Say it aloud: tones, greetings and your first introduction

Say it, don't just read it

• Chinese lives in the voice: tones, rhythm and clear syllables. Reading quietly is not speaking practice.

• The method for every box on this page: hear → say → record → compare.

• Your recording stays on this page. Nobody else can hear it. Nothing is scored — you are the judge, with a checklist.

• Before you start: Recall the first conversation and connected-speech changes. Begin with a new greeting/name exchange; written choices below do not measure pronunciation.

Tones carry meaning

• mā ma妈mā (mother), má generic name for hemp, flax…麻má (hemp), mǎ horse马mǎ (horse), ma (yes/no ?)吗ma (question particle) — same letters, four meanings.
• Two third tones together: hello你好nǐ hǎo sounds like ní hǎo — the first syllable rises. You met this in lesson 1.
• Practice box 1: record the greeting pair. Compare the rising first syllable of hello你好nǐ hǎo and the light final (yes/no ?)吗ma in hello你好nǐ hǎo(yes/no ?)吗ma. A checklist guides self-review; it does not measure pronunciation.

Greetings that answer back

• hello你好nǐ hǎo。→ hello你好nǐ hǎo。 Then the fuller exchange: hello你好nǐ hǎo(yes/no ?)吗ma？— I / me我wǒdegree / adjective linker很hěngood好hǎo。you你nǐ(and …? / softener)呢ne？
• you你nǐ(and …? / softener)呢ne returns the question — and you? Keep (and …? / softener)呢ne short and unstressed; do not assign it one fixed pitch.
• Practice box 2: record both sides of the exchange, one voice at a time.

Work through a decision: For a new meeting, decide which move the listener needs: a greeting, a name, or an identity. you你nǐvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zì？ needs I / me我wǒvariant of 叫叫jiào plus a name; you你nǐto be / is是shìstudent学生xué shēng(yes/no ?)吗ma？ checks an identity and needs a fitting confirmation or correction. Say the new information rather than repeating whichever model line you remember.

Compare a near miss: I / me我wǒvariant of 叫叫jiàoWang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lì can be clear Mandarin but still fail to answer you你nǐto be / is是shìstudent学生xué shēng(yes/no ?)吗ma？ Correct sound and a fitting response are separate things to review. Likewise, a fluent copied introduction does not show that you can adapt it when the role changes.

Your name

• I / me我wǒvariant of 叫叫jiào + name: I / me我wǒvariant of 叫叫jiào李明lǐ míng。
• To ask: you你nǐvariant of 叫叫jiàowhat什么shén mename (of a person or thing)名字míng zì？ — What is your name?
• Practice box 3: record the question and the answer.

Where you are from

• I / me我wǒto be / is是shì + place + person人rén: I / me我wǒto be / is是shìChina中国zhōng guóperson人rén。I / me我wǒto be / is是shìBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīngperson人rén。
• For this complete identity-statement pattern, keep to be / is是shì: I / me我wǒto be / is是shìChina中国zhōng guóperson人rén。A fragment in conversation is a different use; practise the full sentence here.
• Practice box 4: record where the speaker is from.

Numbers aloud

• Phone-number digits are spoken one by one: one / a一yī、three三sān、five五wǔ、seven七qī、eight八bā (yī, sān, wǔ, qī, bā). Ages use the normal number: fifteen years old is 十五岁shí wǔ suì (shí wǔ suì), not one / a一yī五岁wǔ suì.
• two二èr èr has a falling fourth tone; eight八bā bā has a high, level first tone. Keep the contrast clear without forcing your voice.
• Practice box 5: record the five digits, then say a different fictional digit sequence the same way.

The flat-tone trap

• Dropping tone contrasts can change a word or make it harder to identify. Context may help, but it does not guarantee understanding.
• In nǐ hǎo, the first syllable normally rises in connected speech, while the second is third tone. A third tone can remain low rather than making a full dip and rise. Compare whole phrases, not one pitch shape applied everywhere.
• Review the four tones and connected-speech changes if those contrasts are unclear.

Your turn: a full self-introduction

• Put it together: hello你好nǐ hǎo！I / me我wǒvariant of 叫叫jiào … I / me我wǒto be / is是shì … person人rén。to thank谢谢xiè xiè！
• Practice box 6 gives Li Ming's introduction — adapt it with your own or fictional details when you record. A place-based identity should fit what you intend to say; it is not required in every introduction.
• Record twice: once slow and clear, once at natural speed. Compare both with the model.

Keep the voice working

• Tomorrow, before you reopen this page: greet, thank, and introduce yourself aloud — no looking.
• For familiar phrases, try saying them before playback, then compare. For a new pronunciation, listen first. A button such as offers a model, not proof that your production is correct.
• Next speaking lesson: routines, times and shopping. For separate local practice options, visit Chinese practice. These are teaching activities, not a verified exam-format blueprint.

Later recall: Tomorrow, answer a different fictional name/role card before reopening the models. A few days later, reverse who asks and answers. Revisit the question/answer step after a meaning mismatch, and the tone-change guide after a sound difficulty.