Tone pair 2-1
This page will cover some examples of the 2-1 tone pair, which Sinosplice rates as a "4" 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.
2-1 Tone Pair Combos
Source: Sinosplice's Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills (used with permission)
- 蛮新 (mán xīn) quite new
- 蛮黑 (mán hēi) quite dark
2-1 Tone Pair Words
Sources: Sinosplice's Mandarin Chinese Tone Pair Drills, AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)
- 时间 (shíjiān) time
- 昨天 (zuótiān) yesterday
- 明天 (míngtiān) tomorrow
- 旁边 (pángbiān) the side, next to
- 回 家 (huí jiā) to return home
- 房间 (fángjiān) room
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
