An easy way to memorize and pronounce tones! The first time you hear a Chinese speaking a sentence, were you like “wow, I understand nothing and why do they sound like they’re going on a rollercoaster”? No wonder, you’re hearing tones for the first time! They may seem daunting, but I have a secret to tell you. There’s a super easy tone trick to know: you’re actually already using tones in English, so all you need to do is apply that knowledge to your Chinese! Read on so I can explain more.
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Tone sandhi, why are there tone changes in Chinese?
Ninchanese October 19, 2016We’re exploring why sometimes tones are different when written and when pronounced. Read on to learn why there are tone changes in Mandarin and what tone sandhi is all about!
read moreChinese tones: Oops, that’s the wrong tone!
Ninchanese November 7, 2012Think tones don’t matter when speaking Chinese? Wait til you get to China and try to say something. Odds are you’ll draw blank stares and shrugs because no one can understand what you’re saying. Or worse, you might suddenly get insulted, for a seemingly unknown reason! The culprit? Your Chinese tones!
Those five little accents are key to being understood in China and maintaining peaceful interactions with people. This is a lesson I learned the hard way when I first moved to China…
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