When diving into Mandarin Chinese, you’ll quickly notice it’s a tonal language. The same syllable can be uttered in different tones. There are four main tones, plus a neutral tone.
The first tone is high and steady. To nail this tone, keep your pitch even throughout the syllable. The second tone climbs moderately. In English, this upward pitch often signifies a question. The third tone dips before rising again, while the fourth starts high and plunges sharply to the bottom of the tonal range.
The neutral tone is pronounced quickly and lightly without much attention to pitch. These four tones (plus the neutral one) mean that one Chinese word can carry four different meanings! Practicing your tones is key.
