Mandarin TonesThe 4 Chinese tones, explained with audio
First tone
high and level
Start high and hold it steady, like singing one long note.
Second tone
rising
Start in the middle and rise, like asking “Huh?” in English.
Third tone
low, dipping
Drop low, then rise. In normal speech it usually stays low and never rises.
Fourth tone
falling
Start high and drop sharply, like a firm “No!”.
The chart uses the 1–5 pitch scale that linguists use for Chinese tones (5 = your highest comfortable pitch, 1 = your lowest). What matters is the shape relative to your own voice, not an absolute note.
Why tones matter
In Mandarin, the same syllable with a different tone is a different word. Context often helps, but a wrong tone can change what you say completely:
That is why it pays to learn every new word together with its tone, from the very first day.
The neutral tone (the “fifth tone”)
Some syllables are said short and light, with no tone of their own. This is the neutral tone (轻声 qīngshēng). It has no tone mark in pinyin, and its pitch simply follows the syllable before it. You hear it most in the second half of doubled words, and in little words like 的 (de), 了 (le) and 吗 (ma).
Tone changes (tone sandhi)
A few tones change when they meet other tones. The pinyin in dictionaries usually keeps the original tone, so it helps to know these three rules.
1. Two third tones in a row
When two third tones come together, the first one is said as a second tone. 你好 is written nǐ hǎo but said ní hǎo.
2. 一 (yī, “one”)
一 is yī on its own, when counting and at the end of a word. Before a fourth tone it becomes yí; before any other tone it becomes yì.
3. 不 (bù, “not”)
不 is normally bù, but before a fourth tone it becomes bú.
Paste any Chinese text into our Pinyin Converter and it shows 一 and 不 with the tone you actually say.
Tone pairs: 20 two-syllable words
Most Chinese words have two syllables, so the best way to practice is in pairs. Each row starts with the same tone; each column shows what follows it. Listen across a row, then try saying the words yourself.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | neutral | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st + | 飞机 fēijī plane | 中国 Zhōngguó China | 铅笔 qiānbǐ pencil | 生日 shēngrì birthday | 他们 tāmen they |
| 2nd + | 明天 míngtiān tomorrow | 学习 xuéxí to study | 牛奶 niúnǎi milk | 学校 xuéxiào school | 朋友 péngyou friend |
| 3rd + | 老师 lǎoshī teacher | 美国 Měiguó USA | 你好 nǐ hǎo said ní hǎo hello | 考试 kǎoshì exam | 姐姐 jiějie older sister |
| 4th + | 面包 miànbāo bread | 大学 dàxué university | 电脑 diànnǎo computer | 再见 zàijiàn goodbye | 谢谢 xièxie thank you |
How tone marks are written
In pinyin the tone mark sits on a vowel: ā á ǎ à. When a syllable has more than one vowel, use these rules in order:
- a or e always takes the mark: hǎo, méi, xiè.
- In ou, the o takes it: dōu, zǒu.
- Otherwise the mark goes on the last vowel: guì, liù, duō.
When you can't type tone marks, numbers are used instead: ma1 ma2 ma3 ma4, and ma5 (or ma0) for the neutral tone. The ü keeps its dots: nǚ (woman), lǜ (green).
How to practice the tones
- Learn words, not syllables. Memorize 学校 xuéxiào as a rising-then-falling pair, not as two separate sounds.
- Exaggerate at first. Make the fourth tone really fall and the third tone really low; you can relax later.
- Use your hand. Draw the tone shape in the air while you speak.
- Record yourself and compare with the audio on this page.
- Test your ears. Most learners mix up the second and third tones; the third tone goes low first, the second never dips.
Frequently asked questions
How many tones does Mandarin Chinese have?
Four main tones — high level (ā), rising (á), dipping (ǎ) and falling (à) — plus a light neutral tone that has no mark.
Which Mandarin tone is the hardest?
For most learners it is telling the second tone from the third. Both end higher than they start, but the third tone drops low first and, in normal speech, often stays low.
Will people understand me if my tones are wrong?
Often, yes — context does a lot of work. But some wrong tones make a different word (mǎi “buy” vs mài “sell”), and many wrong tones in a row make you hard to follow, so it is worth practicing early.
Does Cantonese use the same tones?
No. Cantonese is a different language with its own tone system — usually counted as six tones (nine in the traditional count). This page covers Mandarin only.
Why does 你好 sound like “ní hǎo”?
Because of the third-tone rule: when two third tones come together, the first is said as a second tone. The spelling stays nǐ hǎo.