The Four Tones
Mandarin is a tonal language: the same syllable means different things at different pitches. Learn tones 1 (flat high), 2 (rising), 3 (dipping), and 4 (falling), plus the neutral tone.
A lesson of Mandarin Chinese A1 — Beginner, in Tones & Pinyin, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will identify and produce the four Mandarin tones and understand why tones are essential — not optional — in Chinese.
Why Tones Change Everything
In English, changing your pitch expresses emotion ("Really?" vs. "Really."). In Mandarin, pitch change changes the word itself. The same syllable ma means four completely different things depending on the tone:
| Tone | Mark | Pitch shape | mā/má/mǎ/mà |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st tone | ā | High, flat, steady | māo 猫 — cat |
| 2nd tone | á | Rising (like a question) | máo 毛 — fur/hair |
| 3rd tone | ǎ | Dips then rises | mǎo 卯 — a unit of time |
| 4th tone | à | Sharp falling | mào 帽 — hat |
| Neutral | a | Short, unstressed | ma 吗 — question particle |
If you say the wrong tone, a native speaker may genuinely not understand you.
The Four Tones in Detail
First Tone (ā) — High and Flat
Imagine holding a sustained musical note at a high pitch. Don't let it rise or fall.
- Shape: ̄ (flat line over the vowel)
- Feel: Like singing "ahhhhh" to the doctor
- Examples: 妈 (mā — mother), 书 (shū — book), 飞 (fēi — fly)
Second Tone (á) — Rising
Start medium and rise, like asking a quick question in English ("What?")
- Shape: ́ (rising accent)
- Feel: "Really?" in English
- Examples: 马 (má — hemp), 来 (lái — come), 学 (xué — learn)
Third Tone (ǎ) — Dipping
Go low and then back up — like a drawled, skeptical "yeah..." This is the hardest tone. In isolation it sounds like a full dip-and-rise, but before most other syllables it just goes low and stays low (the full rise only happens at the very end of a phrase or in isolation).
- Shape: ̌ (caron/check mark)
- Feel: A skeptical "well..." in English
- Examples: 你好 (nǐ hǎo), 买 (mǎi — buy), 可以 (kěyǐ — can/may)