Tone pair 4-1
This page will cover some examples of the 4-1 tone pair, which Sinosplice rates as a "6" on a difficulty rating of 1-7 (easiest to hardest).
When practicing, begin with a high tone and end with a sharp fall, almost like you are angry. First character is flat and high, when going into the second character start low then go lower before rising to a high tone. 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.
4-1 Tone Pair Combos
Source: Sinosplice's Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills (used with permission)
- 太干 (tài gān) too dry
- 太轻 (tài qīng) too light
- 太酸 (tài suān) too sour
4-1 Tone Pair Words
Sources: Sinosplice's Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills, AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)
- 上班 (shàngbān) to go to work
- 蛋糕 (dàngāo) cake
- 夏天 (xiàtiān) summer
- 健康 (jiànkāng) healthy; health
- 一些 (yīxiē) some
- 用功 (yònggōng) work hard
- 自私 (zìsī) selfish
Sources and further reading
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
