Traditional Chinese Tones Explained For Beginners

Mandarin (Taiwan Traditional Chinese) uses pitch changes to tell words apart. Same letters, different meaning. This guide gives you the 4 tones, the neutral tone, and the tone-change rules beginners actually need (so you can stop guessing why 你好 isn’t pronounced how the textbook first told you).

Yak Snark Note: If you ignore tones, you’re basically speaking in “emoji.” Sometimes people guess. Sometimes you order “horse” when you meant “mom.”

The 4 Tones (四聲 sìshēng) In Plain English

Think of each tone as a pitch shape. In pinyin, the little mark (ā á ǎ à) shows the shape.

How To Make Each Tone (Beginner Friendly)

The Neutral Tone (輕聲 qīngshēng) Without The Drama

輕聲 (qīngshēng) — neutral tone means the syllable is light and short (no tone mark in pinyin). The pitch depends on the syllable before it.

Example you’ll hear constantly:
謝謝 (xièxie) — thanks
Example sentence: 謝謝你！ (Xièxie nǐ!) — Thanks!

Tone Changes (變調 biàndiào) You Actually Need

Yes, tones change. No, Mandarin is not trying to ruin your day. It’s just making pronunciation smoother.

Rule 1: Third Tone + Third Tone → 2nd + 3rd

When two 3rd tones meet, the first one changes to 2nd tone.

你好 (nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo) — hello
Example sentence: 你好，我是小美。 (Ní hǎo, wǒ shì Xiǎoměi.) — Hello, I’m Xiaomei.

Rule 2: “Half Third Tone” In Normal Speech

A 3rd tone before 1st/2nd/4th (or a neutral tone) often stays low without the big rise. This is normal and native-sounding.

很忙 (hěn máng) — very busy
Example sentence: 我今天很忙。 (Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.) — I’m very busy today.

Rule 3: 不 (bù) Changes Before A 4th Tone

不 is usually bù (4th tone). But before another 4th tone, it becomes bú (2nd tone).

不是 (bú shì) — is not
Example sentence: 這不是我的。 (Zhè bú shì wǒ de.) — This isn’t mine.

Rule 4: 一 (yī) Changes Depending On The Next Tone

一 is yī when counting or when it stands alone. In front of another syllable:
• before 4th tone → yí
• before 1st/2nd/3rd → yì

一個 (yí gè) — one (unit/one item)
Example sentence: 給我一個就好。 (Gěi wǒ yí gè jiù hǎo.) — Just give me one.

一天 (yì tiān) — one day
Example sentence: 我們一天見一次。 (Wǒmen yì tiān jiàn yí cì.) — We meet once a day.

Key Tone Terms You’ll See Everywhere

Useful Tone Phrases In Real Life (With Tone Changes)

• • 你好 (ní hǎo) — hello (3rd+3rd → 2nd+3rd)
    Example sentence: 你好！很高興認識你。 (Ní hǎo! Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ.) — Hi! Nice to meet you.

• • 很好 (hěn hǎo) — very good
    Example sentence: 今天的天氣很好。 (Jīntiān de tiānqì hěn hǎo.) — Today’s weather is very good.

• • 不要 (bú yào) — don’t want / don’t (不 → bú before 4th tone)
    Example sentence: 我不要咖啡。 (Wǒ bú yào kāfēi.) — I don’t want coffee.

• • 不是 (bú shì) — is not (不 → bú)
    Example sentence: 這不是問題。 (Zhè bú shì wèntí.) — This isn’t a problem.

• • 一定 (yídìng) — definitely (一 → yí before 4th tone)
    Example sentence: 我一定會去。 (Wǒ yídìng huì qù.) — I’ll definitely go.

• • 一點 (yì diǎn) — a little (一 → yì before 3rd tone)
    Example sentence: 請說慢一點。 (Qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn.) — Please speak a bit slower.

• • 一個 (yí gè) — one (unit) (一 → yí before 4th tone)
    Example sentence: 我想要一個。 (Wǒ xiǎng yào yí gè.) — I want one.

• • 謝謝 (xièxie) — thanks (neutral tone on second syllable)
    Example sentence: 謝謝你幫我。 (Xièxie nǐ bāng wǒ.) — Thanks for helping me.

• • 對不起 (duìbuqǐ) — sorry (neutral tone on 不)
    Example sentence: 對不起，我來晚了。 (Duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.) — Sorry, I’m late.

• • 沒關係 (méiguānxi) — it’s okay / no worries (often neutral on second syllable)
    Example sentence: 沒關係，下次再來。 (Méiguānxi, xiàcì zài lái.) — It’s okay, come next time.

50+ Tone Practice Words (With Full Sentences)

Use these to train your ear and mouth. Say the pinyin out loud. Then say the whole sentence once, smoothly.

First Tone Practice (1st Tone Words)

Second Tone Practice (2nd Tone Words)

Third Tone Practice (3rd Tone Words)

Fourth Tone Practice (4th Tone Words)

Neutral Tone Practice (輕聲 qīngshēng)

Tone Change Practice (變調 biàndiào) Must-Know Examples

Practice: 5-Minute Tone Workout

• • Step 1 (60 seconds): Say “mā má mǎ mà” (1-2-3-4) slowly, then faster.

• • Step 2 (60 seconds): Pick 5 words from the tables and read the full sentences out loud.

• • Step 3 (60 seconds): Do one tone-change set: “nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo”, “bú shì”, “yí gè”, “yì diǎn”.

• • Step 4 (60 seconds): Shadow: repeat the same sentence 5 times, each time smoother.

• • Step 5 (60 seconds): One free sentence: say something about your day using 很 (hěn) and one of the tone-change phrases.

Common Beginner Mistakes (And Fast Fixes)

• • Making every syllable “full volume”: Neutral tone words (謝謝 xièxie, 媽媽 māma) need a light second syllable.

• • Over-dipping the 3rd tone: In sentences, 3rd tone is often just low unless you’re pausing or emphasizing.

• • Forgetting 3rd+3rd change: 你好 is ní hǎo, not nǐ hǎo in normal speech.

• • Ignoring 不 / 一 changes: Train these as chunks: 不是 (bú shì), 不要 (bú yào), 一個 (yí gè), 一點 (yì diǎn).

Quick Reference Summary

Want a follow-up that drills tones with daily mini dialogues (咖啡、點餐、問路、聊天) using Traditional characters + pinyin? Your yak is ready.