Tones
Complete guide to Mandarin's 4 tones and neutral tone: tone shapes, mnemonics, tone sandhi rules for 3rd+3rd, 不, and 一, minimal pairs, and color coding conventions.
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language: the pitch contour (shape of the voice pitch over a syllable) determines meaning. The same sequence of sounds, spoken with a different pitch pattern, is a completely different word. There are four tones plus a neutral tone (sometimes called the fifth tone).
Getting tones right from day one is essential. Bad tone habits are extremely difficult to correct after 6–12 months of practice.
The Five Tones
| # | Mark | Name | Pitch Shape | Description | Mnemonic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ā | First tone | High, flat (55) | Hold a steady high pitch, like a musical note | "Ahh" at the doctor — flat and sustained | 妈 mā (mother) |
| 2 | á | Second tone | Rising (35) | Pitch rises from mid to high, like a question | "What?" in surprise — voice goes up | 麻 má (hemp, numb) |
| 3 | ǎ | Third tone | Dipping (214) | Pitch dips low then rises; full form sounds like a drawl | "Huh?" with skepticism — dips then up | 马 mǎ (horse) |
| 4 | à | Fourth tone | Falling (51) | Pitch drops sharply from high to low | "Stop!" with authority — quick drop | 骂 mà (to scold) |
| 0 | a | Neutral tone | Short, light | Unstressed and quick; no fixed pitch — influenced by preceding tone | A quick murmur, barely said | 吗 ma (question particle) |
The numbers in parentheses (e.g., 55, 35) are Chao tone letters: a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Tone 1 is a sustained 5-5; Tone 2 rises from 3 to 5; Tone 3 goes 2-1-4; Tone 4 falls from 5 to 1.
The Classic Example: 妈麻马骂吗
The syllable ma across all five tones:
| Pinyin | Character | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mā | 妈 | mother |
| má | 麻 | hemp; numb; pockmarked |
| mǎ | 马 | horse |
| mà | 骂 | to scold; to curse |
| ma | 吗 | question particle (yes/no) |
This example is cited in virtually every Mandarin textbook precisely because it shows that tones are not optional decoration — they are the word.
Color Coding Convention
Many learners and apps use a standard color scheme to visually mark tones:
| Tone | Color | Hex |
|---|---|---|
| Tone 1 | Red | #E74C3C |
| Tone 2 | Orange / Yellow-orange | #E67E22 |
| Tone 3 | Green | #27AE60 |
| Tone 4 | Blue | #2980B9 |
| Neutral | Grey | #95A5A6 |
This convention is used in Pleco, Anki decks, and many Chinese learning apps. Consistent use helps your brain associate pitch with color quickly.
Tone Sandhi Rules
Tone sandhi refers to regular, predictable changes in tone that happen in connected speech. These are not exceptions — they are rules that apply every time the conditions are met.
Rule 1: Third + Third → Second + Third
When two third-tone syllables occur in sequence, the first changes to a second tone in speech (but is still written as third tone in pinyin).
| Written Pinyin | Spoken | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| nǐ hǎo | níhǎo | 你好 | Hello |
| kě yǐ | kéyǐ | 可以 | can; may |
| wǒ yě | wóyě | 我也 | I also |
| lǎo shǔ | láoshǔ | 老鼠 | mouse (animal) |
Note: The written pinyin always shows the underlying (dictionary) tones. Only in speech does the first third tone become second. Dictionaries and textbooks write 你好 as nǐ hǎo, not ní hǎo — but you pronounce it ní hǎo.
In a sequence of three or more third tones, the pattern depends on phrasing and stress. Generally, every third tone except the last in a phrase is raised toward second tone.
Rule 2: 不 (bù) Tone Change
The negation word 不 is normally fourth tone (bù). Before another fourth-tone syllable, it changes to second tone (bú).
| Before | Tone of 不 | Example | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th tone | 2nd (bú) | 不是 | bú shì | is not |
| 4th tone | 2nd (bú) | 不对 | bú duì | incorrect |
| 1st tone | 4th (bù) | 不喝 | bù hē | don't drink |
| 2nd tone | 4th (bù) | 不来 | bù lái | not coming |
| 3rd tone | 4th (bù) | 不好 | bù hǎo | not good |
Shortcut: 不 becomes second tone only before fourth tone. Before everything else, it stays fourth.
