Tone pair 1-4
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Level
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In series Tone pairs
- 1. Tone pair 1-1
- 2. Tone pair 1-2
- 3. Tone pair 1-3
- 4. Tone pair 1-4
- 5. Tone pair 1-0
- 6. Tone pair 2-1
- 7. Tone pair 2-2
- 8. Tone pair 2-3
- 9. Tone pair 2-4
- 10. Tone pair 2-0
- 11. Tone pair 3-1
- 12. Tone pair 3-2
- 13. Tone pair 3-3
- 14. Tone pair 3-4
- 15. Tone pair 3-0
- 16. Tone pair 4-1
- 17. Tone pair 4-2
- 18. Tone pair 4-3
- 19. Tone pair 4-4
- 20. Tone pair 4-0
This page will cover some examples of the 1-4 tone pair, which Sinosplice rates as a "3" on a difficulty rating of 1-7 (easiest to hardest).
Practice this tone pair using the words below. Once you can say them reliable in isolation (as just a tone pair), try putting them in longer sentences while keeping the tones accurate.
Contents
1-4 Tone Pair Diagram
It helps many learners to see the two tones side by side.
1-4 Tone Pair Words (A2)
If you're just getting started with tone pairs, these simple two-syllable words and phrases are a good place to start. If these are too easy, you may want to move onto the longer (B1) phrases below.
| Audio | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 工作 | gōngzuò | work, job; to work | |
| 开会 | kāihuì | to have a meeting | |
| 需要 | xūyào | to need | |
| 帮助 | bāngzhù | to help | |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient |
Source: AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)
1-4 Tone Pair Phrases (B1)
| Audio | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不开会 | bù kāihuì | to not have a meeting | |
| 去工作 | qù gōngzuò | to go work | |
| 不需要开会 | bù xūyào kāihuì | to not need to have a meeting | |
| 需要帮助 | xūyào bāngzhù | to need help | |
| 希望工作 | xīwàng gōngzuò | to hope to work |
Source: AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)
1-4 Tone Pair Combos
| Audio | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| (coming) | 真快 | zhēn kuài | really fast |
| (coming) | 真大 | zhēn dà | really big |
| (coming) | 真贵 | zhēn guì | really expensive |
| (coming) | 真热 | zhēn rè | really hot |
| (coming) | 真饿 | zhēn è | really hungry |
Source: Sinosplice's Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills (used with permission)
Sources and further reading
Videos
- AllSet Learning video on YouTube: Chinese Pronunciation Practice: A2 Tone Pair 1-4
- AllSet Learning video on YouTube: Chinese Pronunciation Practice: B1 Tone Pair 1-4
Websites
- Sinosplice: The Process Of Learning Tones
- Sinosplice: Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills, New Feature: Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills
- Hacking Chinese: Focusing on tone pairs to improve your Mandarin pronunciation
- About.com: How tone pairs can improve your Mandarin pronunciation
