Video on Chinese Tones
Chinese tones are the crucial element for learning to speak Chinese well! That’s why, as difficult at first as they may be, it’s so worth it to take the time to master Chinese tones!
With this video on Chinese tones, you’ll have the chance to see and hear Chinese tones!
What Are Chinese Tones Like?
Thinking of Chinese tones as pitches or music will help you in grasping the concept of Mandarin tones. Although we don’t have much like it in English, you’ll find that Mandarin Chinese is a very musical language.
How Many Chinese Tones Are There?
For Mandarin Chinese, there are four basic tones. Each of these tones has some sort of direction that it follows as you sing the tone over time. In thinking of an arrow that points your way, you could look at each of the four tones like this:
- The first tone is a forward arrow (0°).
- The second tone is an upward arrow (45°).
- The third tone is a looping (half-circular) arrow (180°).
- The fourth tone is a downward arrow (-45°).
Still, there is also a neutral Chinese tone, which means that the sound is made without any music or tone whatsoever. But, as you keep these arrows in mind, you’ll be able to picture what Chinese tones are like.
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