Four tones

Definition

The four tones in Mandarin Chinese refer to different pitch patterns used when pronouncing syllables. Each tone has a distinct pitch contour and can change the meaning of a word.

Related terms

Tone Sandhi: Tone Sandhi is the phenomenon where tones change based on their position in a sentence or phrase.

Neutral Tone: The neutral tone is often considered as the fifth tone in Mandarin Chinese. It has no fixed pitch contour and usually occurs on weak syllables.

Tonal Languages: Tonal languages are languages where differences in pitch contours can distinguish between different words or meanings.