Mandarin has 4 tones (plus a neutral tone). The same syllable "ma" means something completely different depending on the tone: 妈 (mā - mother), 麻 (má - hemp), 马 (mǎ - horse), 骂 (mà - to scold).
Picture the 4 tones
- Tone 1 (ā): high and flat, like holding a single sung note.
- Tone 2 (á): rising, like asking "Huh?".
- Tone 3 (ǎ): dips down then rises, like a surprised "Oh...".
- Tone 4 (à): falls sharply, like a firm command "Go!".
How to practice
Don't learn tones with your eyes — listen and imitate as much as you can. Record your own voice and compare it with a native sample. When you practice speaking, exaggerate the tones at first; they'll smooth out over time.
A tone change to remember
When two third tones come back to back, the first one is read as a second tone: 你好 is pronounced "ní hǎo", not "nǐ hǎo". It's a rule you'll get used to quickly once you've heard it enough.
Hanbeego Team
Written by the Hanbeego team — learn Chinese effectively, 15 minutes a day.