吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮 (Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí)
吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮 (Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí)
Eat grapes, don’t spit out grape skins; don’t eat grapes but do spit out grape skins
Why Is It Hard?
The word putao (grapes) appears four times. The verbs chi (eat) and tu (spit out) sound similar and must be distinguished by tone. The second line reverses the logic of the first – not eating but still spitting – which confuses the brain just as the tongue is getting into the rhythm. The bu (not) particle appears three times and keeps switching the meaning.
History
Chi putao bu tu putao pi is one of China’s most widely known children’s tongue twisters and has been a classroom staple for generations. The image of eating grapes and dealing with the skins is relatable and vivid. The twister is notable for its logical structure – each half states the opposite action – which makes it both a phonetic and a cognitive challenge.
Tips for Saying It
- Understand the logic: first half eat-not-spit, second half not-eat-do-spit.
- Putao (grape) is the anchor word – practise it alone until it feels automatic.
- The chi/tu distinction: chi (eat) has rising tone, tu (spit) has falling-rising tone.
- Say the two halves separately then combine.
More Chinese Tongue Twisters
- Chinese Tongue Twisters – full collection
- Tongue Twisters for Kids – great for children
- Funny Tongue Twisters – more humorous twisters
Find hundreds more on alltonguetwisters.com.