How to say “choose” in Chinese

选择

xuǎnzé

choose; choice

verb · HSK 3 · topic “Shopping and things”

“Choose” in Chinese is 选择, xuǎn zé: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

选择 is read xuǎn zé: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

xuǎn — 3rd tonelow, dipping and rising a little

zé — 2nd tonerising, like a surprised “huh?”

How to write it

选

xuǎn — choose

On the left, 辶 “walk”; inside, 先 xiān hints at the sound.

择

zé — choose

On the left, 扌 “hand”.

Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “选择”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 选择. Tap the sound icon to listen.

请选择正确的答案。qǐngxuǎnzézhèngquèdedá’ànChoose the correct answer.
商家应该尊重消费者的选择shāngjiāyīnggāizūnzhòngxiāofèizhědexuǎnzéSellers should respect consumers' choices.
你为什么选择这个专业？nǐwèishénmexuǎnzézhègezhuānyèWhy did you choose this major?
你有权选择自己的生活nǐyǒuquánxuǎnzézìjǐdeshēnghuóYou have the right to choose your own life.
我们现在面临两个选择wǒmenxiànzàimiànlínliǎnggexuǎnzéRight now we’re facing a choice between two options.
你当初为什么选择学中文？nǐdāngchūwèishénmexuǎnzéxuéZhōngwénWhy did you decide to learn Chinese back then?

More words from the lesson “Another color?”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “choose” in Chinese?

“Choose” in Chinese is 选择, pinyin xuǎnzé.

What does 选择 mean?

选择 (xuǎnzé) means “choose; choice”.

How do you write 选择?

选择 is 2 characters: 选 (xuǎn) — choose; 择 (zé) — choose. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 选择?

选择 is read xuǎnzé. Tones: xuǎn — third tone, zé — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“choose” in the lesson “Another color?”

This word is from the topic “Shopping and things” of HSK 3. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.

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