Tone pair 1-2
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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
If you're already familiar with tone pairs, then you might be ready for some specific examples. This page will cover some examples of the 1-1 tone pair, which Sinosplice rates as a "1" on a difficulty rating of 1-7 (easiest to hardest).
This one's pretty easy! You just stay high and level, almost robot-like. 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
1-1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今天 | jīntiān | today | |
| 公司 | gōngsī | company | |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week | |
| 咖啡 | kāfēi | coffee | |
| 香蕉 | xiāngjiāo | banana |
Source: AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)
1-1 Tone Pair Phrases (B1)
| Audio | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 星期天 | xīngqītiān | Sunday | |
| 吃 香蕉 | chī xiāngjiāo | to eat a banana | |
| 喝 咖啡 | hē kāfēi | to drink coffee | |
| 去 公司 | qù gōngsī | to go to the office | |
| 很 开心 | hěn kāixīn | very happy |
Source: AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)
1-1 Tone Pair Combos
| Audio | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 真新 | zhēn xīn | really new | |
| 真黑 | zhēn hēi | really black, really dark | |
| 真干 | zhēn gān | really dry | |
| 真轻 | zhēn qīng | really light | |
| 真酸 | zhēn suān | really sour |
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 1-1
- AllSet Learning video on YouTube: Chinese Pronunciation Practice: B1 Tone Pair 1-1
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
