Audio links are marked with ►
►Listen to the four Mandarin Tones
In the previous lesson we mentioned that Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language. This lesson explains the four Mandarin tones and their importance to the language.
Mandarin uses four tones to clarify the meanings of words. Since many characters have the same sound, tones are used to differentiate words from each other.
The four tones in Mandarin are:
- high level – first tone
- rising – second tone
- falling rising – third tone
- falling – fourth tone
Tone Marks and Tone Numbers
The tones can be indicated with either marks or numerals. Here is the word ‘ma’ with tone marks:
- First tone: ma1 or mā
- Second tone: ma2 or má
- Third tone: ma3 or mǎ
- Fourth tone: ma4 or mà
Each of these four examples are different words. The tones are used to differentiate their meanings, so the third tone mǎ (horse) is distinct from the first tone mā (mother).
When learning new vocabulary you must practice both the pronunciation of the word and its tone. The wrong tones can change the meaning of your sentences.
The following table has sound clips which allow you to hear the tones. Listen to each tone and try to mimic it as closely as possible.
The Four Tones of Mandarin
| Pinyin | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Meaning | Sound Clip |
| mā | 媽 | 妈 | mother | audio |
| má | 麻 | 麻 | hemp | audio |
| mǎ | 馬 | 马 | horse | audio |
| mà | 罵 | 骂 | scold | audio |
