How to Pronounce "和"? ㄏㄢˋ (hàn) Fourth Tone or ㄏㄜˊ (hé) Second Tone? 「和」怎麼發音? 四聲還是二聲?

Q:「和」怎麼發音? ㄏㄢˋ (hàn) 四聲還是ㄏㄜˊ (hé)二聲?

How to Pronounce "和"? ㄏㄢˋ (hàn) Fourth Tone or ㄏㄜˊ (hé) Second Tone?

你覺得呢?

What do you think?

I often get asked this by my course students,

and I'm surprised that many learners tend to pronounce 和 ㄏㄜˊ hé.

While that’s understandable, it’s not common in everyday spoken Mandarin, at least not in Taiwan.

A:「和」這個音，口語我們通常說ㄏㄢˋ

In speaking, we almost always pronounce 和

as ㄏㄢˋ hàn.

If you’re speaking with Taiwanese locals, friends, or family, just stick with ㄏㄢˋ hàn.

For example:

➡️ 咖啡和茶 (ㄎㄚ ㄈㄟ ㄏㄢˋ ㄔㄚˊ / kāfēi hàn chá) – Coffee and tea

➡️ 我和我妹 (ㄨㄛˇ ㄏㄢˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄟˋ / wǒ hàn wǒ mèi) – My sister and I

☝️ Speaking tip

To sound more natural and colloquial, try using 跟 (ㄍㄣ / gēn) too.

I encourage you to use 和 and 跟 interchangeably, depending on the context.

This helps you avoid sounding too bookish.

➡️ 咖啡跟茶 (ㄎㄚ ㄈㄟ ㄍㄣ ㄔㄚ / kāfēi gēn chá)

➡️ 啤酒跟紅酒 (ㄆㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄍㄣ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ / píjiǔ gēn hóngjiǔ)

小心喔 Be aware ! There are some exceptions.

💬 When to Pronounce 和 as ㄏㄜˊ he the Second Tone?

Formal settings – In speeches, songs, lectures, or storytelling,

some people prefer ㄏㄜˊ hé. It gives off a polished, almost radio-broadcast vibe.

🎙 Podcasts –

Recently, I notice some mature podcasters tend to use ㄏㄜˊ hé.

especially when discussing deep or professional life topics. For example:

➡️ 我的人生和我父母的人生 – My life and my parents’ lives

(ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄏㄜˊ ㄨㄛˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄇㄨˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ

wǒ de rénshēng hé wǒ fùmǔ de rénshēng)

Using the second tone here adds a more reflective and philosophical feel.

➡️ 我和我的理財規劃

– Me and my financial planning

(ㄨㄛˇ ㄏㄜˊ ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄌㄧˇ ㄘㄞˊ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

wǒ hé wǒ de lǐcái guīhuà)

🎵 The other common occasion you hear 和 pronunce as ㄏㄜˊ he is in songs –

ㄏㄜˊ hé often fits better rhythmically and

adds a more dramatic or lyrical effect in music.

➡️ 我和你的愛情

(The love between you and me / Our love)

ㄨㄛˇ ㄏㄜˊ ㄋㄧˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄞˋ ㄑㄧㄥˊ

wǒ hé nǐ de àiqíng

(Note: Pronouncing it as ㄏㄜˊ hé gives it a poetic, storytelling feel, almost like a love story! 😊)

Side Note:

I’ve noticed that my friends from China often use ㄏㄜˊ hé in everyday conversations.

We understand each other perfectly—but as a Taiwanese speaker, this difference really stands out.

This question actually comes from a student in my Level Up Complete Program.

(What a great question!) Even for high-level students, this concept can still be unclear. I know Taiwanese Mandarin can be very confusing :)

Hope this blog post helps! Do not hesitate to let me know if you have other questions:)