Tone change of 一 yī and 不 bù
「一 yī」and「不 bù」are two very common Chinese words. Their written pinyin is simple, but their spoken tone can change depending on the word after them.
If you want your Mandarin to sound more natural, you should learn these two tone change rules early.
1. Basic pronunciation of 一 yī
When「一」is read alone, counted as a number, or used in a sequence, it is usually pronounced with the first tone:「yī」.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一 ♬ | yī | one |
| 一、二、三 ♬ | yī, èr, sān | one, two, three |
However, when「一」comes before another word, its tone often changes.
2. 一 becomes yì before 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone
When the word after「一」is first tone, second tone, or third tone,「一」is usually pronounced as fourth tone:「yì」.
| Following tone | Example | Actual pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st tone | 一天 ♬ | yì tiān | one day |
| 2nd tone | 一年 ♬ | yì nián | one year |
| 3rd tone | 一本書 ♬ | yì běn shū | one book |
3. 一 becomes yí before 4th tone
When the word after「一」is fourth tone,「一」is usually pronounced as second tone:「yí」.
| Following tone | Example | Actual pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th tone | 一個 ♬ | yí ge | one; a general measure word phrase |
| 4th tone | 一次 ♬ | yí cì | one time |
| 4th tone | 一萬 ♬ | yí wàn | ten thousand |
4. 一 in Chinese numbers
In many numbers,「一」changes tone according to the tone of the following syllable. In natural speech, these pronunciations are very common.
| Number | Dictionary pinyin | Natural pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一百 ♬ | yī bǎi | yì bǎi | one hundred |
| 一千 ♬ | yī qiān | yì qiān | one thousand |
| 一萬 ♬ | yī wàn | yí wàn | ten thousand |
| 一億 ♬ | yī yì | yí yì | one hundred million |
| 一兆 ♬ | yī zhào | yí zhào | one trillion |
For beginners, it is helpful to remember the rule first. You do not need to force yourself to calculate every tone while speaking. With practice, these patterns will become natural.
5. 一 in dates
When reading dates, you may hear both the original first tone「yī」and the changed tone. In careful reading, people may keep「yī」. In natural speech, tone change may happen.
| Date | Careful reading | Natural reading | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一月一日 ♬ | yī yuè yī rì | yí yuè yí rì | January 1st |
Both readings can be heard. For learners, it is safest to recognize both.
6. Basic pronunciation of 不 bù
「不」is normally pronounced as fourth tone:「bù」.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 不 ♬ | bù | not; no |
But when「不」comes before a fourth-tone word, its tone changes.
7. 不 stays bù before 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone
When the word after「不」is first tone, second tone, or third tone,「不」stays as「bù」.
| Following tone | Example | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st tone | 不聽 ♬ | bù tīng | not listen |
| 2nd tone | 不停 ♬ | bù tíng | not stop; continuously |
| 3rd tone | 不想 ♬ | bù xiǎng | do not want to; do not think |
8. 不 becomes bú before 4th tone
When the word after「不」is fourth tone,「不」is pronounced as second tone:「bú」.
| Following tone | Example | Actual pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th tone | 不要 ♬ | bú yào | do not want; do not |
| 4th tone | 不是 ♬ | bú shì | is not; not correct |
| 4th tone | 不會 ♬ | bú huì | cannot; will not |
Quick review
| Word | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | Read as yī when alone or counting. | 一、二、三 ♬ |
| 一 | Before 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone, read as yì. | 一天 ♬ |
| 一 | Before 4th tone, read as yí. | 一個 ♬ |
| 不 | Before 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone, read as bù. | 不想 ♬ |
| 不 | Before 4th tone, read as bú. | 不要 ♬ |
Useful vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 一 ♬ | yī | one |
| 百 ♬ | bǎi | hundred |
| 千 ♬ | qiān | thousand |
| 萬 ♬ | wàn | ten thousand |
| 億 ♬ | yì | one hundred million |
| 兆 ♬ | zhào | trillion |
| 月 ♬ | yuè | month |
| 日 ♬ | rì | day; date |
| 不 ♬ | bù | not; no |
| 聽 ♬ | tīng | to listen |
| 停 ♬ | tíng | to stop |
| 想 ♬ | xiǎng | to want; to think |
| 要 ♬ | yào | to want; need; will |
| 是 ♬ | shì | to be; correct |
| 會 ♬ | huì | can; will |
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