Mandarin Tones in Everyday Words
32 flashcards · Beginner · Language Learning
Teaches the four Mandarin tones and the neutral tone, then the tone pairs inside everyday words like 你好, 谢谢 and 不客气. Covers the 3+3, 不 and 一 tone changes, with simplified characters and pinyin.
Best forMandarin beginners who can say the four tones alone but lose them inside real words.
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妈
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The four tones and the neutral tone
Tone 1, high and level. Hold your voice high and flat, like singing one note. Means mom. In speech people usually double it: 妈妈 māma.
妈
Pronunciation
mā
What you'll learn
- The four tones and the neutral tone on mā, má, mǎ, mà and ma
- Words that change meaning with tone, like 买 mǎi (buy) and 卖 mài (sell)
- Tone pairs inside everyday words such as 中国, 北京 and 谢谢
- Why 你好 is said ní hǎo: the 3+3 change
- When 不 and 一 change tone, as in 不是 bú shì and 一个 yí ge
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The four tones and the neutral tone · 5
- 妈/ mā /
- Tone 1, high and level. Hold your voice high and flat, like singing one note. Means mom. In speech people usually double it: 妈妈 māma.
- 麻/ má /
- Tone 2, rising. Start in the middle of your voice and go up, like a surprised "huh?". Means numb or tingly, as in 麻辣 málà, the numbing spicy taste of Sichuan food.
- 马/ mǎ /
- Tone 3, low. Said alone, it dips low and rises a little at the end. Inside a word it usually stays low. Means horse.
- 骂/ mà /
- Tone 4, falling. Start high and drop fast, like a firm "No." Means to scold or tell someone off.
- 好吗？/ hǎo ma? /
- Neutral tone on 吗 ma. It is short and light and has no tone mark; its pitch follows the tone before it. 吗 turns a statement into a yes-no question. 好吗？ means "okay?" or "is that all right?"
Words that differ only by tone · 4
- 买/ mǎi /
- Tone 3, low. Means to buy. Keep it low. With a falling tone 4, 卖 mài, the same syllable means to sell.
- 卖/ mài /
- Tone 4, falling. Means to sell. Drop sharply from high. Compare 买 mǎi, to buy, which stays low.
- 水饺/ shuǐjiǎo (said: shuíjiǎo) /
- Two third tones (3+3), so the first one rises: listen for shuí, not shuǐ. Means boiled dumplings. Compare 睡觉 shuìjiào, to sleep, which is two falling tones.
- 睡觉/ shuìjiào /
- Tone pair 4+4: two falls in a row. Let the first fall go only partway down, then drop fully on the second. Means to sleep or go to bed. Compare 水饺 shuǐjiǎo, dumplings.
Tone pairs in everyday words · 5
- 中国/ Zhōngguó /
- Tone pair 1+2: high and level, then rising. Do not let 中 fall before 国 rises. Means China.
- 吃饭/ chī fàn /
- Tone pair 1+4: high and level, then a sharp fall from that same high point. Means to eat, or to have a meal.
- 明天/ míngtiān /
- Tone pair 2+1: rise, then hold high. 天 starts where 明 ends, at the top of your voice. Means tomorrow.
- 没有/ méiyǒu /
- Tone pair 2+3: rise, then drop low. Means don't have, or didn't. 没有 is also a short answer: "no, I don't" or "no, I didn't."
- 再见/ zàijiàn /
- Tone pair 4+4: two falls. Make the first fall shorter so the second one can drop fully. Means goodbye. Among friends, many people say 拜拜 bàibai instead.
The neutral tone in words · 3
- 谢谢/ xièxie /
- Tone 4 + neutral tone. The first 谢 falls; the second is short and light. Means thank you.
- 朋友/ péngyou /
- Tone 2 + neutral tone. 朋 rises; 友 is short and light. Means friend.
- 什么/ shénme /
- Tone 2 + neutral tone. 什 rises; 么 is short and light. Means what.
Low third tone before other tones · 3
- 北京/ Běijīng /
- Tone pair 3+1. Before tones 1, 2 and 4, a third tone stays low and does not rise. Teachers often call this a half third tone. Then jump up to a high, level 京. Means Beijing.
- 老师/ lǎoshī /
- Tone pair 3+1: 老 stays low, then 师 is high and level. Means teacher. It is also how you address a teacher, and some people use it as a polite title for other skilled adults.
- 米饭/ mǐfàn /
- Tone pair 3+4: 米 stays low, then 饭 falls from high. Means cooked rice. Compare 迷 mí, as in 迷路 mílù (to get lost), with a rising tone.
Third tone pairs (3+3) · 4
- 你好/ nǐ hǎo (said: ní hǎo) /
- Two third tones (3+3). When two third tones meet, the first one is said as a rising tone 2. Pinyin keeps the tone 3 mark, so you read nǐ but say ní. Means hello.
- 很好/ hěn hǎo (said: hén hǎo) /
- Two third tones (3+3), so 很 rises: hén hǎo. Means very good, or I'm fine.
- 可以/ kěyǐ (said: kéyǐ) /
- Two third tones (3+3), so 可 rises: kéyǐ. Means can, may, or that's fine. On its own it is a common way to say yes to a request.
- 洗手间/ xǐshǒujiān (said: xíshǒujiān) /
- 洗手 is two third tones (3+3), so 洗 rises: xí. Then 间 is high and level. Means restroom.
When 不 changes tone · 4
- 不是/ bù shì (said: bú shì) /
- 不 is tone 4 by default, but before another tone 4 it changes to tone 2. 是 is tone 4, so you say bú shì. Means no, or it isn't.
- 不客气/ bù kèqi (said: bú kèqi) /
- 客 is tone 4, so 不 changes to tone 2: bú kèqi. 气 is light. Means you're welcome, the usual reply to 谢谢.
- 不要/ bù yào (said: bú yào) /
- 要 is tone 4, so 不 changes to tone 2: bú yào. Means I don't want it, no thanks, or don't.
- 不好/ bù hǎo /
- No change here. 好 is tone 3, so 不 keeps tone 4: a fall into a low tone. 不 only changes before tone 4. Means not good, or bad.
When 一 changes tone · 4
- 一个/ yī gè (said: yí ge) /
- 一 is yī on its own, but before tone 4 it changes to tone 2. 个 is tone 4 in the dictionary and is often light in speech, so you say yí ge. Means one (of something).
- 一起/ yīqǐ (said: yìqǐ) /
- Before tones 1, 2 and 3, 一 changes to tone 4. 起 is tone 3, so you say yìqǐ. Means together.
- 等一下/ děng yīxià (said: děng yíxià) /
- 下 is tone 4, so 一 changes to tone 2: děng yíxià. Means wait a moment. Staff and waiters say this a lot.
- 十一/ shíyī /
- No change. 一 keeps tone 1 when you count, at the end of a word, and in order words like 第一 dì yī (first). Means eleven.
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