Have you ever heard a Chinese tongue twister? You may have and not even realized it. A tongue twister is a type of oral literature, which is a unique form of language art in Chinese folk literature. It can help people exercise eloquence, correct pronunciation, as well as improve their Chinese speaking ability.

Upon first hearing one it can seem intimidating! But practicing Chinese tongue twisters is an interesting and effective way to learn Chinese. Not only is it challenging but it can be fun! It is especially entertaining when it is made into a friendly competition. Feel free to record yourself giving your best effort reading one of the Chinese tongue twisters and send it to us. You might be selected to be featured on our social media channels!

Here are two excerpts from the tongue twister.

The first tongue twister will certainly have you pronouncing "猫 (māo)", "帽 (mào)" and "庙 (miào)" with precision. It also will help you with the pinyin point "-ao". Give it a try!

#1 白庙和白猫 (Bái miào hé bái māo) White Temple And White Cat

Bái miào wài dūn yì zhī bái māo,
白庙外蹲一只白猫，
A white cat is crouched out of the white temple,

Bái miào lǐ yǒu yì dǐng bái mào.
白庙里有一顶白帽。
There is a white hat in the white temple.

Bái miào wài de bái māo kànjiàn le bái mào,
白庙外的白猫看见了白帽，
The white cat outside the white temple saw the white hat,

Diāo zhe bái miào lǐ de bái mào, pǎo chū le bái miào.
叼着白庙里的白帽, 跑出了白庙。
Which ran out of the white temple, carrying with the white hat of the white temple.

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