[Learn beginner Chinese with grammar] How Mandarin tones work

What are Mandarin tones?

Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language. This means the pitch of a syllable can change the meaning of a word.

For example, 媽 ♬, 麻 ♬, 馬 ♬, and 罵 ♬ sound similar, but their tones and meanings are different.

Tone	Pitch shape	Example
First tone	high and flat	媽 ♬
Second tone	rising	麻 ♬
Third tone	low, often dipping	馬 ♬
Fourth tone	falling	罵 ♬

1. First tone: high and flat

The first tone is high and steady. In pinyin, it uses a flat mark: ā.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
媽 ♬	mā	mom
書 ♬	shū	book

Try to keep the sound flat, not rising or falling.

2. Second tone: rising

The second tone rises upward. In pinyin, it uses a rising mark: á.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
麻 ♬	má	hemp; numb
茶 ♬	chá	tea

It can feel a little like the rising pitch in English when asking “Really?”

3. Third tone: low

The third tone is low. In careful pronunciation, it may dip down and rise slightly. In natural speech, it is often just low. In pinyin, it uses a dipping mark: ǎ.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
馬 ♬	mǎ	horse
水 ♬	shuǐ	water

For beginners, it is helpful to remember the third tone as a low tone, not always a big falling-rising tone.

4. Fourth tone: falling

The fourth tone falls sharply. In pinyin, it uses a falling mark: à.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
罵 ♬	mà	to scold
飯 ♬	fàn	rice; meal

This tone should sound short and clear.

5. Neutral tone: light and short

Mandarin also has a neutral tone. It is light, short, and unstressed. It does not have a fixed pitch like the four main tones.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
媽媽 ♬	māma	mom
什麼 ♬	shénme	what

In these words, the second syllable is lighter than the first syllable.

6. Tones change meaning

Because tones are part of the word, changing the tone can change the meaning.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
媽 ♬	mā	mom
馬 ♬	mǎ	horse

These two syllables have the same initial and final sound, but the tone is different.

7. Learn tones with whole words

It is useful to practice tones with real words, not only isolated tone marks. Start with simple words and listen carefully.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
你好 ♬	nǐ hǎo	hello
謝謝 ♬	xièxie	thank you

At the beginner level, focus on hearing and copying the tone shape first. Accuracy will improve with repeated listening.

DIY Mandarin