Tones
The four tones and the neutral tone.
Every Mandarin syllable has a tone, a shape of the voice's pitch, and the tone is part of the word: said in another tone it is another word. Pinyin marks the tone over the vowel.
| Tone | Mark | Pitch | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | mā | high and level | 妈 mā mother |
| Second | má | rising, from middle to high | 麻 má hemp |
| Third | mǎ | low, dipping | 马 mǎ horse |
| Fourth | mà | falling sharply, from high to low | 骂 mà scold |
| Neutral | ma | short and light | 吗 ma (question word) |
Hearing the shapes
- The first tone stays high and level, as if singing a long note.
- The second tone rises, like the English "huh?" or "what?" asked in surprise.
- The third tone is low. Alone, or at the end of a sentence, it dips down and comes back up a little; before another syllable it just stays low, without rising. This low "half third" is how you'll hear it most.
- The fourth tone falls fast from high to low, like a firm "No!".
- Māma qí mǎ.Mom rides a horse.
- Tā hěn máng.He's busy.
The neutral tone
Some syllables lose their tone and are said short and light, with no mark. Their pitch follows the syllable before: a little higher after a third tone, lower after the others. The neutral tone falls on:
- particles: 的 de, 了 le, 吗 ma, 呢 ne, 吧 ba;
- endings like 们 men and 子 zi: 我们 wǒmen "we", 桌子 zhuōzi "table";
- the second half of doubled words: 妈妈 māma, 谢谢 xièxie, 看看 kànkan;
- the second syllable of many common words: 朋友 péngyou "friend", 东西 dōngxi "thing".
Tones tell words apart
| Word | Meaning | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 买 mǎi | buy | 卖 mài | sell |
| 汤 tāng | soup | 糖 táng | sugar |
| 打 dǎ | hit | 大 dà | big |
| 问 wèn | ask | 文 wén | writing |
| 东西 dōngxi | thing | 东西 dōngxī | east and west |
Some tones change before others in speech: see Tone changes.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Getting started cards.
What pitch is the first tone, as in mā?
High and level.
What pitch is the second tone, as in má?
Rising, from middle to high.
How is a third tone said before a syllable that isn't third tone, as in 很忙 (hěn máng)?
Low, without rising again.
What pitch is the fourth tone, as in mà?
Falling sharply, from high to low.
How is the neutral tone written in pinyin?
With no tone mark: ma, le, de.
mǎi or mài: which is "to sell"?
mài, 卖.
What does 东西 mean said dōngxi, with a neutral second syllable?
"Thing", "stuff".
Which words are typically said in the neutral tone?
Particles such as 的, 了 and 吗, endings such as 们, and the second half of doubled words like 谢谢.