Introduction to Chinese

​Tones

​Listen and repeat:

​mā - 1st tone, high and flat

mǎ - 3rd tone, dipping down then back up

má - 2nd tone, rising

​ma - 5th tone, neutral

​mà - 4th tone, falling

​But what are tones?

​Tones are the use of voice pitch to change the meaning of a word. For example, the same syllable can have different meanings depending on the tone. Listen and compare the following:

Multiple Choice

“character" means

• a symbol that represents a word or idea

• the use of voice pitch to change the meaning

• a system for spelling in Latin letters

Multiple Choice

“pinyin" means

• a symbol that represents a word or idea

• the use of voice pitch to change the meaning

• a system for spelling in Latin letters

Multiple Choice

“tone" means

• a symbol that represents a word or idea

• the use of voice pitch to change the meaning

• a system for spelling in Latin letters

Multiple Choice

How many tones are there in Chinese?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Multiple Choice

In pinyin, 'q' is pronounced like...

• ch

• sh

• j

• kw

Multiple Choice

In pinyin, 'x' is pronounced like...

• ch

• sh

• j

• ks

Multiple Choice

In pinyin, 'zh' is pronounced like...

• ch

• sh

• j

• f

Multiple Choice

In pinyin, 'c' is pronounced like 'ts'

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

In pinyin, 'z' is pronounced like 'dz'

• TRUE

• FALSE