Rule 3: 一 (yī) Tone Change
The number 一 (one) is normally first tone (yī). It changes in context:
| Position | Tone of 一 | Condition | Example | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 4th tone | 2nd (yí) | — | 一个 | yí gè | one (of something) |
| Before 4th tone | 2nd (yí) | — | 一样 | yí yàng | same |
| Before 1st tone | 4th (yì) | — | 一天 | yì tiān | one day |
| Before 2nd tone | 4th (yì) | — | 一年 | yì nián | one year |
| Before 3rd tone | 4th (yì) | — | 一起 | yì qǐ | together |
| Ordinal use | 1st (yī) | 第一, phone numbers, addresses | 第一 | dì yī | first |
| Standalone | 1st (yī) | Counting, listing | 一, 二, 三 | yī, èr, sān | one, two, three |
Pattern summary: 一 before fourth → second (yí); 一 before first/second/third → fourth (yì); in ordinals and isolated form → stays first (yī).
Neutral Tone
The neutral tone (also called the "fifth tone" or "zeroth tone") is:
- Short and unstressed — barely said
- No fixed pitch — its actual pitch is influenced by the preceding syllable's tone
- Not marked with a diacritic — written without any tone mark (just the bare vowel)
Common neutral-tone syllables:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Sentence-final particles | 吗 ma (yes/no question), 呢 ne (follow-up question), 了 le (completion/change), 的 de (possessive/attributive), 着 zhe (ongoing), 过 guo (experiential), 吧 ba (suggestion/assumption) |
| Reduplication of syllables | 妈妈 māma (mom), 爸爸 bàba (dad), 哥哥 gēge (older brother), 弟弟 dìdi (younger brother) |
| Directional complements | 上去 shàngqu (go up), 进来 jìnlái (come in) |
| Common suffixes | 们 men (plural for people, if unstressed), 子 zi (noun suffix, in 桌子 zhuōzi, table), 头 tou (noun suffix) |
Pitch of neutral tone after each tone:
- After tone 1: mid-low
- After tone 2: mid
- After tone 3: mid-high
- After tone 4: low
Minimal Pairs
These pairs are commonly confused by English speakers. Drill these specifically:
| Pair | Pinyin A | Char A | Meaning | Pinyin B | Char B | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mā / mǎ | mā | 妈 | mother | mǎ | 马 | horse |
| shū / shú | shū | 书 | book | shú | 熟 | ripe; cooked; familiar |
| mài / mǎi | mài | 卖 | to sell | mǎi | 买 | to buy |
| wèn / wén | wèn | 问 | to ask | wén | 文 | language; culture |
| jī / jǐ | jī | 鸡 | chicken | jǐ | 几 | how many; some |
| lì / lǐ | lì | 力 | strength | lǐ | 里 | inside; mile |
| shì / shí | shì | 是 | to be | shí | 十 | ten |
| guó / guò | guó | 国 | country | guò | 过 | to pass; experiential marker |
| tā / tǎ | tā | 他/她 | he/she | tǎ | 塔 | pagoda; tower |
| jiào / jiāo | jiào | 叫 | to call; to be named | jiāo | 教 | to teach |
Common Mistakes
- Treating tones as optional. Tones are not accent marks or stress — they are phonemic. Dropping them makes you incomprehensible.
- Pronouncing the third tone as fully dipping in all contexts. The full dipping shape (214) only occurs in isolation or at the end of an utterance. Before other syllables, the third tone is often just a low tone (21) that never rises.
- Not applying tone sandhi for 你好. Saying nǐ hǎo with two actual third tones sounds robotic and unnatural. It's always spoken ní hǎo.
- Forgetting 不 changes before 4th tone. 不是 is bú shì, not bù shì.
- Ignoring the neutral tone on particles. Sentence-final 吗, 呢, 了, 的 should be unstressed and very short.
Resources
| Resource | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yoyo Chinese — Tones series | YouTube | Yangyang Cheng's clear tone explanations; best for beginners |
| Sinosplice Tone Pair Trainer | Web tool | Drills every combination of two-syllable tone pairs |
| Mandarin Corner — Tone Drills | YouTube | Natural speech examples |
| Pleco Dictionary | App | Look up any word and hear it pronounced; slow-playback option |
| Yabla Chinese | Web | Authentic video content with tone-marked subtitles |