Light syllables and common tone changes

Why hello你好nǐ hǎo does not sound like two full dips

Written pinyin often shows nǐ hǎo, but the first syllable sounds rising in ordinary speech: approximately ní hǎo. The written word and its spoken tone in a phrase need not look identical. Learn the base tone and practise the phrase together.

Neutral tone is light, not a fixed fifth tune

mama妈妈mā mā māma, mother; to thank谢谢xiè xiè xièxie, thank you; (coll.) father爸爸bà bà bàba, father.

The second syllable is unstressed and normally shorter. Its pitch depends partly on the preceding tone; it is not always lower or simply a full tone whispered quietly. Compare whole words with a Mandarin model. The particle (yes/no ?)吗ma ma is also normally neutral in an ordinary yes-no question.

not不bù before a fourth tone

not不bù has base reading bù. Before a fourth-tone syllable it is commonly pronounced bú: no不是bú shì bú shì, is not; 不去bù qù bú qù, not go. Before other full tones it normally stays bù: not不bùto shout喝hē bù hē, not drink; no good不好bù hǎo bù hǎo, not good. Some weak forms have further changes in natural speech; these examples teach the main contrast.

one / a一yī in useful phrases

Context	Common spoken reading	Example
Alone, counting, or in first第一dì yī	yī	one / a一yī yī; first第一dì yī dì-yī, first
Before fourth tone	yí	first一次yī cì yí cì, once
Before first, second or third tone	yì	一天yī tiān yì tiān, one day; 一年yī nián yì nián, one year; 一本yī běn yì běn, one volume

A lightly pronounced (measure word)个gè in 一个yí gè can obscure the following tone; learn 一个yí gè yí ge as a common whole phrase. Spelling conventions differ on whether to show changed tones for one / a一yī and not不bù. Here the phrase readings show ordinary surface pronunciation; dictionary forms remain useful for lookup.

Two third tones and longer groups

In degree / adjective linker很hěngood好hǎo hěn hǎo, very good, the first third tone becomes rising in the two-syllable group: approximately hén hǎo. Keep the base tones when identifying the words. With three or more third tones, grouping and speech rhythm matter; do not change every third tone mechanically from left to right.

Listen, imitate, compare

Record no不是bú shì, 一天yī tiān and hello你好nǐ hǎo separately, then in a short message. Identify the base tones and predict the main change before listening. A written prediction checks your understanding of the rule; a listener must hear your recording to assess how you said it.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. Someone says neutral tone is always lower than the preceding syllable. What should you change in that explanation?

R2. Use it yourself. Give the base reading and common phrase reading of not不bù in no不是bú shì and one / a一yī in 一天yī tiān. Explain what happens in hello你好nǐ hǎo.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.