Tone pair 4-1

Level

B1
Related to
1. Tone changes for "yi" (A2)
In series Tone pairs
1. 1. Tone pair 1-1
2. 2. Tone pair 1-2
3. 3. Tone pair 1-3
4. 4. Tone pair 1-4
5. 5. Tone pair 1-0
6. 6. Tone pair 2-1
7. 7. Tone pair 2-2
8. 8. Tone pair 2-3
9. 9. Tone pair 2-4
10. 10. Tone pair 2-0
11. 11. Tone pair 3-1
12. 12. Tone pair 3-2
13. 13. Tone pair 3-3
14. 14. Tone pair 3-4
15. 15. Tone pair 3-0
16. 16. Tone pair 4-1
17. 17. Tone pair 4-2
18. 18. Tone pair 4-3
19. 19. Tone pair 4-4
20. 20. Tone pair 4-0

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 Diagram

It helps many learners to see the two tone tones side by side.

4-1 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
shang4ban1	上班	shàngbān	to go to work
xia4ban1	下班	xiàbān	to finish work; to get off work
dan4gao1	蛋糕	dàngāo	cake
xia4tian1	夏天	xiàtiān	summer
mian4bao1	面包	miànbāo	bread

Remember: the word 一些 (yīxie) has a tone change, which means it is pronounced "yìxiē" (a 4-1 tone pair).

Source: AllSet Learning's "Tone Pair" Pronunciation Pack (used with permission)

4-1 Tone Pair Phrases (B1)

Audio	Chinese	Pinyin	English
zuo4dan4gao1	做蛋糕	zuò dàngāo	to make a cake
dan4gao1dian4	蛋糕店	dàngāo diàn	cake shop
mian4bao1dian4	面包店	miànbāo diàn	bakery
zai4xia4tian1	在夏天	zài xiàtiān	in the summer
qu4shang4ban1	去上班	qù shàngbān	to go to work