Here's a breakdown of the pronunciation:
* zhōng (pronounced like "jong" with a slight "zh" sound at the beginning)
* guó (pronounced like "gwo" with a slight "r" sound at the end)
Together: "jong-gwo"
It's important to note that the tones are crucial in Mandarin pronunciation. The word "zhōngguó" has two tones:
* zhōng has a first tone (high and level)
* guó has a second tone (rising)
So, the pronunciation of "China" in Mandarin sounds like: "jong-gwo" with a high, level tone on the first syllable and a rising tone on the second.