Difference between revisions of "Four tones"

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== Tone Diagram ==
 
== Tone Diagram ==
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Below is the standard tone diagram you will see in most textbooks and traditional Chinese courses. The numbers 1-5 refer to relative pitch differences; they're not absolute values, and will vary from speaker to speaker.
  
 
[[File:Tone-Contours Sinosplice.png||785px|thumb|center]]
 
[[File:Tone-Contours Sinosplice.png||785px|thumb|center]]

Revision as of 14:39, 17 April 2015

Also known as: 四声 (sìshēng).

One of the first concepts you need to learn when tackling Mandarin Chinese is tones. You'll often hear that there are four main tones, although there is also a "neutral tone," so you sometimes hear it said that there are five.

Tone Diagram

Below is the standard tone diagram you will see in most textbooks and traditional Chinese courses. The numbers 1-5 refer to relative pitch differences; they're not absolute values, and will vary from speaker to speaker.

Tone-Contours Sinosplice.png

First Tone

The first tone is high and flat.

Second Tone

The second tone is rising.

Third Tone

The third tone is low.

Fourth Tone

The fourth tone is falling.

Neutral Tone

This tone has its own page, so we won't cover it here. Just keep it short and light. Don't emphasize it.

Sources and further reading

Websites

Videos