<p>In standard mandarin: 茶館</p>
<p>pinyin: cháguǎn</p>
<p>In standard mandarin: 察館</p>
<p>pinyin: cháguǎn</p>
<p>IPA for both: t͡ɕa̠kã̠ɴ</p>
<p>In standard mandarin there is no difference as they are homophones, pronounced exactly the same.  However, please keep in mind that mandarin is spoken in multiple countries and across billions of people.  Most people do not speak completely standard mandarin-- unless they are a newscaster getting fined or dubbing a drama.</p>
<p>It's very likely the difference that you are talking about is specific to the locality, or perhaps an accent to mandarin from another chinese language. I recognize 察館 as a visual pun to refer to being called in by the police to &quot;drink tea&quot;, but do not know which area may pronounce it differently. If you have any info on the relevant area, it will be possible for us to try to find the pronunciation difference for you.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-07T10:29:17.333Z
Based on all the guffowing going on at the time, as described in the question, I believe it's also entirely possible this was simply a pun or a joke that wasn't received or understood in the spirit that was intended.
Sanchuan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-07T19:22:03.283Z
@Sanchuan always possible.  anyone learning a second language has encountered times where a joke they heard or made was not at all conveyed.  either because the sense of humor wasn't the same, differences in language levels, or expectations of a joke not being there in the first place.  I know I personally have been on both ends of a joke that was taken literally in chinese over the years.
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T20:01:05.887Z
2023-02-06T20:08:14.877Z
2023-02-06T20:08:14.877Z
zagrycha
<p>I like to practice my Mandarin with staff at a 茶館 (tea house). After my months of trying, and after their months guffawing at me, they advise me that my pronunciation of  茶館 STILL sounds like 察館 (police station)! Assistance please!</p>
<p>Can someone write both out in IPA, and stress the phonological differences? Perhaps seeing the IPA transcription shall assist me, instead of Pinyin.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T09:10:17.987Z
For a Chinese Mainlander 茶 and 察 is exactly the same. I guess the workers at the teahouse are actually speaking Cantonese, which I also have no idea. Maybe you need to adjust your question a little.
march_happy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T09:41:36.330Z
@march_happy no. I am referring Mandarin. We were NOT speaking Cantonese!
User
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2023-02-06T12:18:06.783Z
@User What location / where do the owners of the tea house come from?
Michaelyus
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2023-02-06T14:17:39.413Z
I agree with Michaelyus. In mainland standard Mandarin, "police station" is 警察局/警局/警署. 察馆 sounds very unnatural to me. I googled and the first result yielded is referring to a Hong Kong TV drama, 《暗战》. "最重要噶就系，冇死系察馆", which is obviously Cantonese.
march_happy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T14:19:32.603Z
BTW, people in eastern/northern part of China nowdays usually doesn't keep the habit of drinking tea at a tea house. You have to take those workers' dialect into consideration.
march_happy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T14:20:57.880Z
Also welcome to StackExchange!
march_happy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T15:48:18.143Z
察館 is not a thing in Cantonese. It's either 警察局 or more colloquially, 差舘。
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-06T15:55:36.067Z
Also, I wouldn't assume everybody in every part of China speaks standard Mandarin, whatever standard means. After all, China covers a huge area with a huge population. I would think many people's Mandarin is probably influenced to some extent by whatever additional dialect/language they speak.
monalisa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-07T00:11:19.763Z
It's understandable if this happened in Hong Kong. Once 趙元任, a famous linguist, was in a Hong Kong shop buying things. A clerk suggested him practice Mandarin with the help of Mandarin tapes. "Who's tape should I purchase to improve my Mandarin?" asked 趙. "趙元任's is the best." answered the clerk.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-07T16:26:24.460Z
@monalisa The fact is that standard mandarin or 标准普通话 has been compulsory even in elementary school teaching since 1956 in mainland China. You could check [this gov.cn link](http://www.gov.cn/test/2005-08/02/content_19132.htm) for the historic file, 《国务院关于推广普通话的指示（1956年2月6日）》. I mean, dialects do exist but everyone in China mainland should be able to speak 普通话 fluently.
march_happy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-07T16:31:44.990Z
@monalisa On the Internet, we even have discussion on the fact that standard mandarin is threatening the existence of dialects.
march_happy
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-07T17:09:45.653Z
@march_happy I don't think you understood my point. I know everybody should be able to speak Mandarin, but does everybody speak STANDARD Mandarin. The OP is asking about someone at a tea-house correcting his/her Mandarin. My point, like others, is that we aren't even sure if this person speaks STANDARD Mandarin.
monalisa
<pronunciation><phonology>
How can learner distinguish 察館 vs. 茶館 in Mandarin phonetically?
# How can learner distinguish 察館 vs. 茶館 in Mandarin phonetically?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-06)

