Chinese Pronunciation and Tones: Free PDF and Flashcards

Mastering Chinese tones can feel like learning to sing a language before you speak it. This list of around 160 pronunciation essentials breaks down the four tones, the neutral tone, and common tone-change rules so you stop guessing and start sounding clear.

Each entry pairs a straightforward meaning with a practical example sentence, showing you exactly how the tone or sound pattern works in a real Chinese sentence. No dusty theory – just the patterns that show up when you order food, ask directions, or chat with friends.

Ready to make those tones less mysterious and a lot more friendly? Scroll to the bottom of this article for the free printable Chinese Pronunciation and Tones vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Chinese Pronunciation and Tones flashcards.

Use this list as a starting point, then keep going in the Yak Yacker Chinese section for more words, phrases, and study-friendly reference pages.

Quick Quiz

Think you can tell your má (hemp) from your mǎ (horse)? Take the quick quiz below to see how many tone patterns you’ve really locked in.

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Browse the Full List

Word	Pinyin	Type	Meaning	Example
时间	shíjiān	noun	time	现在是什么时间？ (What time is it now?)
明天	míngtiān	noun	tomorrow	明天我们去学校。
昨天	zuótiān	noun	yesterday	昨天我看了电影。
晚上	wǎnshang	noun	evening	晚上见。
朋友	péngyou	noun	friend	他是我的朋友。 (He is my friend.)
来	lái	verb	to come	请来我家。
树	shù	noun	tree	树上有一只鸟。
桌子	zhuō zi	noun	table	桌子上有一本书。
椅子	yǐ zi	noun	chair	请坐椅子。
水	shuǐ	noun	water	请给我一杯水。
水果	shuǐguǒ	noun	fruit	吃水果对身体好。
没关系	méi guān xi	response	it's okay / no problem	没关系。,A: 对不起！ B: 没关系。
河	hé	noun	river	这条河很长。
漂亮	piàoliang	adjective	pretty, beautiful	她很漂亮。
火	huǒ	noun	fire	火很大。
火车	huǒ chē	noun	train	火车很快。
热	rè	adjective	hot	天气很热。 (Tiānqì hěn rè. The weather is hot.)
爸爸	bàba	noun	dad	爸爸在家。 (Dad is at home.)
狗	gǒu	noun	dog	狗在睡觉。 (The dog is sleeping.)
猫	māo	noun	cat	这只猫很可爱。 (This cat is very cute.)
玩	wán	verb	to play	孩子们在公园玩。
电影	diànyǐng	noun	movie	我喜欢看电影。
电脑	diànnǎo	noun	computer	我用电脑工作。
电话	diànhuà	noun	telephone; phone call	我妈妈在打电话。
的	de	particle	possessive/attributive particle	我的书

Free Chinese Pronunciation and Tones Vocabulary List PDF and Flashcards

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