{"id":13685,"date":"2019-11-22T11:34:07","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T11:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/?p=13685"},"modified":"2019-11-22T11:34:07","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T11:34:07","slug":"the-tones-of-mandarin-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/vi\/the-tones-of-mandarin-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tones of Mandarin Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"
"Chinese is a to<\/em>nal language."<\/p>\n

This sentence has co<\/em>nfounded millions of you, no doubt. To clarify, we don’t mean that pro<\/em>nouncing the same word, or character, in different to<\/em>nes affects its meaning.<\/p>\n

Instead, we mean that the tone for each Chinese character is, for lack of a better word, assigned.<\/p>\n

Mandarin has four tones–five if you count the "neutral" tone–and as you’ll see below, pro<\/em>nouncing the tone just right is very im<\/em>portant.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Written characters don’t reveal their initials and finals, nor do they indicate which to<\/em>nes they are to be pro<\/em>nounced in.<\/p>\n

To<\/em>nes also have nothing to do with parts of speech or any other variable. Each character’s "assigned" tone is simply learned when you study or "acquire" Chinese.<\/p>\n

The four to<\/em>nes are usually depicted graphically with the accompanying chart, to show "wher" each one occurs in to<\/em>nal space.<\/p>\n

The following table illustrates tone markings above the sound ma and describes how each tone is vocalized:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Tone<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\n

Mark<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\n

Des<\/em>cription<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
\n

1st<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n

High and level.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
\n

2nd<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n

Starts medium in tone, then rises to the top.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
\n

3rd<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n

Starts low, dips to the bottom, then rises toward the top.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
\n

4th<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n

Starts at the top, then falls sharp and strong to the bottom.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n
\n

neutral<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\n

Flat, with no emphasis.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Here are a couple points to keep in mind as you soak in the table just above:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The four tone markings used in Pinyin were borrowed from the Yale system.<\/li>\n
  • The Wade-Giles system places a 1, 2, 3, or 4 after each syllable to indicate its tone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    And this is very im<\/em>portant: If you use the wrong tones, your listeners may not be able to understand you. Those of us who studied Chinese in Chinese-speaking regions remember quite well the frustration of not being understood early on simply because our to<\/em>nes were a little off.<\/p>\n

    EXAMPLE<\/span><\/p>\n

    Everyone seems to know this one: Yes, just by saying "ma" in different tones, you can ask, "Did mother scold the horse?" <\/p>\n
    \"The?
    (m\u0101 mà m\u0103 ma?)<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    These misunderstandings are possible because some terms with unrelated meanings may have the same initial and final combinations, but different tones.<\/p>\n

    \"The<\/div>\n

    For instance, Gong Li, with third and fourth tones, is the name of the star of "Raise the Red Lantern" and other co<\/em>ntemporary Chinese films. gong li, however, with first and third tones, means kilometer.<\/p>\n

    If you were to mix up the to<\/em>nes of these two items, native speakers would likely figure out what you mean, but no doubt be amused to hear you say, "My favorite Chinese actress is kilometer."<\/p>\n

    Well, at least they were amused when I said that.<\/p>\n

    It gets even more challenging. Many terms with completely unrelated meanings have the same initial sounds, final sounds and assigned tones. In other words, two words that are pro<\/em>nounced the same may have meanings as different as night and day. Or at least, in the case of míng, as different as dark (\"The) and bright (\"The).<\/p>\n

    If this seems too overwhelming, just remember the difficulties speakers of other languages have early on with the English homonyms <\/span>to<\/em>, <\/span>too<\/em>, and <\/span>two<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Or <\/span>there<\/em>, <\/span>their<\/em>, and <\/span>they’re<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Or <\/span>First Lady<\/em>, <\/span>Senator<\/em>, and <\/span>President<\/em>, as some see it.<\/p>\n

    Luckily, these sorts of stumbling blocks are exceptions, not rules. Your real challenge will come when it’s time to start creating sentences.<\/p>\n

    At first, you can expect remembering which tone goes with which word as you speak to feel like a verbal roller coaster. People studying Mandarin Chinese as a second language have been seen on occasion to "draw" the proper to<\/em>nes in front of them with their index fingers as they speak, or even represent them with vigorous nods of the chin. Not to worry. These tics pass quickly enough, and over time getting the to<\/em>nes right will become second nature.<\/p>\n

    NOTE<\/span> <\/p>\n

    When you get to Advanced Mandarin Conversation, or overhear native Chinese speakers together, you’ll discover that the more fluent and informal people become, the less distinct their to<\/em>nes become. At that stage, co<\/em>ntext becomes very im<\/em>portant. If two people are talking a<\/em>bout actresses, one might say "gong li" with almost no decipherable to<\/em>nes – quite different from using the wrong to<\/em>nes –  but the other will know he means the actress. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Don’t try to imitate this co<\/em>nversational ability too soon. It will happen naturally when the time comes. At first, just master those tones! You never know when you’ll be called on to give a formal speech in front of the People’s Congress!
    <\/span><\/div>\n

    \n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n<\/div>\n