Sounds & tones

The four tonesSame syllable, four words

• First tone妈māmotherHigh and flat. Hold one pitch, like a note sung straight.
• Second tone麻máhempRising. The pitch of an English question: really?
• Third tone马mǎhorseDip low, then come back up. In fast speech it often stays low.
• Fourth tone骂màto scoldFalling sharply, the way you say a firm no.

Sounds with no English equivalent

• qqī 七Like the ch in cheese, but with your lips pulled wide into a smile.
• xxiè 谢Like the sh in she, tongue forward, lips wide.
• zh · ch · shzhōng 中Curl the tongue tip back towards the roof of the mouth, then release.
• ccài 菜Not a k. It is the ts at the end of cats.
• ünǚ 女Say ee, then round your lips without moving your tongue.

Three rules

1. 01

   你好 → ní hǎo

   Two third tones in a row: the first becomes a second tone. Nobody says nǐ hǎo with two dips.

2. 02

   不是 → bú shì

   不 bù becomes bú before a fourth tone. Everywhere else it stays bù.

3. 03

   一个 → yí ge · 一天 → yì tiān

   一 yī is yí before a fourth tone and yì before the others. On its own, counting, it stays yī.