FORELAN: Foreign Language

The Neutral Tone

Rules on Tone Change
Part 1
Produce the neutral tone correctly
Produce the third tone correctly when it is followed by
another third tone
Produce the third tone correctly when it is followed by
other tones
The neutral tone is not a real tone.
 Reason 1

•Light, vague and short

•Is a way of pronunciation of a Chinese
character that already has an original
tone
 Example

neutral tone neutral tone

bà ba mā ma
father mother
No tonal marker for the neutral tone.

a e
 Example

jiě jie năi nai

older sister grandmother

gē ge
older brother
 Example

dì di mèi mei
younger brother younger sister

xiè xie
thank you
 Reason 2

•No fixed pitch and is sometimes higher

or sometimes lower
•Pitch is determined by the tone of the
syllable that comes before it.
 Example
gē ge (older brother)

gē ge
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1

(things)
 Example

hái zi
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1

(child, kid)
 Example
jiě jie (older sister)

jiě jie
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1

(older
sister)
 Example
xiè xie (thank you)

xiè xie
5 5
jiě
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1

(thank you)
5

1st tone neutral tone

5

2nd tone neutral tone

5

3rd tone neutral tone

5

4th tone neutral tone

 Let’s practice more

tā de hăo de
(his; hers) (OK)

bié de shì de
(others) (yes)
 Some more practice

Zhēn de ma? wŏ men

(Really?) (we)

péng you mèi mei

(friend) (younger sister)
 Some more practice

Zhēn de ma? wŏ men

(Really?) (we)

péng you mèi mei

(friend) (younger sister)
The Neutral Tone

Just

•light
•vague
•short
 When two third tones came
one after the other…

3rd tone 3rd tone

… the first third tone should be pronounced
in the second tone, but the tone mark
remains unchanged.

2nd tone 3rd tone

 Example
nĭ hăo ní hăo
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(hello)
 Example
hěn hăo hén hăo
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(very good)
 Example
kě yĭ ké yĭ
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(can; may)
 Example
xiăo jiě xiáo jiě
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(miss; young
woman)
 Example
xĭ zăo xí zăo
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(take a bath)
 Example
yŏng yuăn yóng yuăn
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(forever)
 Example
Lĭ Lăoshī Lí Lăoshī
3rd + 3rd 2nd + 3rd

(Teacher Li)
 3 + 3 becomes 2 + 3

1.xĭ shŏu (wash hands) 5.yŭ săn (umbrella)

2.shŏu biăo (wristwatch) 6.wŏ măi (I buy)
3.jĭ diăn (What time is it?) 7.hĕn hăo (very good)
4.yŭ fă (grammar) 8.kĕ yĭ (can; may)
If the 3 rd
tone is followed by any other
tone, except the 3rd tone…

1st tone
2nd tone
4th tone
Neutral tone
3rd tone
… then, the 3 rd
tone changes
to half 3rd tone

1st tone
2nd tone
4th tone
Neutral tone
3rd tone
 Example
nĭ māma half 3rd + st
1 /neutral
3rd + 1st/neutral

(your mom)
 Example
hĕn máng half 3rd + 2 nd
3rd + 2nd

(very busy)
 Example
nĭ shuō half 3rd + 1 st
3rd + 1st

(You say)
 Example
wŏ kàn half 3rd + 4 th
3rd + 4th

(I look)
1.xĭ huān (to like) 5.lăo shī (teacher)
2.wŏ mēn (we) 6.wŏ shuō (I say)
3.dă qiú (play ball) 7.qĭng tīng (please listen)
4.chăo fàn (fried rice) 8.Měi guó (America)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqo_gic1K1c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3PocUaxiiM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAqayUpWr_o