Tones 1–4 & Neutral Tone
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language where meaning changes according to pitch. This guide covers the four main tones plus the neutral tone with clear examples.
Tone 1: High Level
Tone 1 is a high, steady pitch that lasts evenly across the syllable. Think of singing a sustained note.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| mā | mā (mā) | mother |
| gāo | gāo (gāo) | tall / high |
| bā | bā (bā) | eight |
| shā | shā (shā) | sand |
| dā | dā (dā) | to build / to put up (like a tent) |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Example Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 妈 | mā | mother (Tone 1) | 🌞 妈妈今天心情很好。 | Mom is in a good mood today. |
| 麻 | má | hemp (Tone 2) | 🌱 麻布很耐用。 | Hemp cloth is very durable. |
| 马 | mǎ | horse (Tone 3) | 🐎 马跑得很快。 | The horse runs very fast. |
| 骂 | mà | to scold (Tone 4) | ⚡ 他被老师骂了。 | He was scolded by the teacher. |
| 吗 | ma | question particle (neutral) | ❓ 你好吗？ | How are you? |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Tone 2: Rising
Tone 2 rises from mid to high, like asking a quick question. Your pitch moves upward.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| má | má (má) | hemp |
| gǎo | gǎo (gǎo) | to do / to make |
| bái | bái (bái) | white |
| shái | shái (shái) | to select / to pick (rare) |
| dǎi | dǎi (dǎi) | to delay / to hold up (rare) |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Tone 3: Falling-Rising
Tone 3 dips down then rises, producing a "V" shape in pitch. It sounds like a drawn-out sigh or a thoughtful grunt.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| mǎ | mǎ (mǎ) | horse |
| gǒu | gǒu (gǒu) | dog |
| bǎ | bǎ (bǎ) | to hold / grasp / measure word for handfuls |
| shǎ | shǎ (shǎ) | silly / dumb |
| dǎ | dǎ (dǎ) | to hit / to play (a game) |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Tone 4: Falling
Tone 4 falls sharply from high to low, like a command or firm statement. It has force and quickness.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| mà | mà (mà) | to scold |
| gāi | gāi (gāi) | ought to / should |
| bāi | bāi (bāi) | to devote / to lay out (rare) |
| shāi | shāi (shāi) | to shield / to filter (rare) |
| dāi | dāi (dāi) | to stay / to remain |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Neutral Tone: Light and Quick
The neutral tone is short, light, and unstressed without a fixed pitch. It often appears in common particles and endings, making speech sound natural and fluid.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| māma | māma (māma) | mom |
| gēge | gēge (gēge) | older brother |
| bāba | bāba (bāba) | dad |
| shāshā | shāshā (shāshā) | sound of rustling (onomatopoeia) |
| dādi | dādi (dādi) | to take a taxi (colloquial) |
Sign In
Add an email to access exercises.
Summary
Mandarin's four tones and neutral tone change meaning, so practicing them with examples like mā 妈 (mother), má 麻 (hemp), mǎ 马 (horse), mà 骂 (scold), and māma 妈妈 (mom) helps you speak clearly.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025