Chinese Tones

Thursday, January 12, 2023

In English, tones are used to indicate whether a sentence is a statement or a question. Changing the tone in English will change the mood or the emphasis of the sentence, but not the meaning of the sentence. Chinese sentences apply the same rules.

Chinese is a tonal language; each Chinese character has a tone. Each pinyin syllable in Chinese can have 5 possible ways to pronounce by varying the tone (pitch). There are four tones and neutral tone(toneless)in Mandarin Chinese. One syllable. pronounced in different tones will usually mean different things. Comparing with English, which only has rising tone and falling tone, Chinese has four tones including flat tone, rising tone, falling-rising tone and falling tone. As shown in the following table:

Tones, 声调, sheng diao
The 1st tone, flat tone with highest pitch, marked as ā or a1.

The 2nd tone, rising tone, the pitch changes from the middle one to the highest , marked as á or a2.

The 3rd tone, falling-rising tone, the pitch changes from the lower one to the lowest, then from the lowest to the higher, marked as ǎ or a3.

The 4th tone, falling tone, the pitch changes from the highest one to the lowest , marked as àor a4.

For neutral tone also called toneless tone (called “light sound” in Chinese). No marking is put above any vowel, like "a".

In Chinese it is always very important to pronounce characters and words with correct tone. If not, it is difficult to understand each other. For example: the English words “book” and “tree”, the spelling of their pinyin is same but with different tone like” shū” and “shù”, then the words’ meaning are totally different.


Sign up for a free trial now!

FAQ / Tips

Yes, our website offers courses in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters. You can choose the character set that you want to learn based on your personal preference or learning goals.Our courses are designed to accommodate learners of all levels and backgrounds, so whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner, we have resources that can help you improve your Chinese language skills.
No, the tuition fees you have paid cover all costs.There are no additional fees or hidden charges. We strive to be transparent and upfront with our pricing, ensuring that our clients receive the best value for their investment.
Our learning is different from traditional language learning in a number of ways. Firstly, we use technology to enhance the learning experience and provide personalized learning paths for each student. Secondly, our focus is not just on language proficiency, but also on cultural understanding and practical application of the language.Thirdly, we place a strong emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills, as well as reading and writing.Additionally, we incorporate modern teaching methods and materials, such as multimedia resources and interactive exercises.Finally, our courses are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing students to learn at their own pace and according to their own schedule.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can send an email to: service @chineselearning.com.We have a team of professionals who will be happy to assist you with any issues as soon as possible.
We offer a referral program that rewards both you and your friend with free classes.To participate, simply refer a friend to our program and once they successfully enroll, both you and your friend will receive free classes.We appreciate your support and look forward to helping you and your friend achieve your language learning goals.
Our instructors are highly skilled and experienced experts in Chinese language teaching, with proficiency in multiple languages. They hold at least a bachelor's degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, and possess extensive teaching experience and knowledge. Through a rigorous selection process and ongoing training, our instructors are equipped to provide students with authentic pronunciation, accurate language usage, and cultural background knowledge, all of which are essential for achieving mastery of the Chinese language.