Chinese is a tonal language, where tones are used to distinguish characters or words that share the same Pinyin/syllables. Accurate tone information is crucial for the recognition and correct interpretation of spoken Chinese.
Watch the animation and click on each tone to hear the sound and practice:
Mandarin Chinese primarily has four tones:
High Level – Pitch value [55]. It is pronounced at a consistently high pitch, with the vocal cords in their tightest relative condition, maintaining a high-pitched sound without obvious change.
Rising – Pitch value [35]. It starts from a mid-level pitch and rises to high, with the vocal cords gradually tightening from a neutral position to their tightest state. The sound ascends from mid-level to the highest pitch.
Low Dipping – Pitch value [214]. It begins slightly low, dips lower, and then rises. Initially, the vocal cords are moderately tight, then relax and extend slightly before rapidly tightening again (but not to the tightest state). This tone mainly occupies the lower pitch range and is characterized by its longer duration compared to other tones.
Falling – Pitch value [51]. It starts high and sharply drops to low, with the vocal cords transitioning from tight to completely relaxed. This tone has the shortest duration among the four.
Additionally, there are two special phenomena in Putonghua:
Typically short and light, it occurs under specific conditions, usually on unstressed syllables.
☞ 我们 (wǒmén, we) → pronounced as wǒ men
See also: Chinese Pinyin: Neutral tone
Refers to allophonic and phonemic changes when tones interact.
☞ 很好 (hěn hǎo, good) → pronounced as hén hǎo
See also: Chinese Pinyin: Sandhi of the 3rd tone
Many learners of Chinese tend to speak Putonghua with an unusual intonation because they have not mastered the proper use of tones and tone sandhi. Practice these tones regularly to develop natural pronunciation!