Stress & Intonation
Stress and intonation shape meaning and naturalness in Mandarin, so this guide focuses on how they work and how to practice them.
Stress
In Mandarin, stress typically highlights important information and can affect listener attention; stressed syllables are slightly louder, longer, and sometimes higher in pitch. Function words like particles usually remain unstressed while content words carry stress.
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Intonation
Intonation in Mandarin is shaped by tones but also by sentence-level pitch patterns that signal questions, emphasis, and speaker attitude; intonation patterns ride on top of tonal pronunciations. Rising pitch at the end often marks questions, while falls signal statements or certainty.
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Examples
| Hanzi Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕ 我昨天喝了一杯很甜的拿铁。 | Wǒ zuótiān hēle yì bēi hěn tián de náltiě. | I drank a very sweet latte yesterday. | Neutral statement |
| 🥐 今天早上我只吃了一个可颂。 | Jīntiān zǎoshang wǒ zhǐ chīle yí ge kěsòng. | This morning I only ate one croissant. | Focus on quantity |
| 🍓 你看那个草莓蛋糕多漂亮！ | Nǐ kàn nàgè cǎoméi dàngāo duō piàoliang! | Look at that strawberry cake, it's so pretty! | Excitement |
| 🌧️ 外面下雨了，咖啡店里好温暖。 | Wàimiàn xiàyǔ le, kāfēi diàn lǐ hǎo wēnnuǎn. | It's raining outside, the coffee shop feels so cozy. | Contrast tone |
| 🕒 我们三点在那家新开的咖啡馆见面吧。 | Wǒmen sān diǎn zài nà jiā xīn kāi de kāfēi guǎn jiànmiàn ba. | Let's meet at the new café at three o'clock. | Suggestion |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Practice
Practicing stress and intonation aloud with short dialogues and recordings helps internalize patterns; shadowing native speakers and mimicking their rhythm accelerates learning. Focus first on getting tones right, then add sentence-level melody and emphasis.
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Summary
Stress highlights key information and intonation conveys sentence type and speaker intent; both work together to make speech clear and natural. Regular practice with real examples trains your ear and voice to handle Mandarin's tonal and intonational patterns.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025