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The Four Mandarin Tones Explained Simply
Your voice pitch is part of each Mandarin word. Learn the four basic tone shapes without making them feel mysterious.
Quick answer
Mandarin has four main tones: high and level, rising, low (it rises again only when said on its own or at the end of a phrase), and falling.
妈
mother
麻
hemp
马
horse
骂
scold
Hear the phrase, then repeat it aloud.
When to use it
Use the tone every time you say a Mandarin syllable
. It is part of the word, not an optional accent.
Common mistake
Do not add tones after saying the word. Build the pitch movement
into the syllable
from the beginning.
Practise aloud
妈 mother — high and level
麻 hemp — rising
马 horse — low, then rising
骂 to scold — falling
You’ve got this!
Start slowly and make each tone shape clear. Natural speed comes later. It is better to say four distinct tones slowly than four unclear tones quickly.