Light syllables and common tone changes
IntroducedListen to a familiar greeting
- hello你好 nǐ hǎo is written with two third tones. In normal speech, the first sounds like a second tone.
- Tone-mark spelling often keeps the original tones. Listen for the spoken form rather than forcing the marks mechanically.
Keep the second syllable light
- to thank谢谢 xièxie and name (of a person or thing)名字 míngzi end with neutral-tone syllables. They are shorter and less stressed.
- Neutral tone has no tone mark. Its pitch depends on the surrounding syllables; “neutral” does not mean silent or always flat.
In míngzi, which syllable is light: ming or zi?
The neutral-tone zi has no tone mark.
Neutral tone always has the same flat pitch.
Its pitch depends on context; it is short and unstressed.
not不 before a fourth tone
- not不 bù sounds bú before a fourth tone: no不是 bú shì and 不去 bú qù.
- Before a third tone, keep bù: no good不好 bù hǎo — not good.
bù + shì → bú shì in speech. The characters remain no不是.
How is 不 normally pronounced in 不是?
Before fourth-tone shì, 不 changes to bú.
one / a一 inside a phrase
- one / a一 yī — one is first tone when counted alone. Before a fourth tone it commonly sounds yí: 一个 yí ge.
- Before a first, second, or third tone it commonly sounds yì: 一天 yì tiān — one day.
These examples teach common changes, not every special case. Learn the actual phrase and use its recording as your model.
Match these phrases to the reading used here.
Written pinyin may retain dictionary tones, but speech follows these common changes.
In 一个, 一 normally sounds:
Before a fourth-tone syllable, 一 commonly becomes yí; 个 may then be light.
Practise the whole phrase
- Repeat hello你好, to thank谢谢, no不是, and 一天. Keep each phrase flowing; avoid separating every syllable with a long pause.
- Next: pinyin sounds and spelling.
Light syllables are unstressed. Two third tones change the first; not不 and one / a一 also have common changes in phrases.