Chinese to Pinyin Converter

Words in this text

• 你 nǐ: you (HSK 1)
• 好 hǎo: good (HSK 1)
• 我们 wǒmen: we (HSK 1)
• 明天 míngtiān: tomorrow (HSK 1)
• 一起 yìqǐ: together (HSK 2)
• 去 qù: to go (HSK 1)
• 北京 Běijīng: Beijing (HSK 1)
• 不要 búyào: don't! (HSK 1)
• 迟到 chídào: to arrive late (HSK 3)

How it works

• 1. Paste or type Chinese. Up to 2,000 characters, simplified or traditional. The pinyin updates as you type.
• 2. Read the pinyin above each word. Each word is read whole, so a character with two sounds gets the one its word needs.
• 3. Copy, listen or save. Copy the pinyin, hear the text read aloud, or save its words as flashcards.

Characters with two sounds, read in context

SayMei reads whole words, not single characters, so a character with two readings gets the one its word needs. Each pair below is the converter's own output. Many converters read 银行 (yínháng, bank) as yínxíng.

Pinyin formats you can copy

The same sentence in each format the converter gives you:

• Pinyin above the characters. The default view. Print it or save it as a PDF to keep the layout.
• Pinyin only. Words written together, the Hanyu Pinyin way.
  Nǐ hǎo! Wǒmen míngtiān yìqǐ qù Běijīng ba, búyào chídào.
• Tone numbers. For typing and spreadsheets. Choose Tone numbers under Display.
  Ni3 hao3! Wo3men5 ming2tian1 yi4qi3 qu4 Bei3jing1 ba5, bu2yao4 chi2dao4.
• Characters and pinyin on two lines. What Copy characters + pinyin pastes into notes or slides.
  你好！我们明天一起去北京吧，不要迟到。
  Nǐ hǎo! Wǒmen míngtiān yìqǐ qù Běijīng ba, búyào chídào.

Tone marks, tone numbers and tone changes

Tone marks are for reading: nǐ hǎo. Tone numbers are for typing: ni3 hao3. A syllable with no mark is a short, light neutral tone, like 吧 (ba) and the 们 (men) in 我们 (wǒmen).

一 (yī) and 不 (bù) are written as they are said: 一个 (yí gè), 一起 (yìqǐ), 不是 (bú shì). Ordinals, dates and numbers keep yī, as in 第一 (dìyī) and 十一月 (shíyīyuè).

Third-tone changes are not written: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) keeps its two third tones on paper, although you say ní hǎo. Hear how tones change in the Tone Sandhi Checker.

Use the pinyin somewhere else

• Notes, messages and slides. Copy pinyin pastes the pinyin alone; Copy characters + pinyin pastes two lines.
• A reading sheet. Print / Save as PDF gives one sheet: your text, the pinyin above the characters and the word list. Choose Save as PDF in the print window to keep a copy.
• Writing practice. Make a worksheet turns the words in your text into a tracing worksheet with pinyin and meanings.
• Word documents. Microsoft Word's Phonetic Guide can put pinyin above characters. Google Docs has no such option, so print from here instead.

Common questions

How do I convert Chinese characters to pinyin?

Paste up to 2,000 characters of simplified or traditional Chinese into the box and tone-marked pinyin appears above every word as you type. The converter reads whole words in context, so 银行 (yínháng, bank) is not misread as yínxíng. Copy the pinyin, listen to the text, print it or share a link. It is free and needs no account.

How do I put pinyin above Chinese characters?

Pinyin above the characters is the default view. Plain text cannot keep that layout, so to use it elsewhere print the page or save it as a PDF; in Microsoft Word, the Phonetic Guide can also place pinyin above characters. Copy characters + pinyin pastes two lines instead: the characters, then the pinyin under them.

Why does the same Chinese character have different pinyin?

Many characters have more than one reading, and the word decides which: 行 (háng or xíng) is háng in 银行 (yínháng, bank) but xíng in 不行 (bùxíng, no way), and 长 (zhǎng or cháng) is zhǎng in 长大 (zhǎngdà, to grow up) but cháng in 很长 (hěn cháng, very long). The converter reads whole words in context, so it usually picks the right one; double-check names and rare words.

Why does the pinyin say nǐ hǎo when people say ní hǎo?

Pinyin keeps the dictionary tone when two third tones meet, so 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is written with two third tones but said ní hǎo. The converter makes two exceptions, as many textbooks do: 一 (yī) and 不 (bù) are written as spoken, as in 一个 (yí gè) and 不要 (búyào). The Tone Sandhi Checker shows the spoken tones for any phrase.

Should I use pinyin tone marks or tone numbers?

Use tone marks for reading, as in nǐ hǎo, and tone numbers for typing or storing pinyin, as in ni3 hao3. The converter shows tone marks by default; choose Tone numbers under Display to switch, or press Copy tone numbers under the result. A syllable with no mark is a light, neutral tone, like 吧 (ba).

Does the converter work with traditional Chinese?

Yes. Paste simplified or traditional characters, or a mix of both, and you get the same pinyin: 我們 (wǒmen) and 我们 (wǒmen) match. Your characters stay exactly as you typed them, and only the pinyin is added above them.

Can I save the words to study later?

Yes. Under the result, Words in this text lists each word with its pinyin, meaning and HSK level. Save words adds them to SayMei Flashcards with a free profile, so you can review them on your phone or laptop, and Make a worksheet prints them as a tracing sheet. Converting needs no account.

Keep going

• Worksheet Generator: Print these words as a tracing sheet.
• Pinyin Chart: Hear every pinyin sound.
• Tone Sandhi Rules: Hear how tones change in speech.

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