Short answer: Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone. Pitch is part of the word, not emotion — 妈 mā (mother), 麻 má (hemp), 马 mǎ (horse) and 骂 mà (to scold) are four different words built from the same syllable. In pinyin the tone is written as a mark over the main vowel: ā á ǎ à.
pinyintonespronunciationbasics
Chinese Tones Explained: The Four Tones, Tone Marks and Tone Changes
28 tháng 7, 2026
Quick answer
Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone, and pitch is part of the word rather than emotion. The five tones in one table, where the tone mark goes, the tone-change rules nobody writes down, and a practice routine that fixes them.
Frequently asked questions
How many tones does Mandarin Chinese have?
Four tones plus a neutral tone: high and flat (mā), rising (má), dipping (mǎ), falling (mà), and a short unstressed neutral (ma). All five change the meaning of the syllable.
Where do you put the tone mark in pinyin?
Mark the a if there is one (hǎo). If there is no a, mark the o or the e (duō, xiè). For iu and ui, mark the second vowel (liù, huì). Otherwise mark the only vowel (nǐ). The dot on i disappears under a mark.
What is tone sandhi in Chinese?
It is the set of rules where a tone changes because of the tone next to it. The main three: two third tones in a row turn the first into a second tone (nǐ hǎo → ní hǎo); 不 becomes second tone before a fourth tone (bú shì); 一 becomes second tone before a fourth tone and fourth tone elsewhere.
Why does the third tone sound different in real speech?
Because the full dip-and-rise only occurs when the syllable stands alone or ends a phrase. Before another syllable a third tone is simply low, with no rise. Producing the textbook shape every time is one of the clearest non-native markers.