Chinese language has 4 major tones. Practice the four tones daily to sound like Chinese

Hello everyone! 你好!

I hope you practice Chinese tones. The tones are very important in chinese language. As you may notice when you hear Chinese people talk, the language sounds like a song. It is because we use 4 major tones. So the same letters pronounced with different tones mean absolutely different meanings.

The four tones in Chinese language.

1st tone is high and even, looks like ā.

2nd tone: ascending, looks like á.

3rd tone tone: first falling and then rising, looks like ǎ.

4th tone: falling from high to low, looks like à.

The tone sign is always shown on the vowel that requires wide openingof the mouth.
We also have 0 tone that means your tone is neutral.

Third tone shift

When there are two syllables with 3rd tone together, the first syllable shifts into the second tone. If there are three or more consecutive words with third tone, then all tones change, except for the last one. The transcription keeps the sign of the 3rd tone though.

你好 (nǐ hǎo turns into - ní hǎo ). - Hello!

First tone shift

The first tone "一" shifts before the first, second and third tones, "一" turns into the fourth tone, and before the fourth tone into the second tone.
For example, 一个 (yī gè → yí gè)

Homework: practice reading and pronouncing different tones.