Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/Tones-Introduction

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Mandarin Chinese Grammar → Pinyin and Tones → Tones Introduction

As a Mandarin Chinese teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that tones can be a tricky subject for beginners. But don't worry, after this lesson, you will get a better understanding of Mandarin Chinese tones and rules, making your Mandarin Chinese pronunciation more accurate and natural.

Tones in Mandarin Chinese

In Mandarin Chinese, tones are an essential part of the language. Mandarin Chinese has four main tones and one neutral tone. These tones differentiate the meaning of words that are pronounced with the same sounds but with different tones.

The Four Tones of Mandarin Chinese

Below are the four commonly recognized tones found in Mandarin Chinese:

  1. First Tone (Flat Tone): A high, level pitch, represented by a horizontal line above a vowel. For example, the word "mā" means "mother" in Mandarin Chinese with the first tone.
  2. Second Tone (Rising Tone): A rising pitch, represented by a diagonal line rising from left to right above a vowel. For example, the word "má" means "hemp" in Mandarin Chinese with the second tone.
  3. Third Tone (Falling-Rising Tone): A tone that falls from the middle pitch to a low pitch before rising again to a high pitch, represented by a diagonal line that goes down before rising. For example, the word "mǎ" means "horse" in Mandarin Chinese with the third tone.
  4. Fourth Tone (Falling Tone): A tone that falls sharply from a high pitch to a low pitch, represented by a diagonal line falling from left to right. For example, the word "mà" means "scold" in Mandarin Chinese with the fourth tone.

The Neutral Tone in Mandarin Chinese

The fifth tone of Mandarin Chinese is the neutral tone. It is pronounced with a level tone and is used when a syllable that would normally have a tone is pronounced without one. The neutral tone is often used in combination with other tones to avoid saying two high tones or two falling tones in a row.

Here's an example of how neutral tones work in a sentence. The sentence is 你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?) which means "How are you?" in Mandarin Chinese. The final particle 吗 (ma) is pronounced with a neutral tone because it is a question particle and helps to avoid two third tones in a row.

Tone Change Rules in Mandarin Chinese

In Mandarin Chinese, there are some rules about how tones change depending on the context in which they are used. Here are some of the most common tone change rules in Mandarin Chinese:

  1. Tone sandhi (连读): Tone sandhi occurs when two syllables are pronounced one after the other, and the tone of the first syllable changes according to the tone of the following syllable. For example, the sentence "你好吗?" is pronounced with two third tones as "ní hǎo ma?" instead of "nǐ hǎo ma?"
  2. Tone change before neutral tone: When a syllable in Mandarin Chinese would be followed by a neutral tone, the tone of the syllable changes according to the tone of the preceding word/syllable. For example, in the sentence "我是中国人" (wǒ shì zhōng guó rén), the second syllable "是" is pronounced as the fourth tone instead of the second tone because it is followed by the neutral tone "zhong".
  3. Third tones in combination: When two third tones occur next to each other, the tone of the first third tone becomes a second tone. For example, the compound word "小心" (xiǎo xīn) is pronounced as "xiáoxīn" to avoid two consecutive third tones.

Examples of Tones in Mandarin Chinese

Here are some commonly used words in Mandarin Chinese that demonstrate the different tones in the language:

Mandarin Chinese Pronunciation English
妈 mā mother (first tone)
马 mǎ horse (third tone)
麻 má numb (second tone)
骂 mà scold (fourth tone)
一 yī one (first tone)
衣服 yī fu clothes (first and fourth tone)
有 yǒu have (third tone)
友人 yǒu rén friend (third and first tone)

Practice Makes Perfect

To improve your Mandarin Chinese tone pronunciation, it is essential to practice. You can listen to various Mandarin Chinese podcasts, watch Chinese movies or dramatizations or make use of various courses offered by Mandarin Chinese language institutes such as Confucius Institute. Practising every day can help you speak more accurately and fluently.

Sources Used

Table of Contents - Mandarin Chinese Course - 0 to A1


Pinyin and Tones


Greetings and Basic Expressions


Sentence Structure and Word Order


Daily Life and Survival Expressions


Chinese Festivals and Traditions


Verbs and Verb Usage


Hobbies, Sports and Activities


China's Geography and Landmarks


Nouns and Pronouns


Professions and Personality Traits


Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts


Comparative and Superlative


Cities, Countries and Tourist Destinations


Modern China and Current Events


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