I like to practice my Mandarin with staff at a 茶館 (tea house). After my months of trying, and after their months guffawing at me, they advise me that my pronunciation of 茶館 STILL sounds like 察館 (police station)! Assistance please!

Can someone write both out in IPA, and stress the phonological differences? Perhaps seeing the IPA transcription shall assist me, instead of Pinyin.

**Tags:** pronunciation, phonology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: For a Chinese Mainlander 茶 and 察 is exactly the same. I guess the workers at the teahouse are actually speaking Cantonese, which I also have no idea. Maybe you need to adjust your question a little.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 no. I am referring Mandarin. We were NOT speaking Cantonese!  
> **username_2**: @username_0 What location / where do the owners of the tea house come from?  
> **username_1**: I agree with username_2. In mainland standard Mandarin, "police station" is 警察局/警局/警署. 察馆 sounds very unnatural to me. I googled and the first result yielded is referring to a Hong Kong TV drama, 《暗战》. "最重要噶就系，冇死系察馆", which is obviously Cantonese.  
> **username_1**: BTW, people in eastern/northern part of China nowdays usually doesn't keep the habit of drinking tea at a tea house. You have to take those workers' dialect into consideration.  
> **username_1**: Also welcome to StackExchange!  
> **username_3**: 察館 is not a thing in Cantonese. It's either 警察局 or more colloquially, 差舘。  
> **username_3**: Also, I wouldn't assume everybody in every part of China speaks standard Mandarin, whatever standard means. After all, China covers a huge area with a huge population. I would think many people's Mandarin is probably influenced to some extent by whatever additional dialect/language they speak.  
> **username_4**: It's understandable if this happened in Hong Kong. Once 趙元任, a famous linguist, was in a Hong Kong shop buying things. A clerk suggested him practice Mandarin with the help of Mandarin tapes. "Who's tape should I purchase to improve my Mandarin?" asked 趙. "趙元任's is the best." answered the clerk.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 The fact is that standard mandarin or 标准普通话 has been compulsory even in elementary school teaching since 1956 in mainland China. You could check [this gov.cn link](http://www.gov.cn/test/2005-08/02/content_19132.htm) for the historic file, 《国务院关于推广普通话的指示（1956年2月6日）》. I mean, dialects do exist but everyone in China mainland should be able to speak 普通话 fluently.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 On the Internet, we even have discussion on the fact that standard mandarin is threatening the existence of dialects.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 I don't think you understood my point. I know everybody should be able to speak Mandarin, but does everybody speak STANDARD Mandarin. The OP is asking about someone at a tea-house correcting his/her Mandarin. My point, like others, is that we aren't even sure if this person speaks STANDARD Mandarin.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2023-02-06. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

In standard mandarin: 茶館

pinyin: cháguǎn

In standard mandarin: 察館

pinyin: cháguǎn

IPA for both: t͡ɕa̠kã̠ɴ

In standard mandarin there is no difference as they are homophones, pronounced exactly the same. However, please keep in mind that mandarin is spoken in multiple countries and across billions of people. Most people do not speak completely standard mandarin-- unless they are a newscaster getting fined or dubbing a drama.

It's very likely the difference that you are talking about is specific to the locality, or perhaps an accent to mandarin from another chinese language. I recognize 察館 as a visual pun to refer to being called in by the police to "drink tea", but do not know which area may pronounce it differently. If you have any info on the relevant area, it will be possible for us to try to find the pronunciation difference for you.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Based on all the guffowing going on at the time, as described in the question, I believe it's also entirely possible this was simply a pun or a joke that wasn't received or understood in the spirit that was intended.  
> **username_5**: @username_6 always possible.  anyone learning a second language has encountered times where a joke they heard or made was not at all conveyed.  either because the sense of humor wasn't the same, differences in language levels, or expectations of a joke not being there in the first place.  I know I personally have been on both ends of a joke that was taken literally in chinese over the years.  

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