wǎn'ān.

good night

Questions & Answers about wǎn'ān.

How do I pronounce wǎn’ān naturally?

It has two syllables:

• wǎn — third tone
• ān — first tone

A natural approximation for English speakers is:

• wǎn ≈ wahn with a dipping tone
• ān ≈ ahn said high and steady

A few pronunciation tips:

• In wǎn, the -an is closer to ahn than the an in man.
• The w is a normal English w sound.
• The third tone in real speech often sounds like a low tone rather than a full dramatic dip-rise, especially in short phrases.

So 晚安 often sounds like a low wǎn + high ān.

Why is there an apostrophe in wǎn’ān?

The apostrophe separates the syllables in pinyin.

Without it, wanan could be a little harder to read correctly at first glance. Writing wǎn’ān makes it clear that this is:

• wǎn
  • ān

In pinyin, apostrophes are often used when the next syllable begins with a, o, or e, to prevent confusion.

So the apostrophe is a spelling aid in pinyin only. It is not a pause in speech, and it does not appear in Chinese characters.

Do the tones change in 晚安?