat meow meow |
| Original: | 六娃娃在喝茶 |
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| English: | Six babies are drinking tea |
| Original: | 三只小猪在吃苹果 |
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| English: | Three little pigs are eating apples |
| Original: | 蚂蚁和蚂蚁在做蚂蚁事 |
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| English: | Ants and ants are doing ant things |
| Original: | 中国有中文 |
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| English: | China has Chinese |
| Original: | 我要去旅游，去观光，去看景 |
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| English: | I want to go on a trip, go sightseeing, go see the sights |
| Original: | 兔子和鸭子在长城上走 |
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| English: | Rabbits and ducks are walking on the Great Wall |
| Original: | 我喜欢吃火锅 |
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| English: | I like to eat hot pot |
| Original: | 三只小虎在摘草莓 |
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| English: | Three little tigers are picking strawberries |
| Original: | 小鸟唱歌，小花跳舞 |
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| English: | The little bird sings, the little flower dances |