Pinyin Syllable
Chinese characters pronounced ci
Learn common Chinese characters pronounced ci, including 此 cǐ, 次 cì, 差 chā / chà / chāi / cī, 词 cí, 刺 cì. Compare tones, meanings, traditional forms, words…
How to Pronounce This Syllable
ci is a whole syllable: a flat-tongue z-sound with a strong puff of air, followed by the same thin buzzing i.
Initial c
Flat tongue with strong aspiration.
Final i
After zh, ch, sh, r, z, c, s, this i is not the clear “ee” in see.
Study Tip
Start with the most common characters (此 cǐ, 次 cì, 差 chā / chà / chāi / cī, 词 cí, 刺 cì) and lock in their tones. 12 common characters share the sound ci, so lean on words to tell the rest apart.
Learn by Tone
ci turns up here with 4 different tones; a change of tone usually means a different character, so the groups below are split by tone.
1st tone
Taking the 1st tone here: 差 (1 in total). Lock this tone in your ear before the meaning.
2nd tone
Taking the 2nd tone here: 词, 辞, 慈… (7 in total). Lock this tone in your ear before the meaning.
3rd tone
Taking the 3rd tone here: 此 (1 in total). Lock this tone in your ear before the meaning.
4th tone
Taking the 4th tone here: 次, 刺, 赐 (3 in total). Lock this tone in your ear before the meaning.
Common Words With This Sound
Seeing ci inside whole words makes it clear which character is meant — here are common ones.
Characters
12 common characters in this group.